Michael Shenkar
Biographic Data
| ID | 1141657 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Michael Shenkar |
| GIVEN NAMES | Michael |
| FAMILY NAME | Shenkar |
| SIGNATURE | SHENKAR M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3604-4481 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 44 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
When east meets west
Following the Sasanian conquest of Bactria-Tukhāristān in the third century CE, Kushan cultic traditions centred on the veneration of anthropomorphic divine images continued to thrive under the new Persian rulers. Rather than imposing aniconic Zoroastrian practices, the Sasanians actively patronised local religious customs, commissioning statues of Persian deities such as Anāhitā while incorporating Bactrian gods into their visual and ritual repe…
A unique scene of fire worship from the late Sogdian palace at Sanjar-Shah
In 2022-2023, fragments of figurative wall paintings were discovered in the Royal Palace at Sanjar-Shah, a Sogdian site near Panjikent in Tajikistan. The paintings depict a procession of priests approaching a large fire altar-this offers a rare insight into religious imagery and a representation of fire worship in Sogdian murals
The Kök-Tash underground mausoleum in north-eastern Kyrgyzstan
The Qara Khitai or Western Liao dynasty (1124–1218) is one of the most fascinating polities in medieval Eurasia, but also one of the least documented in terms of both literary sources and material culture. Founded by Khitan refugees who escaped from North China when the Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115–1234) vanquished the Khitan Liao dynasty (907–1125), the Qara Khitai soon established a multicultural empire in Central Asia, combining Khitan, Chinese, …
The So-Called “ Fravašis ” and the “Heaven and Hell” Paintings, and the Cult of Nana in Panjikent
The article discusses the well-known painting from the outer courtyard of Temple II in Panjikent, which has been unanimously identified as depicting a group of fravašis. It argues that the painting should rather be interpreted as a ritual procession of high-ranking Sogdian women carrying symbols and attributes of Nana, the supreme goddess of Panjikent, who was worshipped in this temple. In addition, it suggests that the two structures from the pa…
Rethinking Sasanian Iconoclasm
This article presents a detailed reconsideration of the well-established and canonized theory of "Sasanian iconoclasm" postulated by Mary Boyce in 1975. The Sasanians did not develop any prohibition against anthropomorphic representations of the gods, and in the surviving Zoroastrian literature and inscriptions there is no evidence of either theological disputes over idols or of a deliberate eradication of them by the Persian kings. Sasanian cult…
The Origin of the Sogdian Civic Communities (nāf)
The article discusses when, how and why oligarchic, self-governed civic communities ( nāf) emerged in Sogdiana. On the basis of primary sources, such as the Kultobe inscriptions, and on comparative material from the two best-known city-state cultures—the Greek poleis and the medieval north Italian republics—it is argued that the development of the Sogdian civic communities occurred during the first century BCE -second century CE , when Sogdiana w…
Sanjar-Shah
The Coronation of the Early Sasanians, Ctesiphon, and the Great Diadem of Paikuli
The article discusses the venue and the nature of the coronation ceremony of the Sasanian kings in the third century. It is argued that the coronation of the early Sasanians was a continuation of a Hellenistic ceremony, which was essentially the act of binding a diadem around one’s head. It seems that the common practice was for the king to bind the diadem himself in the presence of a select circle of courtiers or only in the presence of the gods…
A unique Sogdian bronze pin and a fragment of a Chinese “Zhenzifeishuang” 真子飞霜 mirror from Sanjar-Shah (Tajikistan)
The Headdress of the Tillya Tepe “Prince”
The sensational finds made at Tillya Tepe in Northern Afghanistan close to the modern city of Sheberghān, are the primary source for reconstructing the cultural history of Bactria in the turbulent period between the end of Greek rule and the rise of the Kushan Empire. The paucity of written sources from this period (mid second century bce to mid first century ce ), and our resulting lack of understanding of even major political and cultural event…
Thegreat Iranian divide
The Avesta and the Rig Veda, our earliest sources for the Indo-Iranian religious tradition, contain ideas and elements with both aniconic and iconic potential. The cultic iconography in Western and Eastern Iran developed in a remarkably different manner. While the Achaemenian and Sasanian cults were aniconic, Eastern Iranian people, like the Kushans and the Sogdians, not only made use of portrayals of their gods in human form, but also venerated …
Indexes
Figures
Iranian Dynasties
Color Plates
Iconographic Pantheon
Conclusions
Intangible Spirits
Graven images
Written Sources
Intangible Spirits and Graven Images
Winner of the the Roman and Tania Ghirshman Prize 2015 by the French Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. This prize was established in 1973 by the donation made by Roman Ghirshman, one of the prominent French archaeologists of Pre-Islamic Iran. It is awarded annually for a publication in the field of Pre-Islamic Iranian Studies. In Intangible Spirits and Graven Images, Michael Shenkar investigates the perception of ancient Iranian deitie…
