DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.57036#0058
Introduction
45
was hence repeated in reverse and thereby rendered undone.
Washings and rinsings to be performed by the patient over the
figurine of the ban or over his own Substitute pursued the same
goal.295 In tum. the patient’s washing water was caused to be
spilt on the ground. Negative energy should thus be drained
into the earth; it was further believed that the earth would make
positive energy flow back into the patient in retum.296
By means of the buming of the contaminated dough. the
evil to be combatted was to ascend into the heavens.297 and by
means of the washing water to enter the earth. By means of this.
the malcficcnt force of the ban was once again retumed to those
regions beyond the human sphere wherefrom it had emerged
according to the teachings of the healers.298
The central sections of each procedure for dispelling a ban
possess the character of the scenic realisation of a drama. the
protagonists of which were the pcrsoni ficd ban. the patient affected
by the ban. and the healer through whom the divine saviour ever
caring for humanity speaks and works. The setting therefor was
lent by the house within which a ban had begun to work.299
Here, the confrontation with the evil of the ban incamated in an
image should be determined in favour of the individual by grace
of divine succour. The dramatically staged release from a ban
during the therapy’s events downright demanded an audience.
and the dicenda of the procedure for dispelling a ban actually
do render indications that the healing process was performed
before witnesses. According to instructions. the one the ban
befell should intone a confession of guilt. holding therewith in
his hand grain kemels embodying his numerous trespasses. In
order to document the readiness for repentance. he should cast
these away from him and then trample them so that "those who
do not fear their god and goddess”300 might witness this in order
to leam therefrom. Moreover. the stabbing of a figurine of a ban.
the paunch of which had been filled with blood in advance.301
must have served to render an effect of flowing blood presumably
stunning an audience. The same might well have applied for
some other actions during the events of the therapy intended
to demonstrate emblematically the potency and success of the
healing procedure. It was in such a männer that the patient was
tasked with the peeling of an onion and the unravelling of a cord
in order to make the now enacted release from the imposed ban
manifest to both himself and spectators probably comprising of
family. household members. friends. and neighbours alike.302
The presence of witnesses can only have enhanced the efficacy
of the procedure for dispelling a ban. Indeed. were the efficacy
of the healers’ therapy not principally brought into question.
then the dramatically staged treatment must have conveyed to
the family members of the patient. his friends. neighbours. and
relatives that the fundamental evil of the ban was rid therewith
295 See the attestations compiled in fn. 278.
296 See Text no. 16-26. 17 and Text no. 46—17. 42. Furthermore. cf. Text
no. 54. 15’.
297 Cf., on this. also Text no. 16-26. 18 and 37; Text no. 27-33. 98; Text
no. 40-44. 83 and Text no. 46—17. 37.
298 See. on this. above p. 37.
299 See Text no. 4-10. 7 and. furthermore. Text no. 67. 1'.
300 Text no. 16-26. 67 (cf. the commentary on 1. 56-74).
301 See Text no. 46-47. 47-50.
302 See. on this. Text no. 1-2. 10 "-11" and the appurtenant commentary
along with Text no. 16-26. 2 3ff. and 42ff.; Text no. 27-33. 79-80 and Text
no. 61. Vs. 2.
from the world. and the sufferer now on the route to recovery. By
means of this conviction bome into the patient’s social milieu.
the witnesses of a procedure for dispelling a ban could contribute
to the invalid developing new confidence. this activating and
strengthening thereby his powers of self-healing.
Belief in the efficacy of the procedure for dispelling a ban
was so great that even the Neo-Assyrian kings feared that third
parties might succeed by means of such a treatment in freeing
themselves from the bond of an oath swom to the sovereign.
Thus. within the loyalty oaths to be swom. they inserted special
clauses whereby this would be punished.303
8. The medical Treatment of the Ban-Affliction
According to the System of the ancient Near Eastem healing arts.
