Translations:Banquets/3/en

What happens in a ritual is up to those who plan it but we do have some clues as to what rituals were performed in ancient Arabia. A particularly ancient and long-lived form of ritual is the banquet (mrzh’), a celebration attended by a select group of people in honour of a particular deity or deities. It is attested as early as the 13th century BC in a Ugaritic text which describes the preparations taken by a high priest for his guests; the slaughtering of animals and the provision of wine. Israelite prophets frequently condemned this ritual claiming it has a tendency towards hedonism, excess and its association with pagan gods. Amos 6:4-6 You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.