13.1 Nature and Function of Rituals
13.2 Transference to the Level of Sacred
13.3 Restoration of Order
13.4 Cultural Achievements in Ritual Practice
13.5 Circumcision in the Biblical World
13.6 Ritual Prostitution in Mesopotamia?
13.7 Mesopotamian Magic as a Genuine Religious Experience
13.8 The Interlocutors
13.9 Mesopotamian Witchcraft as a Criminal Diversion
13.10 The Main Types of Magic in Mesopotamia
13.11 The Mesopotamian Gods as High Priests
13.12 The Absence of Magic Rituals in the Biblical Context
13.13 Sacrificial Biblical Rituals
13.14 Death and the Afterlife
13.15 Ritualism as Degradation of Experience
ERRORS in databases:
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- "Bottero1992Reasoning.d": duplicate bibliography "Bottero1992Reasoning" for site "Mes-rel".
- "Buccellati1972Teodicea.d": duplicate bibliography "Buccellati1972Teodicea" for site "Mes-lit".
- "Cauvin2000Birth.d": duplicate bibliography "Cauvin2000Birth" for site "Mes-rel".
- "DMB.d": duplicate bibliography "DMB" for site "Mes-rel".
- "Edzard2003Sumerian.d": duplicate bibliography "Edzard2003Sumerian" for site "Mes-rel".
- "Oshima2014Sufferers.d": duplicate bibliography "Oshima2014Sufferers" for site "Mes-rel".
- "Trinkaus1983Shanidar.d": duplicate bibliography "Trinkaus1983Shanidar" for site "Mes-rel".
13.1 Nature and Function of Rituals
For the nature and function of cultic activities at Ebla, an example of Mesopotamian rituality, see Bonechi 1989 Ebla.
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On rituals in the Ancient Near East, see RlA 11, pp. 421ff..
For further bibliography on this topic, see: Ambos 2005 Rituale; Durand 1997 Mari; Muller 1937 Ritual.
For the specific and peculiar role of women in Mesopotamian cultic performances of the third-second millennium BC, see e.g. Gadotti 2016 Women.
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13.2 Transference to the Level of Sacred
Buber points out the technical nature of magic, as opposed to the personal nature of prayer: «Magic desires to obtain its effects without entering into relation, and practises its tricks in the void. But sacrifice and prayer are set ‘before the Face’, in the consummation of the holy primary word that means mutual action: they speak the Thou, and then they hear.» (p. 83). See When, chapter 13, for Buccellati’s description of magic. See Buber 1937 Iandthou.
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For Atramhasis, cf. supra 6.2.
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For the text of the Dialog of Pessimism, cf. supra 12.3.
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For the biblical passages mentioned by G. Buccellati in Chapter 13, Section 2, see here:
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For the Hebrew term עוֹלָ, ‘ôlā, ‘to make rise’ (from the radical עלה, ‘LH), see DCH 6, pp. 400-414.
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For the Hebrew term גָאַל, ga’al, ‘to redeem’, see DCH 2, pp. 293-296.
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About offerings and sacrifices in Ancient Mesopotamia, see RlA 10, pp. 93ff..
For further bibliography in this topic, see: Biome 1934 Opfermaterie; Foxvog 1989 Manual; Furlani 1932 Sacrificio; Lafont 1999 Mari; Quaegebeur 1993 Sacrifice.
Cf. also Brelich 1976 Prolegomeni, pp. 29-30: text in Brelich 1976/Excerpt.
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For an interesting synthesis on Mesopotamian animal sacrifices (with a few comparisons with the Biblical sacrifices) see Scurlock 2002 Animal Sacrifice.
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According to Glassner 2009 Invention, p.51, rituals involving the incineration of offerings existed and are attested also in Mesopotamia, for example in Mari (OB period) and in Assyria in the middle Assyrian period.
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See Ziegler 2016 Juste for a study of reintegration through magic.
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13.3 Restoration of Order
See vander Toorn 1985 Sin Sanction.
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For the practice of rituals to re-establish a broken order, see Brelich 1976 Prolegomeni, p. 25: text in Brelich 1976/Excerpt.
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13.4 Cultural Achievements in Ritual Practice
For the realisation of cultic activities at Ebla, an example of Mesopotamian rituality, see Bonechi 1989 Ebla.
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In this section G. Buccellati discusses about ancient actual realisation of ritual practices; Oates 1978 Religion exemplifies in her contribution some particular Mesopotamian rituals and, more specifically, funerary practices (also involving ancestor cult).
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A discussion about Mesopotamian cultic practices, analysed within an interesting psychological perspective, is presented in Oppenheim 1964 Mesopotamia, where the author defines some of these practices under the realm of ‘magic’ (as magical techniques).
