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Stele

10 Episodes

A stele is an upright stone used as material media for memory, presence, and ritual, whether marking the dead or manifesting a deity. In these discussions, stelae are treated not as decorative monuments but as objects that could house agency, receive offerings, and anchor relationships between humans and unseen beings.

Redirected from: Stela, Stelae

Why this topic matters

A stele ties together archaeology, ancient religion, and cognitive approaches to ritual in a single concrete object. Once the standing stone is understood as a site of presence rather than a neutral artifact, discussions of temples, offerings, ancestors, and divine images become much easier to connect.

The topic is especially useful for episodes about how ancient Israelites and their neighbors imagined gods, the dead, and sacred space. Conversations about stelae often open outward into questions about headstones, ancestor care, the Ark, inscribed law, and the long transition from visible cult objects to textual forms of divine presence.

Where to start

Start here for the best in-depth listening on Stele: featured segments, featured episodes, and the episode with the most mentions.

Quotes from the Data

“This is a stele. This is an upright stone. It is sometimes carved, sometimes as it is found naturally, but it is something that is taller than it is wide frequently.”

Dan McClellan Episode 14

“Archaeologists identify two different uses for stelae... One use is as a commemorative marker for a burial... You also find them in the Neolithic period in groups, in arrangements that indicate to many archaeologists that they are there to represent or give presence to deities.”

Dan McClellan Episode 14

“The inscription begins, I am Katumuwa, servant of Panamuwa, who commissioned for myself this stele while still living.”

Dan McClellan Episode 65

“We've got this statement about stelae, or standing stones. So these would have been divine images for Baal and for Asherah, one for Baal, one for Asherah.”

Dan McClellan Episode 7

Top episodes

Ranked by mentions of Stele across the transcript. Start with the top mention above, then keep going here.

All episodes

Every episode currently tagged with Stele.