Mesopotamian Magic in Action: A Ceremony Against Witchcraft

Ancient Near East Lecture Series presents:

"Mesopotamian Magic in Action: A Ceremony Against Witchcraft"
Tzvi Abusch, Rose B. and Joseph Cohen Professor of Assyriology and Ancient Near Eastern Religion Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University
Monday, February 20, 2012
4:00 PM
BUR 436A

Following a brief introduction to Mesopotamian magic and witchcraft, the lecture will discuss the Akkadian magical series Maqlû, "Burning," the longest and most important Mesopotamian text concerned with combating witchcraft. This ancient series prescribes the incantations and ritual of a single complex ceremony. The presentation will be devoted to a description of the ceremony and a discussion of several of its most characteristic incantations.