Prayer in the Ancient World

Prayer in the Ancient World is a comprehensive, multi-volume reference that surveys prayer practices across Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia, the Levant, early Judaism and Christianity, Greece, Rome, Arabia, and Iran.

Edited by Daniel K. Falk and Rodney A. Werline, the project compiles over 350 entries by more than a hundred contributors and includes translations, commentary, and rich metadata for cross-cultural comparison.

Published by Brill, it emphasizes material context, performative features, and a broad definition of prayer to include verbal and nonverbal acts directed toward superhuman agents.

The work is designed for non-specialists and specialists alike, facilitating comparative study and offering searchable tags for function, materiality, space, gestures, and performers.

It is also available online and intended to be expanded over several years with new entries and metadata enhancements.