DOCSLIB.ORG

Demons and Monsters in the Mesopotamian Textual and Artistic Tradition

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Demons and Monsters in the Mesopotamian Textual and Artistic Tradition They are Seven: Demons and Monsters in the Mesopotamian Textual and Artistic Tradition by Gina V. Konstantopoulos A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Near Eastern Studies) in the University of Michigan 2015 Doctoral Committee: Professor Piotr A. Michalowski, Chair Professor Gary M. Beckman Associate Professor Ian S. Moyer Associate Professor Ellen Muehlberger Professor Daniel Schwemer, Julius Maximilians Universität Würzburg © Gina V. Konstantopoulos 2015 Acknowledgements I owe debts of gratitude (as well as the existence of this dissertation as anything resembling a complete – perhaps even coherent – form) to many different people. First and foremost, my thanks go to my dissertation committee. I am deeply grateful to have worked with Piotr Michalowski as my advisor from the beginning of my time at Michigan, and to have had the great privilege of so much time studying under his Sumerological wing. I am thankful to Gary Beckman for years of careful instruction and equally dedicated care to this dissertation. Ian Moyer agreed to join on as my cognate member and committed his careful attention to the project. Ellen Muehlberger tirelessly read drafts, fielded questions, and was endlessly patient with letting me know when I had gone too far afield or otherwise off-book. Daniel Schwemer kindly agreed to sign onto the committee while I was studying with him at Würzburg, and applied his meticulous attention to it. I was able to spend the 2012-2013 academic year at the University of Würzburg thanks to a fellowship from the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst, and I could not have been more fortunate to spend my first full year of research and writing in such a supportive department. I would thank in particular Greta van Buylaere, Mikko Luukko, and Dahlia Shehata. Frans Wiggermann, while visiting Würzburg, kindly shared his notes on the Sebettu with me. In addition, my research has been made possible through several grants: the Frances Mary Hazen Alumnae Fellowship from Mount Holyoke College, the Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant and International Research Award, and the Margaret Ayers Host Award. Without ii this support, the research for this dissertation would not have been possible. Several museums and institutions generously allowed me access to their collections, including; the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Musée du Louvre. If my starting of this dissertation was only possible because of one fellowship, then my finishing it is surely thanks to another. I was able to spend my final year as a fellow in residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having received the Sylvan C. Coleman and Pamela Coleman Memorial Fund Fellowship. I owe the entire department my thanks, in particular my supervisor and mentor, Sarah Graff, who fielded many questions concerning the final, critical chapter on the iconography of the Sebettu. I would also thank the other ancient Near Eastern fellow, Colette LeRoux, who handled the desperation that characterizes a final year of dissertation writing with good grace, constant humor, and internet references. I have been lucky to spend my time at Michigan with a fantastic and supportive cohort in an equally supportive department. In particular, I owe thanks to my fellow ACABS students, including: Christine Efta, Ilgi Gerçek, and Ty Bilgin, ACABS comrade-in-arms from the start. Further, non-ACABS thanks to Noah Gardiner and Nancy Linthicum, and non-NES thanks to Neville McFerrin and Nikki Roda. Finally, I would thank my family, who reacted to my announcement that yes, I was going to write about demons and monsters for the foreseeable future with an appreciated mix of stoicism, unfailing support, and occasional comments that I leave any potential "practical applications" out of my work. In this last regard, I will simply say that I have done my best. iii Table of Contents: Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Appendices: ........................................................................................................................ ix List of Abbreviations: ......................................................................................................................x Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ xiii Chapter One: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 1.1. Prior Research ......................................................................................................................2 1.2. Arc of this study ...................................................................................................................5 1.3. Concerning Terminology: On Demons ..............................................................................10 1.3.1. Sumerian and Akkadian Transliteration and Transcription Conventions ..................14 1.3.2. Writing the Sebettu .....................................................................................................15 1.4. Why Seven? The Significance of the Number as a Group in the Ancient Near East ........15 Chapter Two - On the Nature of Demons: Protective Spirits and Demonic Dualities ..................19 2.1. "Good" Demon or "Bad" Demon: Inherent Natures and Some Statistics ..........................26 2.1.1. Concerning Pazuzu and Lamaštu ...............................................................................31 2.2. The Udug and its Ambivalence ..........................................................................................32 2.2.1. The Benevolent Udug .................................................................................................40 2.3. The šēdu .............................................................................................................................45 2.4. The Benevolent Lama ........................................................................................................48 2.5. The Occasionally Malevolent Lama ..................................................................................58 Chapter Three: The Seven which Stalk the Land – Examining Early Attestations and Later Malevolence ...................................................................................................................................64 3.1. Third Millennium References .........................................................................................65 3.2. The Sumerian Narrative of Gilgamesh and Huwawa .....................................................68 3.2.1. Gilgamesh and Huwawa B and Aratta: .....................................................................76 3.2.2. Constructing Aratta ..................................................................................................79 3.3. Lugalbanda in the Wilderness: the Torches of Inanna .....................................................82 3.4. The Malevolent Sebettu in Incantations of the Old Babylonian Period .............................89 3.4.1. Old Babylonian Tablets of Udug Hul .........................................................................90 3.5. The Hymn to Hendursaĝa and Lagaš Pecularities ...........................................................95 3.6. Referenced Texts: Old Babylonian Sumerian Incantations .............................................108 Chapter Four: "Rome was also built on ruins": The Grounding of Second Millennium Literary and Political Sources ....................................................................................................................111 4.1. The Subservience of Demons: Subduing Demonic Powers .............................................114 4.1.1. The Beasts of Marduk's Chariot ..............................................................................118 4.1.2. Binding Huwawa: Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and Huwawa ............................................123 4.2. Laying the Foundations: Second Millennium Cultic Evidence ....................................130 4.2.1. Second Millennium Cults and Worship ..................................................................132 4.2.2. The Sebettu on Kudurru Inscriptions ......................................................................137 iv 4.2.3. Personal Names ........................................................................................................140 4.2.4. Assyrian Royal Inscriptions ....................................................................................142 4.3. Figure 1: Inscription of Aššur-bēl-kala ............................................................................150 Chapter Five: "Cry 'Havoc!'": The Escalated Use of the Sebettu in the First Millennium ..........151 5.1. First Millennium Literary Texts ....................................................................................156 5.1.1. The Birdcall Text ....................................................................................................157 5.1.2. Erra .........................................................................................................................162
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Hologram Curaçao, 2018 First Edition
    Hologram Curaçao, 2018 First edition This book is written by; John H Baselmans-Oracle Cover design are from the hand of; John H Baselmans-Oracle Illustrations Different artists With thanks to all those people who are supporting me. Copyrights All rights on text and drawings reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from LoBa productions, except for brief quotes with an acknowledgement. Bulk copies of this book can be obtained by contacting LoBa Productions at http://www.world-of-positive-energy.com. No part of this work is intended to be a substitute for professional medical, pastoral or psychological guidance or treatment. Production/Design: LoBa Productions ISBN 978-1-387-72155-9 Hologram Is de wereld een hologram? John H Baselmans - Oracle 4 HOLOGRAM Is de wereld een hologram? 5 Inhoud Voorwoord 8 Hoofdstuk 1 1-1 In den beginnen 11 1-2 Om gewoon eens over na te denken 14 1-3 Wat is het geheim rond en om de Anunnaki? 16 1-4 De tabletten 26 1-5 Tablet van Lord Enki 31 1-6 Even nog wat verder denken 53 1-7 Parallel Universum / Parallel Wereld 55 1-8 Even het woordje “onderwereld” 57 1-9 Wat de geleerden zeggen over Goden 59 1-10 Enkele goden vernoemd 76 1-11 Het Heelal / Universum en haar goden 87 1-12 Licht 108 Hoofdstuk 2 2-1 Inleiding 117 2-2 De onder- en de bovenwereld, bestaan deze? 117 2-3 Waarom zijn het vaticaan en de joodse gemeenschap zo bang? 124
    [Show full text]
  • The Epic of Gilgamesh Humbaba from His Days Running Wild in the Forest
    Gilgamesh's superiority. They hugged and became best friends. Name Always eager to build a name for himself, Gilgamesh wanted to have an adventure. He wanted to go to the Cedar Forest and slay its guardian demon, Humbaba. Enkidu did not like the idea. He knew The Epic of Gilgamesh Humbaba from his days running wild in the forest. He tried to talk his best friend out of it. But Gilgamesh refused to listen. Reluctantly, By Vickie Chao Enkidu agreed to go with him. A long, long time ago, there After several days of journeying, Gilgamesh and Enkidu at last was a kingdom called Uruk. reached the edge of the Cedar Forest. Their intrusion made Humbaba Its ruler was Gilgamesh. very angry. But thankfully, with the help of the sun god, Shamash, the duo prevailed. They killed Humbaba and cut down the forest. They Gilgamesh, by all accounts, fashioned a raft out of the cedar trees. Together, they set sail along the was not an ordinary person. Euphrates River and made their way back to Uruk. The only shadow He was actually a cast over this victory was Humbaba's curse. Before he was beheaded, superhuman, two-thirds god he shouted, "Of you two, may Enkidu not live the longer, may Enkidu and one-third human. As king, not find any peace in this world!" Gilgamesh was very harsh. His people were scared of him and grew wary over time. They pleaded with the sky god, Anu, for his help. In When Gilgamesh and Enkidu arrived at Uruk, they received a hero's response, Anu asked the goddess Aruru to create a beast-like man welcome.
