Further Studies on Mesopotamian Witchcraft Beliefs and Literature

Leiden: Brill, 2020. First edition. Hardcover. Fine. Octavo. xvi, 240pp. Index and 11 page bibliography. Brown boards lettered in white with yellow band at top. A fine, as new copy.

Among the most important sources for understanding the cultures, religions, and systems of thought of ancient Mesopotamia is the large corpus of magical and medical texts directed against witchcraft. The most important of these texts is the Akkadian series Maqlû ("Burning"). [Maqlu is the longest and most important Mesopotamian text concerned with combatting witchcraft. It comprises eight tablets of incantations and a ritual tablet.] This volume offers a collection of studies on Mesopotamian witchcraft and Maqlû written subsequent to the appearance of the author's 2002 collection of studies on witchcraft (Brill, 2002). Many of the studies reprinted here take a diachronic approach to individual incantations and rituals and attempt to solve textual difficulties using literary-critical and/or text-critical approaches. (Publisher)

Volume 17 of the Brill series, "Ancient Magic and Divination." (AMD).