Yosef bar El'asa Artaka and the elusive Jewish Diaspora of pre-Islamic Iran and Central Asia
The article discusses an inscription on an ossuary that probably once contained the bones of a woman brought from abroad for burial in Jerusalem by her son, nicknamed 'Artaka'. Based on his name, it is suggested that he came to Jerusalem from Parthiena or Bactria - at that time provinces of the Parthian Empire. If so, this inscription provides unique archaeological evidence connected with the Parthian Diaspora and its pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Mo…
Temple Architecture in the Iranian World before the Macedonian Conquest
The article offers a survey of temple architecture in the Iranian world before the Macedonian conquest. Despite the observations that ancient Iranians worshipped in the open air, structures of cultic significance have been discovered in some areas of Eastern Iran. While the attribution of the earliest, second millennium temples to the Iranian tribes is still disputable, Iranians definitely had temples before the Achaemenids. The earliest temples …
Intangible Spirits and Graven Images
Winner of the the Roman and Tania Ghirshman Prize 2015 by the French Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. This prize was established in 1973 by the donation made by Roman Ghirshman, one of the prominent French archaeologists of Pre-Islamic Iran. It is awarded annually for a publication in the field of Pre-Islamic Iranian Studies. In Intangible Spirits and Graven Images, Michael Shenkar investigates the perception of ancient Iranian deitie…
Rethinking Sasanian Iconoclasm
This article presents a detailed reconsideration of the well-established and canonized theory of "Sasanian iconoclasm" postulated by Mary Boyce in 1975. The Sasanians did not develop any prohibition against anthropomorphic representations of the gods, and in the surviving Zoroastrian literature and inscriptions there is no evidence of either theological disputes over idols or of a deliberate eradication of them by the Persian kings. Sasanian cult…
Thegreat Iranian divide
The Avesta and the Rig Veda, our earliest sources for the Indo-Iranian religious tradition, contain ideas and elements with both aniconic and iconic potential. The cultic iconography in Western and Eastern Iran developed in a remarkably different manner. While the Achaemenian and Sasanian cults were aniconic, Eastern Iranian people, like the Kushans and the Sogdians, not only made use of portrayals of their gods in human form, but also venerated …
Temple Architecture in the Iranian World before the Macedonian Conquest
The article offers a survey of temple architecture in the Iranian world before the Macedonian conquest. Despite the observations that ancient Iranians worshipped in the open air, structures of cultic significance have been discovered in some areas of Eastern Iran. While the attribution of the earliest, second millennium temples to the Iranian tribes is still disputable, Iranians definitely had temples before the Achaemenids. The earliest temples …
The Headdress of the Tillya Tepe “Prince”
The sensational finds made at Tillya Tepe in Northern Afghanistan close to the modern city of Sheberghān, are the primary source for reconstructing the cultural history of Bactria in the turbulent period between the end of Greek rule and the rise of the Kushan Empire. The paucity of written sources from this period (mid second century bce to mid first century ce ), and our resulting lack of understanding of even major political and cultural event…
Yosef bar El'asa Artaka and the elusive Jewish Diaspora of pre-Islamic Iran and Central Asia
The article discusses an inscription on an ossuary that probably once contained the bones of a woman brought from abroad for burial in Jerusalem by her son, nicknamed 'Artaka'. Based on his name, it is suggested that he came to Jerusalem from Parthiena or Bactria - at that time provinces of the Parthian Empire. If so, this inscription provides unique archaeological evidence connected with the Parthian Diaspora and its pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Mo…
Temple Architecture in the Iranian World before the Macedonian Conquest
The article offers a survey of temple architecture in the Iranian world before the Macedonian conquest. Despite the observations that ancient Iranians worshipped in the open air, structures of cultic significance have been discovered in some areas of Eastern Iran. While the attribution of the earliest, second millennium temples to the Iranian tribes is still disputable, Iranians definitely had temples before the Achaemenids. The earliest temples …
Indexes
Figures
Iranian Dynasties
Color Plates
Iconographic Pantheon
Conclusions
Intangible Spirits
Graven images
Written Sources
Intangible Spirits and Graven Images
Winner of the the Roman and Tania Ghirshman Prize 2015 by the French Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. This prize was established in 1973 by the donation made by Roman Ghirshman, one of the prominent French archaeologists of Pre-Islamic Iran. It is awarded annually for a publication in the field of Pre-Islamic Iranian Studies. In Intangible Spirits and Graven Images, Michael Shenkar investigates the perception of ancient Iranian deitie…
