Mesopotamian Medicine and Magic : Studies in Honor of Markham J. Geller

Mesopotamian 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. Markham J. Geller : an appreciation / Irving L. Finkel Bibliography of Markham J. Geller / Strahil V. Panayotov (Freie Universitat Berlin), Ludek Vacin (University of Hradec Kralove) Vetitive and prohibitive : an observation / Tzvi Abusch (Brandeis University) Sons of Seth and the south wind / Amar Annus (University of Tartu) An old Babylonian oil omen tablet from the British Museum Netanel Anor (Freie Universitat Berlin) Disease and healing in the Book of Tobit and in Mesopotamian medicine / Annie Attia (CNRS UMR 7192, Histoire de la Mesopotamie) A transtextual view on the "Underworld vision of an Assyrian prince" / Johannes Bach (Freie Universitat Berlin) The 34th extract of the UGU series from Babylon : an edition of the tablet BM 35512 / Andras Bacskay (Pazmany Peter Catholic University, Piliscsaba-Klotildliget) Budge's Syriac book of medicines after one hundred years : problems and prospects / Siam Bhayro (University of Exeter), Stefanie M. Rudolf (Freie Universitat Berlin) An Old Babylonian list of sheep body parts (BM 29663) / Yoram Cohen (Tel Aviv University) Putting theory into practice : Kisir-Assur's expertise between textual knowledge and practical experimentation / Erica Couto-Ferreira (Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat Heidelberg) A brief look eastward / Sona Choukassizian Eypper (Freie Universitat Berlin) Two Old Babylonian incantation tablets, purportedly from Adab (a 633 and a 704) / Walter Farber (The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago) Of tirku, moles and other spots on the skin according to the physiognomic omens / Jeanette C. Fincke (Nino, Leiden and CNRS, Paris) Amulets against fever / Irving L. Finkel (The British Museum) A tale of two lands and two thousand years : the origins of Pazuzu / Eckart Frahm (Yale University) Hermeneutics and magic in the commentary to Marduk's address to the demons / Uri Gabbay (Hebrew University, Jerusalem) A new medical therapeutic text on rectal disease / Nils P. Heessel (Julius-Maximilians-Universitat Wurzburg) Mesopotamian magic in text and performance / Sam Mirelman (Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York) Divine privilege of the rich and powerful? : seeking healing of illness by presenting a luxurious gift / Takayoshi M. Oshima (Universitat Leipzig), Greta van Buylaere (Julius-Maximilians-Universitat Wurzburg) BM 32339+32407+32645 : new evidence for Late Babylonian astrology / Mathieu Ossendrijver (Humboldt Universitat Berlin) Thunders, haloes, and earthquakes : what Daniel brought from Babylon into Arabic divination / Lucia Raggetti (Freie Universitat Berlin) At the dawn of plant taxonomy : shared structural design of herbal descriptions in Sammu Sikinsu and Theophrastus' Historia plantarum IX / Maddalena Rumor (Case Western Reserve University) Simplicia and unpublished fragments of Alamdimmu from the British Museum / Eric Schmidtchen (Freie Universitat Berlin) Spiegel des Himmels : synchronisation von Himmel und erde in der Babylonischen leberschau, iatromathematik und dem 20-felder-spiel / Marvin Schreiber (Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin) Elpetu-rush, Inanna and the flood : a tale of human ingratitude / Joann Scurlock (Elmhurst College) BAM 7 44 : suppositories for rectal and gastro-intestinal diseases / Krisztian Simko (Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest) A time to extract and a time to compile : the therapeutic compendium tablet BM 78963 / Henry Stadhouders (Universiteit Utrecht), J. Cale Johnson (Universiteit Leiden) From awe to audacity. Stratagems for approaching authorities successfully : the Istanbul Egalkura tablet A 373 / Henry Stadhouders (Universiteit Utrecht), Strahil V. Panayotov (Freie Universitat Berlin) BM 92518 and Old Babylonian incantations for the "belly" / Ulrike Steinert (Freie Universitat Berlin), Ludek Vacin (University of Hradec Kralove) Teeth and toothache / Marten Stol (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Die fliege und der tod : beschworungen gegen tiere / Marie-Louise Thomsen (Wurzburg) Ninmah and her imperfect creatures : the bed wetting man and remedies to cure enuresis (STT 238) / Lorenzo Verderame ("Sapienza"-Universita di Roma) "If his chin is constantly slack ..." : a new text on the verge between physiognomic and diagnostic omens / Klaus Wagensonner (Yale University) Five birds, twelve rooms, and the Seleucid game