    [Show full text]
  • Burn Your Way to Success Studies in the Mesopotamian Ritual And
    Burn your way to success Studies in the Mesopotamian Ritual and Incantation Series Šurpu by Francis James Michael Simons A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham March 2017 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract The ritual and incantation series Šurpu ‘Burning’ is one of the most important sources for understanding religious and magical practice in the ancient Near East. The purpose of the ritual was to rid a sufferer of a divine curse which had been inflicted due to personal misconduct. The series is composed chiefly of the text of the incantations recited during the ceremony. These are supplemented by brief ritual instructions as well as a ritual tablet which details the ceremony in full. This thesis offers a comprehensive and radical reconstruction of the entire text, demonstrating the existence of a large, and previously unsuspected, lacuna in the published version. In addition, a single tablet, tablet IX, from the ten which comprise the series is fully edited, with partitur transliteration, eclectic and normalised text, translation, and a detailed line by line commentary.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter X LAMASTU, DAUGHTER of ANU. a PROFILE
    Chapter X LAMASTU, DAUGHTER OF ANU. A PROFILE F.A.M. Wiggermann Introduction and sources Outstanding among all supernatural evils defined by the ancient Mesopotamians is the child snatching demoness called Dimme in Sumerian, and Lamastu in Akkadian. I Whereas all other demons remain vague entities often operating in groups and hardly distinct from each other, DimmelLamastu has become a definite personality, with a mythology, an iconography, and a recognizable pattern of destructive action. The fear she obviously inspired gave rise to a varied set of counter measures, involving incantation­ rituals, herbs and stones, amulets, and the support of benevolent gods and spirits. These counter measures have left their traces in the archaeological record, the written and figurative sources from which a profile of the demoness can be reconstructed. Often the name of a demon or god gives a valuable clue to his (original) nature, but both Dimme and Lamastu have resisted interpretation. The reading of the Sumerian logogram dOiM(.ME) as Dim(m)e is indicated by graphemics: the ME wich is usually (but not always) added to the base doiM does not change the meaning, and must be a phonetic indicator. The presumed gloss' gab ask u (YOS 11 90:4, see Tonietti 1979:308) has been collated and reinterpreted (A. Cavigneaux, Z4 85 [1995] 170). The word may be identical with the Sumerian word for "corpse", "figurine", but this is far from certain, and does not clarify the behaviour of the demoness. Lamastu should be and could be a Semitic word, but the Akkadian lexicon does not offer a suitable root to derive it from.
