Description
Book SynopsisMesopotamian Medicine and Magic. Studies in Honour of Markham J. Geller is a thematically focused collection of 34 brand-new essays bringing to light a representative selection of the rich and varied scientific and technical knowledge produced chiefly by the cuneiform cultures. The contributions concentrate mainly on Mesopotamian scholarly descriptions and practices of diagnosing and healing diverse physical ailments and mental distress. The festschrift contains both critical editions of new texts as well as analytical studies dealing with various issues of Mesopotamian medical and magical lore. Currently, this is the largest edited volume devoted to this topic, significantly contributing to the History of Ancient Sciences. “This is a broad survey of many aspects of Babylonian culture, and reflects the intellectual climate of the world encountered by the exiles.” -Nick Wyatt, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 43.5 (2019)
Trade Review“This is a broad survey of many aspects of Babylonian culture, and reflects the intellectual climate of the world encountered by the exiles.” - Nick Wyatt, in Society for Old Testament Study Book List 2019
Table of ContentsPreface Markham J. Geller: An Appreciation Irving L. Finkel Bibliography of Markham J. Geller Strahil V. Panayotov and Luděk Vacín 1 Vetitive and Prohibitive: An Observation Tzvi Abusch 2 Sons of Seth and the South Wind Amar Annus 3 An Old Babylonian Oil Omen Tablet from the British Museum Netanel Anor 4 Disease and Healing in the Book of Tobit and in Mesopotamian Medicine Annie Attia 5 A Transtextual View on the “Underworld Vision of an Assyrian Prince” Johannes Bach 6 The 34th Extract of the UGU Series from Babylon: An Edition of the Tablet BM 35512 András Bácskay 7 Budge’s Syriac Book of Medicines after One Hundred Years: Problems and Prospects Siam Bhayro and Stefanie M. Rudolf 8 An Old Babylonian List of Sheep Body Parts (BM 29663) Yoram Cohen 9 Putting Theory into Practice: Kiṣir-Aššur’s Expertise between Textual Knowledge and Practical Experimentation M. Erica Couto-Ferreira 10 A Brief Look Eastward Sona Choukassizian Eypper 11 Two Old Babylonian Incantation Tablets, Purportedly from Adab (A 633 and A 704) Walter Farber 12 Of tirku, Moles and Other Spots on the Skin According to the Physiognomic Omens Jeanette C. Fincke 13 Amulets against Fever Irving L. Finkel 14 A Tale of Two Lands and Two Thousand Years: The Origins of Pazuzu Eckart Frahm 15 Hermeneutics and Magic in the Commentary to Marduk’s Address to the Demons Uri Gabbay 16 A New Medical Therapeutic Text on Rectal Disease Nils P. Heeßel 17 Mesopotamian Magic in Text and Performance Sam Mirelman 18 Divine Privilege of the Rich and Powerful? Seeking Healing of Illness by Presenting a Luxurious Gift Takayoshi M. Oshima and Greta Van Buylaere 19 BM 32339+32407+32645: New Evidence for Late Babylonian Astrology Mathieu Ossendrijver 20 Thunders, Haloes, and Earthquakes: What Daniel Brought from Babylon into Arabic Divination Lucia Raggetti 21 At the Dawn of Plant Taxonomy: Shared Structural Design of Herbal Descriptions in Šammu šikinšu and Theophrastus’ Historia plantarum IX Maddalena Rumor 22 Simplicia and Unpublished Fragments of Alamdimmû from the British Museum Eric Schmidtchen 23 Spiegel des Himmels: Synchronisation von Himmel und Erde in der babylonischen Leberschau, Iatromathematik und dem 20-Felder-Spiel Marvin Schreiber 24 Elpetu-Rush, Inanna and the Flood: A Tale of Human Ingratitude JoAnn Scurlock 25 BAM 7 44: Suppositories for Rectal and Gastro-Intestinal Diseases Krisztián Simkó 26 A Time to Extract and a Time to Compile: The Therapeutic Compendium Tablet BM 78963 Henry Stadhouders and J. Cale Johnson 27 From Awe to Audacity. Stratagems for Approaching Authorities Successfully: The Istanbul Egalkura Tablet A 373 Henry Stadhouders and Strahil V. Panayotov 28 BM 92518 and Old Babylonian Incantations for the “Belly” Ulrike Steinert and Luděk Vacín 29 Teeth and Toothache Marten Stol 30 Die Fliege und der Tod: Beschwörungen gegen Tiere Marie-Louise Thomsen 31 Ninmaḫ and Her Imperfect Creatures: The Bed Wetting Man and Remedies to Cure Enuresis (STT 238) Lorenzo Verderame 32 “If His Chin Is Constantly Slack…”: A New Text on the Verge between Physiognomic and Diagnostic Omens Klaus Wagensonner 33 Five Birds, Twelve Rooms, and the Seleucid Game of Twenty Squares John Z. Wee 34 BM 33055: A Late Babylonian Clay Tablet with Figures and Captions Frans A.M. Wiggermann Index of Divine Names Index of Personal Names Index of Geographical Names Index of Texts
