Serapis : the sacred library and its declericalization /
The Greco-Egyptian syncretistic god Serapis was used by the 3rd century BCE Ptolemaic pharaohs to impose Greek cultural hegemony and consolidate political power. The Alexandrian Serapeum, sometimes referred to as The Great Library of Alexandria's "daughter library," may be seen as an...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sacramento, CA :
Library Juice Press,
2022.
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: | The Greco-Egyptian syncretistic god Serapis was used by the 3rd century BCE Ptolemaic pharaohs to impose Greek cultural hegemony and consolidate political power. The Alexandrian Serapeum, sometimes referred to as The Great Library of Alexandria's "daughter library," may be seen as an archetype for institutions where religion and secular knowledge come together for the reproduction of ideologies. The Serapeum, however, is by no means unique in this regard; libraries have always incorporated religious symbols and rituals into their material structures. Very little research has been conducted concerning the sociocultural and historical impact of this union of temple and information institution or how this dynamic interrelationship (even if it may now be implicit or partially concealed) stretches from the earliest Mesopotamian proto-libraries to our present academic ones. The book explores the role of the historical and legacy religious symbols and rituals of the academic library (referred to as the "Serapian Library") as a powerful ideological state institution and investigates how these symbols and rituals support hegemonic structures in society. Specifically, the book examines the role of the modern secular "Serapian" academic library in its historical context as a "sacred space," and applies the theories of Karl Marx, Louis Althusser, Ivan Illich, and other thinkers to explain the ramifications of the library as crypto-temple. |
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| Physical Description: | 215 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 1634000978 9781634000970 |