    [Show full text]
  • Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptions
    MISCELLANEOUS BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS BY GEORGE A. BARTON PROFESSOR IN BRYN MAWR COLLEGE ttCI.f~ -VIb NEW HAVEN YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS MDCCCCXVIII COPYRIGHT 1918 BY YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS First published, August, 191 8. TO HAROLD PEIRCE GENEROUS AND EFFICIENT HELPER IN GOOD WORKS PART I SUMERIAN RELIGIOUS TEXTS INTRODUCTORY NOTE The texts in this volume have been copied from tablets in the University Museum, Philadelphia, and edited in moments snatched from many other exacting duties. They present considerable variety. No. i is an incantation copied from a foundation cylinder of the time of the dynasty of Agade. It is the oldest known religious text from Babylonia, and perhaps the oldest in the world. No. 8 contains a new account of the creation of man and the development of agriculture and city life. No. 9 is an oracle of Ishbiurra, founder of the dynasty of Nisin, and throws an interesting light upon his career. It need hardly be added that the first interpretation of any unilingual Sumerian text is necessarily, in the present state of our knowledge, largely tentative. Every one familiar with the language knows that every text presents many possi- bilities of translation and interpretation. The first interpreter cannot hope to have thought of all of these, or to have decided every delicate point in a way that will commend itself to all his colleagues. The writer is indebted to Professor Albert T. Clay, to Professor Morris Jastrow, Jr., and to Dr. Stephen Langdon for many helpful criticisms and suggestions. Their wide knowl- edge of the religious texts of Babylonia, generously placed at the writer's service, has been most helpful.
    [Show full text]
  • With Sleep Comes a Fusion of Worlds: the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus Through Formation and Transformation
    Vassar College Digital Window @ Vassar Senior Capstone Projects 2011 With Sleep Comes a Fusion of Worlds: The eveS n Sleepers of Ephesus Through Formation and Transformation Gwendolyn Collaco [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalwindow.vassar.edu/senior_capstone Recommended Citation Collaco, Gwendolyn, "With Sleep Comes a Fusion of Worlds: The eS ven Sleepers of Ephesus Through Formation and Transformation" (2011). Senior Capstone Projects. Paper 3. This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Window @ Vassar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of Digital Window @ Vassar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 With Sleep Comes a Fusion of Worlds: The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus Through Formation and Transformation By: Gwendolyn Collaço A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Medieval and Renaissance Studies and Classics: Latin Vassar College Poughkeepsie, New York May 2011 2 Table of Contents Two Tellings of a Tale Gregory of Tours Jacobus de Voragine An Introduction Chapter One: Settings of Doubt and Obscurity in the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus: Christianity under Decius and Theodosius II Chapter Two: A Medley of Slumbering Heroes: Blending Indo-European and Semitic Traditions to Create the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus Vita Ædwardi Excerpt: King Edward's Vision of the Seven Sleepers Chapter Three: A Prelude to Part Two—The Itinerant Tale and Its Transformation Chapter Four: The Metamorphosis of Anglo-Saxon Charm Craft through the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus Qur’anic Excerpt: Sura al-Kahf Chapter Five: The Transmission and Literary Conversion of the Sleepers through Art A Conclusion: Miraculously Natural: Synthesis and Transformation Image Appendix for Chapter Five Bibliography 3 The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus: Two Tellings of the Tale 4 Gregorius Turonensis “Passio Sanctorum Martyrum Septem Dormientium apud Ephesum” Liber in Gloria Martyrum (6th cent.), ch.
    [Show full text]
  • New Evidence for One of the Oldest Political Frontiers in the Ancient World
    Journal of Near Eastern Studies Longitude 457 East: New Evidence for one of the Oldest Political Frontiers in the Ancient World SAJJAD ALIBAIGI, Razi University, Kermanshah SHAHRAM ALIYARI, Office of Cultural Heritage, Handicraft, and Tourism, Kermanshah JOHN MACGINNIS, Cambridge University NASER AMINIKHAH, Razi University, Kermanshah* Introduction: Longitude 457 East, One of the made to commemorate a victory of Iddin-Sin, king of Oldest Political Frontiers in the Ancient World Simurrum.1 With these two rock reliefs, the number of ste- lae and rock reliefs around Bamu mountain reaches five. The Zagros mountains, which constitute the defining These are among the most ancient rock reliefs in the topographic divider between Iraq and Iran, have over world, and reveal the importance of the surrounding the course of history been witness to countless incur- region for eastern Mesopotamia. With the help of Ak- sions and invasions launched from Mesopotamia into kadian texts from the time of the kingdom of Simurrum, Iran and vice-versa. The rock reliefs, stelae, and kudur- specifically the stele of Bitwata and the inscription of rus discovered in the western foothills of this mountain Haladiny (Qarachatan), together with consideration of range indicate that throughout history the region wit- the location of the rock reliefs of the rulers of Simurrum, nessed many major events and conflicts, with numerous we are able to draw the state’s eastern frontier along a line monuments being erected to commemorate victories that connects the rock reliefs of Sar Pol-e Zahab, the (see Fig. 1). In this context, this study focuses on two Bamu mountains, and Darband-i Ramkan.
