Edition literarischer Keilschrifttexte aus Assur

Introduction

43

conventional in civil life. albeit not before the patient had paid
off the ban and thereby satisfied its Claims. It requires no great
feat of imagination to envisage that this act would scarcely have
fallen short of fulfi Hing its liberating effect upon the patient. as
it would. in fact. have been able to convey the feeling that his
guilt had been erased and that the ban tormenting him had been
removed with the force of law.
The pcrsonificd ban could furthermore be cared for with
rites and doted upon with gifts otherwise only Unding use within
procedures serving to defend against demons or spirits of the dead
roaming errantly about the earth causing damage. Accordingly.
over the course of three days. the ban in the guise of a bride was
offered a soup264 only otherwise used to feed a ghost which had
fled the underworld. Placated in such a männer, the clay image
of the ban was then like a ghost to be expelled. provisioned with
victuals for the joumey and footwear. dispatched on its trek back
into the afterlife. duly buried. and thus expunged from the sphere
of humans.265
It is here fitting that the healers also transmitted procedures
for the dispelling of a ban which were implemented against a ban
or against a spirit of the dead alike.266 and prescribed medication
to alleviate pains derived from the influence of a ban or a ghost.267
In more exacting procedures for the dispelling of a ban. the
pcrsonificd ban was additionally bestowed a ränge of presents
otherwise only intended for the murderous demoness Lamastu.268
An apparition of Lamastu was hence further recognised in the
ban in the form of a bride with the character of a spirit of the
dead. In order to protect the individual to be healed. it was
accordingly attendedto that the pcrsonificd ban was compensated
for its Claim to the patient’s flesh and blood by means of the
presentation of a freshly slaughtered piglet’s heart and blood.269
this precisely as found within the rituals for defence against the
aforementioned bloodthirsty demoness. Thus. the ban did not
solely occupy the role of a disbursed. divorced wife. but also
that of a satisfied revenant and of a demon driven back into the
underworld through the power of Ea and Asalluhi.
In tum. the power exerted by a ban over a human was not
infrequently equated with the sway it was believed could be
won over an individual through witchcraft.270 For this reason.
descriptions may be found of causal treatments forban and sorcery
alike271 and also prescriptions for the preparation of medications
which should not only combat the Symptoms engendered by a
ban. but also those to be derived from black magic.272

264 See Text no. 1-2. 15' and Text no. 4-10. 7-8. and 9".
265 See. on this. also the commentaries on Text no. 1-2. 4'-5'. 6'-7'. 8'. 13'.
14-15'. 3". 24". and 25”-26”; on Text no. 4-10. 36 and 80; on Text
no. 11. 11 and 16 and also onText no. 40-44. 34-74 and 59-60.
266 Thus Text no. 12 and Text no. 15.
267 See the prescriptions known from Text no. 73-74 and also from Text
no. 75 and from Text no. 78. 18-32. Cf. inadditionto these. e.g. BAM 161.
col. III. 10'—14' (draught with 7 herbs against ban. sorcery, and ghost) and
also BAM 228. 1-22 and // BAM 229 (preparation of an enema).
268 See Text no. 1-2. 6'-7'; Text no. 3. 16-17 and Text no. 4-10. 5-6.
Furthermore. cf. the commentaries to Text no. 1-2. 6 -7'. 13'. 14 -15'.
24" and 25"-26". and also to Text no. 4-10. 65-80.
269 See Text no. 1-2. 25"-26" and. furthermore. Text no. 14-15. 11 and 26.
270 See. e.g. Text no. 4-10. 84-85. 94 and 101; Text no. 38-39. 29' and 10";
Text no. 55-62. a+27; Text no. 63. 14' and also the commentary on Text
no. 66. 1-3'.
271 See T. Abusch. D. Schwemer. CMAwR 1. 6f.. 56-59; ibid.. 120. 35'f.;
ibid.. 288. 116 and passim.
272 See T. Abusch. D. Schwemer. CMAwR 1. 6f. and e.g. ibid.. 56; 224 below;

Within the procedures for dispelling a ban. the patient was
constantly involved as an actor in the events of the therapy.
While. as previously described. he was to confront direetly
the pcrsonificd ban in some cases.273 a divergent approach was
recommended in others.274 In this variant of the curative treatment.
it was not sought in the slightest that the death sentence bound
with the ban be averted; rather. this ruling. evidently regarded in
these cases as immutable, should be carried out. albeit not upon
the patient himself. but upon a Substitute spccifically prepared
for this very goal. In this variant of the procedure for dispelling a
ban. the healer fashioned a clay likeness of his patient in addition
to that of the pcrsonificd ban. Together. the pair. perhaps even
depicted in a single figure,275 should go to its death. For this.
the consubstantiality of the patient and his Substitute should
be established. While the text herein presented provides scarce
information as to this. it is known from elsewhere that this
could be achieved through the touching or affixing of hair or
other matter representing the patient.276 Over the course of the
therapeutic events. the patient had to separate himself from his
Substitute and thereby rid himself of the part of his personality
bound to guilt. misfortune. and illness. In the procedure for
dispelling a ban known from Text no. 14-15. this occurred once
again by means of the rites sealing a divorce.277 Prior to this.
the individual pursued by a ban was to wash over the effigy
representing himself and thus remove the pathogenic force
adhering to him. The impurity emitted by the ban was hence
transferred to the Substitute by means of the sullied water.278
Permeating the majority of therapies for dispelling a ban
besides the narrative of legal procedure. law. and justice was
the notion of a human-god relationship solely characterised
by humility. penitence. and mercy. In addition to petitions and
prayers. confessions of guilt accordingly occupy a considerable
place within the more detailed procedures for the dispelling of
a ban.279 It would seem that the patient was not to issue these
merely before the gods. but also before witnesses staying in
his home.280 As the bearer of guilt who had finally found his
proper path for good. he should serve as a cautionary example
to others and simultaneously extol the eventually prevailing
force of divine order by means his repentance. Being ultimately
responsible for the decision to dispel a ban according to the
worldview of the healers. the gods were to be waited on with

234. 51"'-62'"; 238. 21-22 and below 1-3; also 241. 8-17. Moreover.
amulets were also recommended which should offer protection from
ban and sorcery alike (see A. Schuster-Brandis. Steine als Schutz- und
Heilmittel. 100-102 on “Kette 49-51").
273 Thus Text no. 1 and Text no. 4-10.
274 Thus Text no. 2; Text no. 3 and Text no. 12. Cf. also Text no. 14-15. A
corresponding approach would have been particularly apt in those cases
wherein the patient would have been too emaciated to adopt an active role
within the therapy.
275 See. on this. the commentary on Text no. 3. 13 and 36-37 and also to Text
no. 48-51. 39-40.
276 See here. for example. G. Meier. ZA 45. 200.1. 8-12.
277 See Text no. 14-15. 11 and 18-19 with the corresponding commentaries.
278 See Text no. 1-2. 19"; Text no. 27-33. 77f. and 100-102; Text no. 46-47.
50-53 and also the appurtenant commentaries.
279 See Text no. 4-10. 74; Text no. 16-26. 65-74; Text no. 45. 3ff.; Text
no. 48-51; Text no. 54. 3' and 9'f. The instmetion to affect a männer of
confession before the sun god may be found in K 2535 + K 2598. 73 (see
S. M. Maul. Fs. Freydank and also id.. BaF 18. 69 with fn. 105).
280 See Text no. 16-26. 66-68 and the commentary' on 1. 67.