Medicine in ancient Assur : a microhistorical study of the Neo-Assyrian healer Kiṣir-Aššur

In Medicine in Ancient Assur Troels Pank Arbøll offers a microhistorical study of the training and career of a single exorcist named Kisir-Aur, who practiced magico-medical healing in the ancient city of Assur (northern Iraq) in the 7th century BCE. Contents 6 Acknowledgements 10 Figures and Tables 13 Abbreviations and Symbols 14 Chapter 1 Introduction 18 1.1 Colophons 19 1.2 Mesopotamian Medicine 19 1.2.1 Magico-medical Healing 21 1.2.2 The āšipu-/mašmaššu-exorcist 24 1.2.3 Genres of Texts 25 1.3 Authorship 26 1.4 Proof and Possibility 27 1.5 Scope and Structure 28 Chapter 2 Framework and Background 31 2.1 Microhistory 32 2.2 Framework 33 2.3 Background for Studying Kiṣir-Aššur 35 2.3.1 The N4 Tablet Collection 37 2.3.2 Excursus: Discussion of the Term “Library” 39 2.3.3 The Bāba-šuma-ibni Family 40 2.3.4 The Attested Training and Career Phases 42 2.3.5 Other References to Members of the Bāba-šuma-ibni Family 46 2.4 Quantifying and Contextualizing Kiṣir-Aššur’s Texts 47 Chapter 3 Kiṣir-Aššur’s Magico-Medical Education as šamallû ṣeḫru 51 3.1 Complex Diagnoses in Kiṣir-Aššur’s šamallû ṣeḫru Texts 57 3.1.1 Earlier Diagnostic Training 60 3.2 Principles Understood through Examples 61 3.3 The Head: BAM 9 62 3.4.1 BAM 129 69 3.4.2 BAM 201 71 3.4.3 RA 40 pl. 116 72 3.5 Snakes, Scorpions and Horses: A Discussion of RA 15 pl. 76 73 3.5.1 Snakes and Scorpions: The Obverse 73 3.5.2 Horse Colic: The Reverse 75 3.6 Gaining an Understanding of Anatomy and Physiology 77 3.6.1 Kiṣir-Aššur’s Diagnostic Training and Sa-gig 79 3.7 Preparation for Other Duties as šamallû ṣeḫru 83 3.7.1 Kiṣir-Aššur’s šuʾilla-prayers 84 3.7.2 N4 no. 289: A Substitute for Ereškigal 85 3.7.3 Activities Unrelated to Healing 87 3.8 Summary 89 Chapter 4 Training in Anatomy and Physiology as šamallû ṣeḫru 90 4.1 The Role of Venom in Kiṣir-Aššur’s Anatomical Understanding 91 4.1.1 Snakes and Scorpions in Mesopotamia 91 4.1.2 Venom and Physiology 93 4.1.3 The Physiological Conception of Venom, Bile, and Saliva 96 4.2 Veterinarian Knowledge in Kiṣir-Aššur’s Education 100 4.2.1 Horses and Specialists 101 4.2.2 Kiṣir-Aššur and Veterinarian Knowledge 103 4.3 Excursus: Animal Variants of Human Illnesses 104 4.4 Animal and Human Physiology: The Reverse of RA 15 pl. 76 107 4.4.1 Animal Anatomical Terminology 107 4.4.2 Human and Equine Physiological Aspects of the Nose 109 4.4.3 Discussion of the Veterinarian Prescriptions on RA 15 pl. 76 112 4.5 Summary 114 Chapter 5 Further Apprenticeship: šamallû to mašmaššu ṣeḫru 116 5.1 The šamallû-phase 116 5.2 The šamallû mašmaššu ṣeḫru-phase 119 5.2.1 The Child Calming Incantation N4 no. 24 and Duplicates 122 5.2.2 Excursus: Paediatricians and Treatments 124 5.2.3 An Interpretation: Kiṣir-Aššur as Paediatrician? 