    [Show full text]
  • Adapa Reconsidered: Life and Death in Contextual Perspective
    Scriptura 87 (2004), pp. 267-277 ADAPA RECONSIDERED: LIFE AND DEATH IN CONTEXTUAL PERSPECTIVE William W Hallo Yale University1 In all ages of civilization, men have challenged the brutal reality of death with two uncon- querable dreams: one the hope of longevity, long life, and the other the illusion of immortality, of eternal life. Let us see first what the Bible has to say on the second of these two subjects, and then try to retrace our steps to the older lands of the Fertile Crescent and their traditions. However, far be it from me to survey all the twenty-four books of the Bible or all the vast literature of the cuneiform and hieroglyphic sources. I will confine myself instead to a type of expression common to the whole ancient world, namely epic literature. Epics in the narrow sense are heroic tales of the mighty men of the past, set to poetry or, at least, written with a high degree of literary polish. They differ from myths only in that the latter are poems about gods, not men; they are quite different form legends, which are not poems at all but unsophisticated prose narratives of the popular imagination, or folklore. On this basis, the great classical masterpieces of Homer, Hesiod and Virgil are epics. So are those two most famous works of cuneiform literature, the “Epic (better: myth) of Creation” and the Epic of Gilgamesh. But the Israelites, too, had their epics. About the time that the Iliad and Odyssey were being written in Greece, a royal scribe of the United Monarchy was composing a Hebrew epic recounting the glorious exploits of Saul, Jonathan and David which later became a part of the books of Samuel.
    [Show full text]
  • Adam and Adapa: Two Anthropological Characters
    Andrews University Seminary Studies, Autumn 1981, Vol. 19, No. 3, 179-194 Copyright @ 1981 by Andrews University Press. ADAM AND ADAPA: TWO ANTHROPOLOGICAL CHARACTERS NIELS-ERIK ANDREASEN Loma Linda University Riverside, California Because of the enormous impact of the Bible upon both the Jewish and Christian communities, any ancient Near Eastern literary discovery that may offer a parallel to some segment of biblical literature is greeted with interest. One such literary discovery is the Adapa myth. Its early discoverers and investigators claimed it as a true Babylonian parallel to the biblical story of Adam. ' However, after the initial flush of excitement, other voices arose to point out the differences between Adam and Adapa, claiming that no parallels exist between them.' This position is retained in some of the more recent examinations of the material, but with the provision that some of the issues raised in the Adapa myth also occur in the biblical material.' Finally, renewed attempts at showing an essential parallel between Adam and Adapa (with due allowances for functional shifts in the material) have been made.4 Such a "seesaw effect" of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the Bible is quite typical and suggests that the word "parallel," 'see conveniently the discussion by A. T. Clay, The Origin of Biblical Traditions, Yale Oriental Series 12 (New Haven, Conn., 1923), pp. 108-116. *This reaction is well illustrated by A. Heidel, The Babylonian Genesis, 2d ed. (Chicago, 1951), p. 124: "The Adapa legend and the Biblical story (of Adam) are fundamentally as far apart as antipodes." This general conclusion had been anticipated by G.
    [Show full text]
  • Asher-Greve / Westenholz Goddesses in Context ORBIS BIBLICUS ET ORIENTALIS
    Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2013 Goddesses in Context: On Divine Powers, Roles, Relationships and Gender in Mesopotamian Textual and Visual Sources Asher-Greve, Julia M ; Westenholz, Joan Goodnick Abstract: Goddesses in Context examines from different perspectives some of the most challenging themes in Mesopotamian religion such as gender switch of deities and changes of the status, roles and functions of goddesses. The authors incorporate recent scholarship from various disciplines into their analysis of textual and visual sources, representations in diverse media, theological strategies, typologies, and the place of image in religion and cult over a span of three millennia. Different types of syncretism (fusion, fission, mutation) resulted in transformation and homogenization of goddesses’ roles and functions. The processes of syncretism (a useful heuristic tool for studying the evolution of religions and the attendant political and social changes) and gender switch were facilitated by the fluidity of personality due to multiple or similar divine roles and functions. Few goddesses kept their identity throughout the millennia. Individuality is rare in the iconography of goddesses while visual emphasis is on repetition of generic divine figures (hieros typos) in order to retain recognizability of divinity, where femininity is of secondary significance. The book demonstrates that goddesses were never marginalized or extrinsic and thattheir continuous presence in texts, cult images, rituals, and worship throughout Mesopotamian history is testimony to their powerful numinous impact. This richly illustrated book is the first in-depth analysis of goddesses and the changes they underwent from the earliest visual and textual evidence around 3000 BCE to the end of ancient Mesopotamian civilization in the Seleucid period.
