Magico-Medical Means of Treating Ghost-Induced Illness in Ancient Mesopotamia

801 Pages·2006·2.53 MB·English

by  JoAnn Scurlock

TREATINGGHOST-INDUCED ILLNESSES
ANCIENT MAGIC AND DIVINATION
ManagingEditorGeerdHaayer
Editedby
Tzvi Abusch, Ann K. Guinan,
and Frans A.M. Wiggermann
BRILL • STYX
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2006
ANCIENT MAGIC ANDDIVINATION III
MAGICO-MEDICAL MEANS OF TREATING
GHOST-INDUCED ILLNESSES
IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
by
JoAnn Scurlock
BRILL • STYX
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2006
Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
isavailableonhttp://catalog.loc.gov
ISSN1566–7952
ISBN9004123970
© Copyright 2006 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill Academic
Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, and VSP.
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Tableof Contents
Preface ix
ANoteontheAbbreviations xi
PARTI 1
Chapter1:Introduction 1
Prospectus 1
TheTexts 2
FormatofPrescriptions 3
Chapter2:SymptomsofGhostlyAffliction 5
TypesofGhostCausingProblems 5
Noises 8
Apparitions 8
PhysicalProblems 10
Symptoms 11
Head-orNeckaches(Plus) 12
GhostsintheEars 14
GhostlyPains 14
GhostsintheIntestines 14
Numbness;Dizziness;ShortnessofBreath 15
GhostFever 16
Neurologicaldisorders 16
MentalDisturbance;OddBehavior 17
LivingSkeletons 18
ParametersofGhostAffliction 19
Chapter3:Timeandplaceofperformanceofritualcures 21
Time 21
Place 22
Chapter4:Legomena 23
DivisionofLaborbetweenHealerandPatient 23
RelationshipbetweenLegomenaandDromena 24
GeneralRemarks 24
AkkadianRecitations 25
Elementsnotspecifictoghostrituals 25
RitualOathFormulae 25
Prayers 26
ElementsSpecifictoGhostRituals 28
AddressestoRelevantGods 28
ReferencestoGhost-InducedProblems 29
v
ReferencestoTypesofGhosts 33
ElementsSpecifictoSpecificGhostRituals 33
ReferencestotheAccompanyingDromenaand/or 33
MateriaMagico-Medica
SumerianRecitations 36
TypologyofRitualbythePresenceorAbsenceofa
RecitationandbythePresenceorAbsenceofAdjustment
oftheRecitationtoContext 39
Chapter5:Dromena 43
DivisionofLaborbetweenHealer(s)andPatient 43
OfferingsandOtherPeripherals 44
Operativesection 46
GhostNAM.BU´R.BI’s 46
Libations 47
Figurines 49
RitualBurial 50
RitualDispatch 53
Othersurrogates 56
Magicencirclement 57
Amulets 59
Fumigants 62
Bandages 63
Salves 63
Potions 64
Washes 64
Suppositories 65
Chapter6:Medicaments:Preliminaryremarks 67
Chapter7:Conclusion 73
“Sin”or“Sanction”? 73
“Divination”or“Diagnosis”? 75
“Natural”Causes 75
“Magic”or“Medicine”? 78
Summary 83
Notes 85
PARTII: 161
A:Orderofpresentation 161
B:Transliterations,Translations,Textualcommentary 177
vi
NAM.BU´R.BI’sforghostlyscreams(nos.1–2) 178
Apparitions(nos.3–54) 183
Physicalproblems(nos.55–227) 264
Headaches(Plus)(nos.55–120) 264
EyeProblems(nos.121–130) 365
GhostsintheEars(nos.131–163b) 377
GhostlyPains(nos.164–185) 425
GhostsintheIntestines(nos.186a–200) 456
Numbness;Dizziness;ShortnessofBreath(nos.201–214) 481
GhostFever(nos.215–216) 501
Neurologicaldisorders(nos.217–225) 503
MentalDisturbance(no.226) 530
LivingSkeletons(no.227) 536
Unspecified(nos.228–352) 537
C:Arrangementofprescriptionsontheoriginaltablets;
TextBibliographies 679
D:Concordance:PrescriptionnumbersinMagicalMeansofDealing
withGhostsinAncientMesopotamia(MMDG=theoriginalPhD
dissertation)toprescriptionnumbersinMagico-MedicalMeans
ofTreatingGhost-InducedIllnessesinAncientMesopotamia
(MMTGI=thecurrentbook) 751
BIBLIOGRAPHY 753
INDICES 763
General 763
Sumerian 775
Akkadian 776
Textscited 781
vii

Preface
This study began as a dissertation in Assyriology in the Department of Near Eastern
Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. This dissertation, entitled
“MagicalMeansofDealingwithGhostsinAncientMesopotamia”(MMDG),asindeed
thetitleimplies,consistedlargelyof“magical”prescriptionsconcernedwithexpelling
ghosts (MMDG nos. 1–71, 77–78). It alsoincluded necromantic(nos. 72–76, 79–82)
and“ghostassistance/substitute”prescriptions(nos.83–88),which,sincetheyarenot
healingritesdesignedtocureapersonafflictedbyaghost,havebeenexcludedfromthis
book.Intheirplace,thecurrentstudyaddsthe“medical”meansoftreatingghost-induced
illnesses(quotedfrompublishedcopiesinBAM,AMTetc.)aswellasseveral“magical”
prescriptions recently edited by D.Schwemer inTHeth23 (Part IIB). Although some
sectionsoftheoriginaldissertationsurvivevirtuallyintact,othershavebeencompletely
rewritten to incorporate the new material. All of the Geers’ copies (which were used
inthedissertationcourtesyoftheAssyrianDictionaryProject)havenowbeencollated
againsttheoriginalsintheBritishMuseum.MostofthemedicaltextsintheKuyunjik
collection,aswellastherecentlycataloguedSipparcollectionhavealsobeenexamined.
Intheprocess,afewnewghosttexts(orparallelstooldtexts)werediscovered.These
arehereincluded withthekindpermission of theTrusteesof theBritishMuseum. CT
23 15–22+ (originally edited by G. Castellino) was reedited in the dissertation from
a photograph. All prescriptions (whether included in the old dissertation or not) have
beengivenanewnumberinaccordancewithaschemeexplainedbelow(PartIIA).In
theprocess,importantinformationastotheoriginalcontextoftheprescriptionscould
havebeenlost,toavoidwhichachartofthearrangementofprescriptionsontheoriginal
tablets has been provided (Part IIC). For the convenience of the reader possessing a
copyoftheoriginaldissertation,aconcordanceofoldandnewnumbershasalsobeen
provided(PartIID).
IwouldfirstandforemostliketothankmydissertationsupervisorW.Farberforhis
help, encouragement and erudition. I would also like to extend special thanks to R.D.
Biggs,withwhomIfirststudiedmagicalandmedicaltexts,whohelpedinmanyways,
largeandsmall,inshepherdingtheoriginaldissertationtocompletion.Withoutthehelp
andsupportofMcGuireGibsonnoneofthismighteverhavebeenaccomplished.Iwould
alsoliketothanktheotherfacultyoftheOrientalInstitute(pastandpresent),whohave,
over the years, contributed to my understanding of ancient Mesopotamian languages
and culture: J.A. Brinkman, M. Civil, I.J. Gelb, G. Gragg, H. Hunger, S. Parpola, E.
Reiner, and J. Renger. I would also like to extend special thanks to W.R. Mayer for
giving me many helpful suggestions on the original dissertation. I would also like to
thanktheAssyrianDictionaryProjectforaccesstotheGeers’copiesandtotheTrustees
ix