it was only after the eradication of the ban in a dramatic Staging
before the patient and their kin had visibly been accomplished
that a medicinal treatment of the patient’s corporeal Symptoms
could sustainably take full effect. Like the procedure for
dispelling a ban. this rested in the hands of the healers (äsipu
or masmassu). In addition to the descriptions of the procedures
for dispelling a ban. numerous prescriptions with instructions
as to the preparation and administration of medication to soothe
corporeal ailments caused by a ban were found within the so-
called House of the Incantation Priest in Assur.304 The colophons
of the corresponding clay tablets evidence that it was the same
individuals who had copied down the procedures for dispelling
a ban and the medical-pharmacological prescriptions in order to
prepare for the respective treatments.305
In the therapy of life-threatening abdominal illness which
served as the culmination of the ban ailment. the healers most
prominently employed enemata concocted sometimes from
more than 60 different largely plant-based constituents and
administered to the bowels by means of a reed. Two types
may be discemed among these. The first should serve to
swiftly and completely purge and cleanse the intestines.306 The
implementation of these enemata was sometimes complimented
by means of the administration of emetics.307 through which
poisonous and harmful material should be removed from the
stomach with all possible speed. The enemata of the second
type should quickly and effectively deliver medication to the
bowel region. especially in cases in which the patient would be
unable to ingest perorally administered medication. for example.
because of gravely advanced dehydration.308 Colonic irrigation
could precede such an enema.309 In tum. rectally introduced
303 See S. Parpola. K. Watanabe. SAA 2. 22. Text no. 4. 10'—15'; ibid.. 44.
Text no. 6. § 33.
304 A selection of the most important textual witnesses is here presented in
Texts nos. 70-80.
305 See fn. 69.
306 See Text no. 70-72. 1-8. 9-20. 21-31; Text no. 78. 33-39. 54-61. 62-65.
A draught serving the same function is described in Text no. 70-72. 1-8.
307 See Text no. 76-77. 21-24; Text no. 79. 24’ and 45M7’.
308 Belonging here should be the following attestations: Text no. 73-74; Text
no. 75; Text no. 76-77. 11-14; Text no. 78. 1-6. 7-17. 18-32. 45-53.
66-69; Text no. 79. 27'. 30'—31' (really belonging here?). 32'—35'.
48'-50'. 51 '—53'. See. in addition. BAM 189. col. I. 1-12'. Cf. also, as
described in BAM 228. 1-22 and the duplicate BAM 229. 1 -16'. the
panacea concocted from 46 ingredients. which. among other uses. should
be employed against the “hand of the ban' and administered mornings and
evenings for seven days.
309 See Text no. 76-77. 1-10.
45
was hence repeated in reverse and thereby rendered undone.
Washings and rinsings to be performed by the patient over the
figurine of the ban or over his own Substitute pursued the same
goal.295 In tum. the patient’s washing water was caused to be
spilt on the ground. Negative energy should thus be drained
into the earth; it was further believed that the earth would make
positive energy flow back into the patient in retum.296
By means of the buming of the contaminated dough. the
evil to be combatted was to ascend into the heavens.297 and by
means of the washing water to enter the earth. By means of this.
the malcficcnt force of the ban was once again retumed to those
regions beyond the human sphere wherefrom it had emerged
according to the teachings of the healers.298
The central sections of each procedure for dispelling a ban
possess the character of the scenic realisation of a drama. the
protagonists of which were the pcrsoni ficd ban. the patient affected
by the ban. and the healer through whom the divine saviour ever
caring for humanity speaks and works. The setting therefor was
lent by the house within which a ban had begun to work.299
Here, the confrontation with the evil of the ban incamated in an
image should be determined in favour of the individual by grace
of divine succour. The dramatically staged release from a ban
during the therapy’s events downright demanded an audience.
and the dicenda of the procedure for dispelling a ban actually
do render indications that the healing process was performed
before witnesses. According to instructions. the one the ban
befell should intone a confession of guilt. holding therewith in
his hand grain kemels embodying his numerous trespasses. In
order to document the readiness for repentance. he should cast
these away from him and then trample them so that "those who
do not fear their god and goddess”300 might witness this in order
to leam therefrom. Moreover. the stabbing of a figurine of a ban.
the paunch of which had been filled with blood in advance.301
must have served to render an effect of flowing blood presumably
stunning an audience. The same might well have applied for
some other actions during the events of the therapy intended
to demonstrate emblematically the potency and success of the
healing procedure. It was in such a männer that the patient was
tasked with the peeling of an onion and the unravelling of a cord
in order to make the now enacted release from the imposed ban
manifest to both himself and spectators probably comprising of
family. household members. friends. and neighbours alike.302
The presence of witnesses can only have enhanced the efficacy
of the procedure for dispelling a ban. Indeed. were the efficacy
of the healers’ therapy not principally brought into question.
then the dramatically staged treatment must have conveyed to
the family members of the patient. his friends. neighbours. and
relatives that the fundamental evil of the ban was rid therewith
295 See the attestations compiled in fn. 278.
296 See Text no. 16-26. 17 and Text no. 46—17. 42. Furthermore. cf. Text
no. 54. 15’.