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A description of cultic activities at Ebla, an example of Mesopotamian rituality, is offered in Vigano 1995 Rituals (cf. Vigano 2000 Rituals and Bonechi 1989 Ebla).
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A description of cultic activities at Ebla, an example of Mesopotamian rituality, is offered in Vigano 1995 Rituals, mostly focused on the use of oil in particular ceremonies (cf. Vigano 2000 Rituals and Bonechi 1989 Ebla).
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13.5 Circumcision in the Biblical World
On circumcision in the biblical world, see e.g. the Jewish Encyclopedia.
About circumcision in the Ancient Near East, see RlA 2, p. 18.
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13.6 Ritual Prostitution in Mesopotamia?
On sacred prostitution in ancient Mesopotamia, see RlA 11, pp. 12ff., specifically § 9.
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About Enkidu’s process of civilization, mentioned by G. Buccellati in Chapter 13 (saying that Enkidu “becomes a civilized man” [awīliš īwē]), Section 6, see the text of the poem in George 2000 Gilgamesh; cf. also the recent paper Buccellati 2020 Awilis.
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On sacred prostitution in Mesopotamia, see Westenholz 1989 Tamar; Roth 2006 Marriage.
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13.7 Mesopotamian Magic as a Genuine Religious Experience
A discussion about Mesopotamian ‘magic’ is disclosed in Oppenheim 1964 Mesopotamia, where the author defines some of divination and cultic practices as ‘magical techniques’.
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For the Akkadian term šiptu, ‘spell’, see CAD 17 = Š3, pp. 86-91.
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For Appendix 11.7, see here.
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For Appendix 14.1, see here.
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On Mesopotamian magic, see RlA 7, pp. 200ff.. Cf. also the web-article “Mesopotamian Magic in the First Millennium B.C.”.
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See the relevant contributions in the volume Abuschvd Toorn 1999 Magic.
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13.8 The Interlocutors
For the Akkadian term ašipūtu, ‘magic’, see CAD 1 = A2, pp. 435-436.
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For the Akkadian term šiptu, cf. supra 13.7.
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For the Akkadian term āšipu, ‘exorcist’, see CAD 1 = A2, pp. 431-435.
For the publication of a Mesopotamian ‘exorcist’s manual’, see Geller 2018 K A R 44
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13.9 Mesopotamian Witchcraft as a Criminal Diversion
While magic was a normal and licit part of Mesopotamian religious practice, “witchcraft” was not, and was punishable by death. The difference between the two lies in the former serving the restoration of order, and the latter serves the intentional overturning of order. See Hoffner 1975 Propaganda.
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For the Akkadian term kišpū, ‘witchcraft’, see CAD 8 = K, pp. 454-456.
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For the Myth of [Anzu](http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/nimrud/livesofobjects/anzu/index.html), see Foster 2005 Before, pp. 555-578.
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For the god Enlil, see here.
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For the god Ninurta, see here.
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For the Tablet of Destinies, cf. supra 8.1.
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On Mesopotamian witchcraft, see RlA 15, pp. 224-224.
About Mesopotamian anti-witchcraft rituals, see the website CMAwRo: Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-witchcraft Rituals; see link: C M Aw Ro.
Cf. also the project “Studies in Ancient Mesopotamian Witchcraft Beliefs: Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-Witchcraft Rituals, vol. I”, School of Oriental & African Studies, Department of Languages and Cultures of Near and Middle East.
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On Mesopotamian witchcraft, with a particular focus on the Maqlû ceremony, cf. Abusch 2002 Witchcraft.
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See Abusch 2020 Corpus for anti-witchcraft rituals.
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13.10 The Main Types of Magic in Mesopotamia
For the namburbi, cf. supra 9.2.
See also Maul 1994 Namburbi.
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For Appendix 13.2, see here.
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For Appendix 13.3, see here.
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For the goddess Ishtar, see here.
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For the Sumerian term šaziga (šag4-zig3-[ga]), ‘the elevation of the heart’ [lit. ‘(sexual?) arouse’], see here. Cf. also Attinger 2005 A K and Biggs 1967 Shaziga.
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For Appendix 14.1, see here.
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For Appendix 14.2, see here.
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For the šurpu rituals, cf. supra 8.1.
On the same topic, see also RlA 13, pp. 329ff..
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For Appendix 1, see here.
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For the god Ea, see here.
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For the god Marduk, see here.
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For Appendix 2, see here. See mostly Falkenstein 1959 Sumerische (autograph and transliteration of the Sumerian text) and Jacobsen 1987 Harps (Sumerian text and English translation).
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For Appendix 3, see here.
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For Appendix 15.4, see here.
