Tell Halif Syncretism 3

Neither is there sign of animosity or contention between them, as would be necessary (for example) for Holladay's categories of state religion and "Nonconformist" religion. Holladay's views of the reasons people also worshiped Asherah provide important insight for the finds at Halif. However, the better analogy for this phenomenon is that people find different religious expressions useful for different aspects or times of life. Indeed, Holladay (unwittingly) makes the case for this interpretation (my "multi-religions") in his example of Japanese religious practice (289, n. 95). Because Holladay's example illustrates "multi-religion" practice so well, I quote it at length: "The religious ambivalence of the typical Japanese citizen comes to mind. At various points in time a family may participate in a Shinto wedding or infant presentation ceremony, make pilgrimages to Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, have their fortune told by Tao popular diviners, meet in each other's houses in voluntary devotional cults to individual bodhisatvas..., celebrate Christmases in addition to periodic Buddhist and Shinto festivals...." The reason(s) these Japanese do this is not, as Holladay would have it, because of loyalty to the state religion and simultaneous non-threatening participation in "noncomformist" religion, but because the worshipers have no difficulty perceiving how all of these fit within the larger aspects of life. They participate in all, because all meet one need or another.

Bibliography

Holladay, Jr., John S. 1987. Religion in Israel and Judah Under the Monarchy: An Explicitly Archaeological Approach inAncient Israelite Religion: Essays in Honor of Frank Moore Cross. P. D. Miller, Jr., P. D. Hanson and S. D. McBride, edd. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.