127 5.3 The mašmaššu ṣeḫru-phase 130 5.3.1 Discussion of the mašmašsu ṣeḫru-phase 131 5.3.2 Excursus: Kiṣir-Aššur’s uʾiltu-tablets 132 5.4 Excursus: The ša Nabû tuklassu-phrase 134 5.4.1 Kiṣir-Aššur’s Use of the ša Nabû tuklassu-phrase 136 5.5 Summary 138 Chapter 6 Kiṣir-Aššur’s mašmaššu-phase 141 6.1 Texts with Colophons including the Title mašmaššu 141 6.2 Making House Calls: Discussion of KAR 230 146 6.2.1 The Incantation of KAR 230 147 6.2.2 The Ritual and Purpose of KAR 230 149 6.2.3 The Secrecy Statement of KAR 230 151 6.2.4 Interpretation of KAR 230 152 6.2.5 Nabû-bēssunu’s Ritual for Approaching a Patient: KAR 31 153 6.3 Ritually Protecting the Houses of Clients: Discussion of KAR 298 155 6.3.1 The Purpose and Content of KAR 298 155 6.3.2 KAR 298 in the Context of Associated Rituals 157 6.4 Namburbi-rituals and House Calls: KAL 4 no. 7 and LKA 115 160 6.4.1 Namburbi-rituals and Ceremonial Supervisors 161 6.4.2 Namburbi-rituals and House Calls 162 6.5 Other Technical Literature: CT 37 pl. 24f. 167 6.6 Summary 168 Chapter 7 Additional Texts that May Belong to the mašmaššu-phase 170 7.1 Omission and Inclusion of Titles 170 7.2 Tablets without Kiṣir-Aššur’s Professional Title 173 7.2.1 Text-internal Features Useful as Allocating Criteria 177 7.3 Tablets with Broken Colophons 178 7.3.1 Text-internal Features Useful as Allocating Criteria 183 7.3.2 Excursus: Inventory Texts from the N4 Collection 184 7.4 The mašmaššu-phase and Purpose Statements 186 7.4.1 Kiṣir-Aššur’s Tablets with Purpose Statements 187 7.4.2 Tablets Copied on Behalf of Kiṣir-Aššur 189 7.4.3 Purpose Statements and Notes on Breaks 190 7.5 A Discussion of the Dated Tablet KAR 267 192 7.6 Other Technical Literature: BAM 307 and ACh Supp. 2 24 194 7.7 Summary 196 7.1 Omission and Inclusion of Titles 170 7.2 Tablets without Kiṣir-Aššur’s Professional Title 173 7.2.1 Text-internal Features Useful as Allocating Criteria 177 7.3 Tablets with Broken Colophons 178 7.3.1 Text-internal Features Useful as Allocating Criteria 183 7.3.2 Excursus: Inventory Texts from the N4 Collection 184 7.4 The mašmaššu-phase and Purpose Statements 186 7.4.1 Kiṣir-Aššur’s Tablets with Purpose Statements 187 7.4.2 Tablets Copied on Behalf of Kiṣir-Aššur 189 7.4.3 Purpose Statements and Notes on Breaks 190 7.5 A Discussion of the Dated Tablet KAR 267 192 7.6 Other Technical Literature: BAM 307 and ACh Supp. 2 24 194 7.7 Summary 196 Chapter 8 Kiṣir-Aššur’s mašmaš bīt Aššur-phase 197 8.1 The Title mašmaš bīt Aššur 203 8.2 Medical Texts from Kiṣir-Aššur’s mašmaš bīt Aššur-phase 205 8.3 Tested Prescriptions among the Medical Texts 209 8.3.1 Meaning of the Phrase “Tested Prescription” 211 8.3.2 An Example of Kiṣir-Aššur as Investigator of Efficacy? 212 8.4 Panaceas among the Medical Texts 216 8.4.1 Excursus: Kiṣir-Aššur’s Possible Multipurpose Medical Incantations 218 8.5 Ritual Texts from Kiṣir-Aššur’s mašmaš bīt Aššur-phase 220 8.6 Texts Connected to the Aššur Temple 225 8.7 Summary 229 Chapter 9 Situating Kiṣir-Aššur’s Knowledge Production 231 9.1 Kiṣir-Aššur’s Overall Medical Focus 231 9.2 Numbered Nisḫu-extracts 237 9.2.1 Extracts and Writing-boards 238 9.2.2 Extract Series 242 9.2.3 Numbered and Organized Extracts 244 9.3 Catch-lines and Duplicate Passages in Kiṣir-Aššur’s Texts in Relation to the Therapeutic Series Ugu 251 9.3.1 The Therapeutic Series Ugu 252 9.3.2 The Assur Medical Catalogue (AMC) 254 9.3.3 The AMC and