    [Show full text]
  • The Melammu Project
    THE MELAMMU PROJECT http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/ “The King, the Emperor, and the Empire. Continuity and Discontinuity of Royal Representation in Text and Image” JOAN WESTENHOLZ Published in Melammu Symposia 1: Sanno Aro and R. M. Whiting (eds.), The Heirs of Assyria. Proceedings of the Opening Symposium of the Assyrian and Babylonian Intellectual Heritage Project. Held in Tvärminne, Finland, October 8-11, 1998 (Helsinki: The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project 2000), pp. 99-125. Publisher: http://www.helsinki.fi/science/saa/ This article was downloaded from the website of the Melammu Project: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/ The Melammu Project investigates the continuity, transformation and diffusion of Mesopotamian culture throughout the ancient world. A central objective of the project is to create an electronic database collecting the relevant textual, art-historical, archaeological, ethnographic and linguistic evidence, which is available on the website, alongside bibliographies of relevant themes. In addition, the project organizes symposia focusing on different aspects of cultural continuity and evolution in the ancient world. The Digital Library available at the website of the Melammu Project contains articles from the Melammu Symposia volumes, as well as related essays. All downloads at this website are freely available for personal, non-commercial use. Commercial use is strictly prohibited. For inquiries, please contact [email protected]. WESTENHOLZ T HE KING, THE EMPEROR, AND THE EMPIRE JOAN W ESTENHOLZ Jerusalem The King, the Emperor, and the Empire: Continuity and Discontinuity of Royal Representation in Text and Image * Empires in the Ancient World he concept of empire relates to a made by kings as diverse as Šamši-Adad I period when disparate geographical of Assyria (1813-1781) and Nabonidus, the Tterritories are united under one re- last Babylonian king (555-539).
    [Show full text]
  • The H. Weld-Blundell Collection in the Ashmolean Museum
    OXFORD EDITIONS OF CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS EDITED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF S. LANGDON PROFESSOR OF ASSYRIOLOGY, OXFORD VOL. I J ~ THE H. WELD-BLUNDELL COLLECTION IN THE ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM VOL. I SUMERIAN AND SEMITIC RELIGIOUS AND HISTORICAL TEXTS BY S. LANGDON, M.A. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON EDINBURGH GLASGOW COPENHAGEN .NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE CAPE TOWN BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS SHANGHAI HUMPHREY MILFORD 1923 PREFACE. The Series of Oxford Editions of Cuneiform Inscriptions which begins with this volume has been planned primarily for the purpose of publishing the tablets and inscribed monuments presented to the University of Oxford bv Mr. H. WELD- BLUNDELL of Queenfs College. The material contained in the earlier volumes has been obtained by Mr. WELD-BLUNDELL by purchase during his first visit to Mesopotamia in the spring to 1921 and later through the valuable assistance of Captain COOK of the Ministry of Awkaf in 13aodad. The munificent patron of the university then decided to send out an expedition to excavate in Mesopotamia and after a prolonged conference with the writer he decided to excavate Kish, the ancient capital of BabyloniaL, for the University of Oxford. In view of the heavy expense involved in such a project; for the ruins of Kish consist in two great mounds, Tel-el-Ah.aimer and Umm Gharra, which revert to the oldest period of human history, we gladly accepted the generous offer of the Director of the Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago), under sanction of his Board of Trustees, to form a joint expedition. The philological material which shall accrue to Oxford and the Field Museum will be published in this Series.
    [Show full text]