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For Appendix 15.5, see here.
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For Appendix 15.6, see here.
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For the Akkadian term maqlû, ‘the place of burning = stake’, see CAD 10 = M1, pp. 251-252.
On the same topic, see also RlA 7, pp. 346ff..
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For Appendix 16.1, see here. See mostly Meier 1967 Maqlu.
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For Appendix 16.2, see here.
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13.11 The Mesopotamian Gods as High Priests
For Appendix 15.6, see here.
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For the terms composing the Akkadian syntagm šīmā(t)i šâmu, ‘determining destiny’, see CAD 17 = Š3, pp. 11-20: šīmtu, ‘personal fate’ and CAD 17 = Š1, pp. 358-364: šâmu, ‘to determine’.
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For Appendix 13.3, see here. See mostly Caplice 1974 Namburbi and Ebeling 1955 Namburbi.
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For the god Ea, see here.
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For the god Marduk, see here.
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For the goddess Ishtar, see here.
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For Appendix 15.6, see here.
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For the terms composing the Akkadian syntagm mār šipri, ‘messenger’ (lit. ‘son of the message’), see CAD 10 = M1, pp. 308-316: māru, ‘son’ and CAD 17 = Š3, pp. 73-74: šipru, ‘message’. The syntagm is specifically explained on CAD 10 = M1, pp. 260-265. On this figure, see e.g. De Pietri 2022 Messengers, p. 112-116.
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The sentence «I, Yahweh, am your God» (mentioned by G. Buccellati in Chapter 13, Section 11), is attested several times in the Bible; e.g. see the incipit of the account of the “Ten Commandments”, Ex. 20, 2 and Deut. 5, 6.
For examples from the Leviticus, see e.g. Lev. 11, 45, Lev. 19, 2, Lev. 22, 33, Lev. 25, 38, Lev. 26, 45.
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See Kelly- Buccellati 2005 Urkesh for an examination of the seal used as a cover for the Italian publication of “Quando in alto i cieli…”.
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13.12 The Absence of Magic Rituals in the Biblical Context
On magic in the Bible, see e.g. Achtemeier 1996 Harper, pp. 641-643.
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For demons in Ancient Near East and Israel, cf. supra 8.6 (and the related Chapter and Section in G. Buccellati’s volume).
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13.13 Sacrificial Biblical Rituals
About sacrifices in the Bible, see the Jewish Encyclopedia; cf. also Achtemeier 1996 Harper, p. 957 (redirecting to the entry “Worship” on pp. 1222-1226).
Cf. also Brelich 1976 Prolegomeni, pp. 29-30: text in Brelich 1976/Excerpt.
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For the sentence «You exist as saints, for I, Yahweh, your God, am holy», see Lev. 19, 2; cf. supra 13.11.
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For the namburbi, cf. supra 9.2 and 13.10.
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For the Hebrew texts and the English translation of Lev. 16, 9-10, see here; for Lev. 26, see here.
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For the Hebrew term כִפֻּר, kippur, ‘atonement’, see DCH 4, pp. 456-457. For a discussion on the יֹּום כִפֻּר, yôm kippur, ‘day of the atonement’, see e.g. the Jewish Encyclopedia.
For atonement in Ancient Near East, see e.g. Langdon 1917 Atonement.
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For the scapegoat in the Bible see e.g. the Jewish Encyclopedia.
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For the demon/evil entity עֲזָזֵל, ‘azazel, Azazel, see e.g. the Jewish Encyclopedia, discussing the controversial interpretation of this term (cf. also DCH 6, p. 326); cf. vander Horst 1999 D D D, pp. 128-131.
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For the biblical passages related to the offering of first fruits, see Ex. 13, 2; Ex. 13, 13; Ex. 22, 2.
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For a biblical passage related to a purifying sacrifice for leprosy, see Lev. 14.
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13.14 Death and the Afterlife
For the concepts of ‘death’ and ‘Netherworld’ at Urkesh (connected to the ābi), see Buccellati Kelly Buccellati 2005 Hurrian.
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For the concepts of ‘death’ and ‘Netherworld’ at Urkesh (connected to the ābi), see Buccellati Kelly Buccellati 2007 Heaven.
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The interpretation of Ancient Mesopotamian beliefs about death can be helped and supported by the analysis of ancient funerary rituals, involving grave goods and ancestor cults. This topic is widely investigated in Wissing 2012 Ritual, where the author approaches this topic from an archaeological and ethno-anthropological perspective.
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13.15 Ritualism as Degradation of Experience
For the biblical passage of Jer. 7, 4.10, mentioned by G. Buccellati in Chapter 13, Section 15, «where a false attachment to the temple that serves to cover moral inadequacies is mocked», see here.
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