Born in Heaven, Made on Earth

Born in Heaven, Made on Earth is a scholarly examination of cult images within the ancient Near East. This volume focuses on the religious significance of these objects, which were often dismissed as idols in the Hebrew Bible and western tradition. The text explores the Mesopotamian ritual of mis pi, a process used to symbolically give birth to the deity represented by the image.

Categorized within history and comparative religion, this work analyzes the role of divine imagery across various Middle East cultures. The book consists of three detailed essays on ancient Near Eastern practices, followed by a fourth section that offers a modern analogy as a counterpoint. Born in Heaven, Made on Earth provides a rigorous academic perspective on ancient religion and the intersection of ritual and art.