Yosef bar El'asa Artaka and the elusive Jewish Diaspora of pre-Islamic Iran and Central Asia
The article discusses an inscription on an ossuary that probably once contained the bones of a woman brought from abroad for burial in Jerusalem by her son, nicknamed 'Artaka'. Based on his name, it is suggested that he came to Jerusalem from Parthiena or Bactria - at that time provinces of the Parthian Empire. If so, this inscription provides unique archaeological evidence connected with the Parthian Diaspora and its pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Mo…
The Headdress of the Tillya Tepe “Prince”
The sensational finds made at Tillya Tepe in Northern Afghanistan close to the modern city of Sheberghān, are the primary source for reconstructing the cultural history of Bactria in the turbulent period between the end of Greek rule and the rise of the Kushan Empire. The paucity of written sources from this period (mid second century bce to mid first century ce ), and our resulting lack of understanding of even major political and cultural event…
Thegreat Iranian divide
The Avesta and the Rig Veda, our earliest sources for the Indo-Iranian religious tradition, contain ideas and elements with both aniconic and iconic potential. The cultic iconography in Western and Eastern Iran developed in a remarkably different manner. While the Achaemenian and Sasanian cults were aniconic, Eastern Iranian people, like the Kushans and the Sogdians, not only made use of portrayals of their gods in human form, but also venerated …
A unique Sogdian bronze pin and a fragment of a Chinese “Zhenzifeishuang” 真子飞霜 mirror from Sanjar-Shah (Tajikistan)
Sanjar-Shah
The Coronation of the Early Sasanians, Ctesiphon, and the Great Diadem of Paikuli
The article discusses the venue and the nature of the coronation ceremony of the Sasanian kings in the third century. It is argued that the coronation of the early Sasanians was a continuation of a Hellenistic ceremony, which was essentially the act of binding a diadem around one’s head. It seems that the common practice was for the king to bind the diadem himself in the presence of a select circle of courtiers or only in the presence of the gods…
The Origin of the Sogdian Civic Communities (nāf)
The article discusses when, how and why oligarchic, self-governed civic communities ( nāf) emerged in Sogdiana. On the basis of primary sources, such as the Kultobe inscriptions, and on comparative material from the two best-known city-state cultures—the Greek poleis and the medieval north Italian republics—it is argued that the development of the Sogdian civic communities occurred during the first century BCE -second century CE , when Sogdiana w…
Rethinking Sasanian Iconoclasm
This article presents a detailed reconsideration of the well-established and canonized theory of "Sasanian iconoclasm" postulated by Mary Boyce in 1975. The Sasanians did not develop any prohibition against anthropomorphic representations of the gods, and in the surviving Zoroastrian literature and inscriptions there is no evidence of either theological disputes over idols or of a deliberate eradication of them by the Persian kings. Sasanian cult…
The So-Called “ Fravašis ” and the “Heaven and Hell” Paintings, and the Cult of Nana in Panjikent
The article discusses the well-known painting from the outer courtyard of Temple II in Panjikent, which has been unanimously identified as depicting a group of fravašis. It argues that the painting should rather be interpreted as a ritual procession of high-ranking Sogdian women carrying symbols and attributes of Nana, the supreme goddess of Panjikent, who was worshipped in this temple. In addition, it suggests that the two structures from the pa…
The Kök-Tash underground mausoleum in north-eastern Kyrgyzstan
The Qara Khitai or Western Liao dynasty (1124–1218) is one of the most fascinating polities in medieval Eurasia, but also one of the least documented in terms of both literary sources and material culture. Founded by Khitan refugees who escaped from North China when the Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115–1234) vanquished the Khitan Liao dynasty (907–1125), the Qara Khitai soon established a multicultural empire in Central Asia, combining Khitan, Chinese, …
A unique scene of fire worship from the late Sogdian palace at Sanjar-Shah
In 2022-2023, fragments of figurative wall paintings were discovered in the Royal Palace at Sanjar-Shah, a Sogdian site near Panjikent in Tajikistan. The paintings depict a procession of priests approaching a large fire altar-this offers a rare insight into religious imagery and a representation of fire worship in Sogdian murals
When east meets west
Following the Sasanian conquest of Bactria-Tukhāristān in the third century CE, Kushan cultic traditions centred on the veneration of anthropomorphic divine images continued to thrive under the new Persian rulers. Rather than imposing aniconic Zoroastrian practices, the Sasanians actively patronised local religious customs, commissioning statues of Persian deities such as Anāhitā while incorporating Bactrian gods into their visual and ritual repe…
Eurasian Exchange Networks (13 works) · History (13 works) · Ancient history (12 works) · Archaeology (12 works) · History (10 works) · Byzantine Studies and History (8 works) · Art (7 works) · Geography (5 works) · Islam (5 works) · Ancient Near East History (4 works)