of twenty squares / John Z. Wee (The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago) BM 33055 : a Late Babylonian clay tablet with figures and captions / Frans A.M. Wiggermann (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) Index of divine names Index of personal names Index of geographical names Index of texts. ‎Contents 7 ‎Preface 11 ‎Markham J. Geller: An Appreciation 16 ‎Bibliography of Markham J. Geller (Panayotov and Vacín) 17 ‎Chapter 1. Vetitive and Prohibitive: An Observation (Abusch) 33 ‎Chapter 2. Sons of Seth and the South Wind (Annus) 41 ‎Chapter 3. An Old Babylonian Oil Omen Tablet from the British Museum (Anor) 57 ‎Chapter 4. Disease and Healing in the Book of Tobit and in Mesopotamian Medicine (Attia) 68 ‎Chapter 5. A Transtextual View on the “Underworld Vision of an Assyrian Prince” (Bach) 101 ‎Chapter 6. The 34th Extract of the UGU Series from Babylon: An Edition of the Tablet BM 35512 (Bácskay) 125 ‎Chapter 7. Budge’s Syriac Book of Medicines after One Hundred Years: Problems and Prospects (Bhayro and Rudolf) 148 ‎Chapter 8. An Old Babylonian List of Sheep Body Parts (BM 29663) (Cohen) 163 ‎Chapter 9. Putting Theory into Practice: Kiṣir-Aššur’s Expertise between Textual Knowledge and Practical Experimentation (Couto-Ferreira) 181 ‎Chapter 10. A Brief Look Eastward (Choukassizian Eypper) 199 ‎Chapter 11. Two Old Babylonian Incantation Tablets, Purportedly from Adab (A 633 and A 704) (Farber) 221 ‎Chapter 12. Of tirku, Moles and Other Spots on the Skin according to the Physiognomic Omens (Fincke) 235 ‎Chapter 13. Amulets against Fever (Finkel) 264 ‎Chapter 14. A Tale of Two Lands and Two Thousand Years: The Origins of Pazuzu (Frahm) 304 ‎Chapter 15. Hermeneutics and Magic in the Commentary to Marduk’s Address to the Demons (Gabbay) 324 ‎Chapter 16. A New Medical Therapeutic Text on Rectal Disease (Heeßel) 342 ‎Chapter 17. Mesopotamian Magic in Text and Performance (Mirelman) 375 ‎Chapter 18. Divine Privilege of the Rich and Powerful? Seeking Healing of Illness by Presenting a Luxurious Gift (Oshima and Van Buylaere) 411 ‎Chapter 19. BM 32339+32407+32645: New Evidence for Late Babylonian Astrology (Ossendrijver) 433 ‎Chapter 20. Thunders, Haloes, and Earthquakes: What Daniel Brought from Babylon into Arabic Divination (Raggetti) 453 ‎Chapter 21. At the Dawn of Plant Taxonomy: Shared Structural Design of Herbal Descriptions in Šammu šikinšu and Theophrastus’ Historia plantarum IX (Rumor) 478 ‎Chapter 22. Simplicia and Unpublished Fragments of Alamdimmû from the British Museum (Schmidtchen) 494 ‎Chapter 23. Spiegel des Himmels: Synchronisation von Himmel und Erde in der babylonischen Leberschau, Iatromathematik und dem 20-Felder-Spiel (Schreiber) 533 ‎Chapter 24. Elpetu-Rush, Inanna and the Flood: A Tale of Human Ingratitude (Scurlock) 560 ‎Chapter 25. BAM 7 44: Suppositories for Rectal and Gastro-Intestinal Diseases (Simkó) 569 ‎Chapter 26. A Time to Extract and a Time to Compile: The Therapeutic Compendium Tablet BM 78963 (Stadhouders and Johnson) 588 ‎Chapter 27. From Awe to Audacity. Stratagems for Approaching Authorities Successfully: The Istanbul Egalkura Tablet A 373 (Stadhouders and Panayotov) 655 ‎Chapter 28. BM 92518 and Old Babylonian Incantations for the “Belly” (Steinert and Vacín) 730 ‎Chapter 29. Teeth and Toothache (Stol) 777 ‎Chapter 30. Die Fliege und der Tod: Beschwörungen gegen Tiere (Thomsen) 803 ‎Chapter 31. Ninmaḫ and Her Imperfect Creatures: The Bed Wetting Man and Remedies to Cure Enuresis (STT 238) (Verderame) 811 ‎Chapter 32. “If His Chin Is Constantly Slack...”: A New Text on the Verge between Physiognomic and Diagnostic Omens (Wagensonner) 833 ‎Chapter 33. Five Birds, Twelve Rooms, and the Seleucid Game of Twenty Squares (Wee) 865 ‎Chapter 34. BM 33055: A Late Babylonian Clay Tablet with Figures and Captions (Wiggermann) 909 ‎Index of Divine Names 933 ‎Index of Personal Names 936 ‎Index of Geographical Names 939 ‎Index of Texts 943 An Observation Abusch..............1 Chapter 2 Sons of Seth and the South Wind Annus..............9 Chapter 3 An Old Babylonian Oil Omen Tablet from the British Museum Anor..............25 Chapter 4 Disease and Healing in the Book of Tobit and in Mesopotamian Medicine Attia..............36 Chapter 5 A Transtextual View on the Underworld Vision of an Assyrian Prince Bach..............69 An Edition of the Tablet BM 35512 Bácskay..............93 Problems and Prospects Bhayro and Rudolf..............116 Chapter 8 An Old Babylonian List of Sheep Body Parts BM 29663 Cohen..............131