Mesopotamian Witchcraft: Towards a History and Understanding of Babylonian Witchcraft Beliefs and Literature

BRILL, 2002 - 314 pages

This volume is about the history, literature, ritual, and thought associated with ancient Mesopotamian witchcraft. With chapters on the changing forms and roles of witchcraft beliefs, the ritual function, form, and development of the Maqlû text (the most important ancient work on the subject), and the meaning of the Maqlû ceremony, as well as the ideology of the final version of the text. The volume significantly contributes to our understanding of the Maqlû text, and the reconstruction of the development of thought about witchcraft and magic in Mesopotamia.

Table des matières

1
27
65
79

Chapter 5

89

The Nature and History of Maqlū

97

Chapter 7

113

Chapter 8

163

Chapter 10

197

Meaning The Religious and Intellectual Setting of Maqlū

217

Some Observations on the Introductory Section of the Text Part I

249

Chapter 13

271

Chapter 14

287

Interpretation and Textual History of Maqlū VIII 58105 and IX 15259

293

Indices

307

Chapter 9

185

Fréquemment cités

Page 4 - The common man . . . used divination in a naive, ego-centered way that corresponded only to a limited degree to the techniques used by the king. This contrast is paralleled by a similar one in the realm of magic, where the common man and the court differed mainly in regard to theological elaboration and scholarly refinement. The complex purification rituals (namburbi) evolved to ward off the evil predicted by ominous happenings are geared to the repertory of the omen collections. Their specific purpose...

Page 27 - I had the good fortune to enjoy the hospitality of the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Page 286 - The individual appellant, producing resolutions of the two companies, claimed to be heard, not only on his own behalf, but also on behalf of the companies ; but the House of Lords would not allow this.

Page 277 - Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!

Page 55 - Ascription of impairment of health to the suspected voluntary or involuntary aggressive action of a member of a special class of human beings believed to be endowed with a special power and propensity for evil...

Page 277 - Then one of the seraphim flew to me carrying in his hand a glowing coal which he had taken from the altar with a 7 pair of tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, See, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is removed, and your sin is wiped away.

À propos de l'auteur (2002)

Tzvi Abusch, Ph.D. in Assyriology from Harvard University, is Rose B. and Joseph Cohen Professor of Assyriology and Ancient Near Eastern Religion. He has taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and has held a number of awards and fellowships. His particular area of interest is Ancient Mesopotamian Religious Literature and Mesopotamian Anti-witchcraft Literature.

Informations bibliographiques

TitreMesopotamian Witchcraft: Towards a History and Understanding of Babylonian Witchcraft Beliefs and Literature
Volume 5 de Ancient Magic and Divination
Volume 5 de Studies in Ancient Magic and Divination
AuteurI. Tzvi Abusch
ÉditeurBRILL, 2002
ISBN9004123873, 9789004123878
Longueur314 pages
  
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