Household and Family Religion in Antiquity

Household and Family Religion in Antiquity, edited by John Bodel and Saul Olyan, is a scholarly comparative volume examining domestic religious practice, ancestor veneration, household gods and family ritual, across ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures including Greek, Roman, Israelite, Mesopotamian and Egyptian traditions, with each culture's practice treated by a specialist in that particular field. Its authority comes from that comparative structure, letting readers see genuine similarities and real differences across traditions rather than assuming a single ancient household religion. As with any edited comparative volume, the quality and depth of coverage varies by chapter and contributor, and any specific claim about one tradition's household practice is best checked against that chapter's own scholarly apparatus rather than treated as representing the volume's collective authority.