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Aniconism

A reference page linking a name, group, or concept to the materials that discuss it.

Avoidance of divine images in a particular practice or tradition; not inferred solely from an unidentified artifact.

Modern diagram of different explanations for an unidentified image; not evidence that any one occurred at Ugarit
Modern diagram of different explanations for an unidentified image; not evidence that any one occurred at UgaritIL Archive · original explanatory diagram · CC BY 4.0 · CC BYImage source

Text

The term concerns avoiding images in a specific context and can differ from an explicit prohibition. Establishing it requires evidence about representational practices and rules. For El, the museum overview’s difficulty identifying his image is a different archaeological question.[1]

References and notes

  1. Ira Spar (2009). The Gods and Goddesses of Canaan. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. El paragraph: uncertain seated-image identification; possible unidentified god or deified king. Not a universal archaeological inventory or proof of an image ban. Return to the text ↑

Research history

Substantive changes are retained here. Minor copy edits remain in the internal operational log.

  1. Edition 2 · 11 October 2026 · editor:aladmin

    Substantive record update

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IL Archive, «Aniconism», Edition 2, https://ilarchive.com/en/entities/aniconism