The Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions (JANER) focuses on the religions of the area commonly referred to as the Ancient Near East encompassing Egypt, Mesopotamia, Syria-Palestine, and Anatolia, as well as immediately adjacent areas under their cultural influence, from prehistoric times onward to the beginning of the common era. JANER thus explicitly aims to include not only the Biblical, Hellenistic and Roman world as part of Ancient Near Eastern civilization but also the impact of its religions on the western Mediterranean. JANER is the only scholarly journal specifically and exclusively addressing this range of topics.
In the preserved records of Ancient Near Eastern civilizations religion can be seen pervading practically every aspect of daily life, while it is reflected in multiform and often impressive ways in their art and material culture. Ancient Near Eastern religions are therefore vital not only to our understanding of the cultures of that time and area but also as providing the roots and the background for the religions that were to become three major world creeds.