Kiṣir-Aššur’s Incipits and Catch-lines 255 9.3.4 Kiṣir-Aššur’s Texts and Nineveh Ugu 257 9.4 The Exorcist’s Manual (EM) 262 9.4.1 Kiṣir-Aššur’s Texts in Light of the Exorcist’s Manual 266 9.5 Kiṣir-Aššur and the Scholarly Traditions in Assur 270 9.5.1 Texts Derived from Geographical Locations 270 9.5.2 The Gula Temple Library in Assur 272 9.5.3 Textual Traditions in Assur 273 9.5.4 Exchange of Knowledge between Assur and the Nineveh Text Collections 276 9.6 Summary 279 Chapter 10 Synthesis and Conclusion 281 Appendix 1 Catalogue of Texts 286 Appendix 2 Edition of RA 15 pl. 76 342 Bibliography 363 Indices 422 In Medicine in Ancient Assur Troels Pank Arbøll offfers a microhistorical study of a single exorcist named Kiṣir-Aššur who practiced medical and magical healing in the ancient city of Assur (modern northern Iraq) in the 7th century BCE. The book provides the first detailed analysis of a healer’s education and practice in ancient Mesopotamia based on at least 73 texts assigned to specific stages of his career. by drawing on a microhistorical framework, the study aims at significantly improving our understanding of the functional aspects of texts in their specialist environment. Furthermore, the work situates Kiṣir-Aššur as one of the earliest healers in world history for whom we have such details pertaining to his career originating from his own time. Readership: Suited for everyone interested in ancient Near Eastern magico-medical texts and practices, ancient libraries, and the training of specialists, as well as anyone concerned with the history of ancient medicine. "In Medicine in Ancient Assur Troels Pank Arbøll offers a microhistorical study of a single exorcist named Kiṣir-Aššur who practiced medical and magical healing in the ancient city of Assur (modern northern Iraq) in the 7th century BCE. The book provides the first detailed analysis of a healer's education and practice in ancient Mesopotamia based on at least 73 texts assigned to specific stages of his career. By drawing on a microhistorical framework, the study aims at significantly improving our understanding of the functional aspects of texts in their specialist environment. Furthermore, the work situates Kiṣir-Aššur as one of the earliest healers in world history for whom we have such details pertaining to his career originating from his own time"-- Provided by publisher In Medicine in Ancient Assur Troels Pank Arboll offers a microhistorical study of a single exorcist named Kis ir-Assur who practiced medical and magical healing in the ancient city of Assur (modern northern Iraq) in the 7th century BCE. The book provides the first detailed analysis of a healer's education and practice in ancient Mesopotamia based on at least 73 texts assigned to specific stages of his career. By drawing on a microhistorical framework, the study aims at significantly improving our understanding of the functional aspects of texts in their specialist environment. Furthermore, the work situates Kisir-Assur as one of the earliest healers in world history for whom we have such details pertaining to his career originating from his own time