297 Cf., on this. also Text no. 16-26. 18 and 37; Text no. 27-33. 98; Text
no. 40-44. 83 and Text no. 46—17. 37.
298 See. on this. above p. 37.
299 See Text no. 4-10. 7 and. furthermore. Text no. 67. 1'.
300 Text no. 16-26. 67 (cf. the commentary on 1. 56-74).
301 See Text no. 46-47. 47-50.
302 See. on this. Text no. 1-2. 10 "-11" and the appurtenant commentary
along with Text no. 16-26. 2 3ff. and 42ff.; Text no. 27-33. 79-80 and Text
no. 61. Vs. 2.
from the world. and the sufferer now on the route to recovery. By
means of this conviction bome into the patient’s social milieu.
the witnesses of a procedure for dispelling a ban could contribute
to the invalid developing new confidence. this activating and
strengthening thereby his powers of self-healing.
Belief in the efficacy of the procedure for dispelling a ban
was so great that even the Neo-Assyrian kings feared that third
parties might succeed by means of such a treatment in freeing
themselves from the bond of an oath swom to the sovereign.
Thus. within the loyalty oaths to be swom. they inserted special
clauses whereby this would be punished.303
8. The medical Treatment of the Ban-Affliction
According to the System of the ancient Near Eastem healing arts.
it was only after the eradication of the ban in a dramatic Staging
before the patient and their kin had visibly been accomplished
that a medicinal treatment of the patient’s corporeal Symptoms
could sustainably take full effect. Like the procedure for
dispelling a ban. this rested in the hands of the healers (äsipu
or masmassu). In addition to the descriptions of the procedures
for dispelling a ban. numerous prescriptions with instructions
as to the preparation and administration of medication to soothe
corporeal ailments caused by a ban were found within the so-
called House of the Incantation Priest in Assur.304 The colophons
of the corresponding clay tablets evidence that it was the same
individuals who had copied down the procedures for dispelling
a ban and the medical-pharmacological prescriptions in order to
prepare for the respective treatments.305
In the therapy of life-threatening abdominal illness which
served as the culmination of the ban ailment. the healers most
prominently employed enemata concocted sometimes from
more than 60 different largely plant-based constituents and
administered to the bowels by means of a reed. Two types
may be discemed among these. The first should serve to
swiftly and completely purge and cleanse the intestines.306 The
implementation of these enemata was sometimes complimented
by means of the administration of emetics.307 through which
poisonous and harmful material should be removed from the
stomach with all possible speed. The enemata of the second
type should quickly and effectively deliver medication to the
bowel region. especially in cases in which the patient would be
unable to ingest perorally administered medication. for example.
because of gravely advanced dehydration.308 Colonic irrigation
could precede such an enema.309 In tum. rectally introduced
303 See S. Parpola. K. Watanabe. SAA 2. 22. Text no. 4. 10'—15'; ibid.. 44.
Text no. 6. § 33.
304 A selection of the most important textual witnesses is here presented in
Texts nos. 70-80.
305 See fn. 69.
306 See Text no. 70-72. 1-8. 9-20. 21-31; Text no. 78. 33-39. 54-61. 62-65.
A draught serving the same function is described in Text no. 70-72. 1-8.
307 See Text no. 76-77. 21-24; Text no. 79. 24’ and 45M7’.
308 Belonging here should be the following attestations: Text no. 73-74; Text
no. 75; Text no. 76-77. 11-14; Text no. 78. 1-6. 7-17. 18-32. 45-53.
66-69; Text no. 79. 27'. 30'—31' (really belonging here?). 32'—35'.
48'-50'. 51 '—53'. See. in addition. BAM 189. col. I. 1-12'. Cf. also, as
described in BAM 228. 1-22 and the duplicate BAM 229. 1 -16'. the
panacea concocted from 46 ingredients. which. among other uses. should
be employed against the “hand of the ban' and administered mornings and
evenings for seven days.
309 See Text no. 76-77. 1-10.