This thesis is a philological study of redemption as it was practiced in Mesopotamia in the Old Babylonian period (c. 2000-1600 BC). It reconstructs, edits, and analyses texts and private archives... Show moreThis thesis is a philological study of redemption as it was practiced in Mesopotamia in the Old Babylonian period (c. 2000-1600 BC). It reconstructs, edits, and analyses texts and private archives showing the working of this traditional right in a number of local traditions in the Old Babylonian period. It contributes to the study of redemption of persons a philological treatment of key technical terms. The traditional right of redemption also had a royal analogue, and chapter 4 of the thesis provides a critical treatment of a putative royal edict from the kingdom of Larsa mandating redemption based on a new classification of the text. Show less
Tell Sabi Abyad was a major Neolithic settlement in Upper Mesopotamia, occupied for 1800 years during the 7th to 6th millennium cal BC. Excavations have revealed hundreds of clay sealings, stamp... Show moreTell Sabi Abyad was a major Neolithic settlement in Upper Mesopotamia, occupied for 1800 years during the 7th to 6th millennium cal BC. Excavations have revealed hundreds of clay sealings, stamp-seal impressions and an even greater number of small, geometric-shaped clay objects or ‘tokens’. Drawing on previous unpublished data from decades of excavations, a detailed, contextual study of the form and distribution of Tell Sabi Abyad’s ‘tokens’ is presented. Though likely used as counting tools in certain specific occupational areas and levels, the evidence does not suggest a singular universal role of geometric clay objects as mnemonic accounting devices. Show less
During the last decades, a large amount of research has been carried out concerning Neo-Assyrian palaces. The most well-known features of these palaces are the wall reliefs that adorned the palace... Show moreDuring the last decades, a large amount of research has been carried out concerning Neo-Assyrian palaces. The most well-known features of these palaces are the wall reliefs that adorned the palace walls, which have been extensively studied as well. These wall reliefs are mainly studied in isolation, often focussing on the iconography of the images and their meaning, without looking at their spatial context. The aim of this study is to investigate the purpose of the wall reliefs in the Northwest Palace of Nimrud, combining both the images depicted on the wall reliefs and their spatial context. Since the wall reliefs are often associated with ideologies and propaganda, this study will investigate other possible functions of the wall reliefs as well. First, the wall reliefs and the suites in which they are located will be considered, in order to see if a connection can be detected between them. Second, the wall reliefs will be examined in connection to the rooms that had the same function. Show less
A diachronic survey of the Sumerian ideas about Beginnings __ cosmogony, theogony and anthropogeny __ is described. Third millennium Sumerian texts describe the 'marriage' of the primaeval pair an... Show moreA diachronic survey of the Sumerian ideas about Beginnings __ cosmogony, theogony and anthropogeny __ is described. Third millennium Sumerian texts describe the 'marriage' of the primaeval pair an and ki __ Heaven and Earth, thereafter the sky god An and the mother goddess Nin__ursa_a __ and the birth of their children: gods. From the second millennium onwards the Sumerian culture disappeared, except from the scribal schools; there was an increasing Semitic influence. The beginning became a primaeval ocean, Namma who gave birth to an-ki. Later the pair Aps_ and Ti'amat produced heaven and earth __ not yet in their final form __ and the ancestors of An. Aps_ and Ti'amat were killed. Marduk gave heaven and earth their final appearance with both halves of Ti'amat's body. In the Sumerian myth 'Enki and Ninma__', man is created with the aid of clay (Enki's idea), and borne by Namma. In the Akkadian text atra-__as_s a god is killed; with his flesh and blood together with clay man was created. The purpose of the creation of man was always the same: the gods do not want to provide for themselves; the maintenance of the gods is man's daily duty. Show less
This dissertation compares divination in ancient Greece to divinatory practices in Republican Rome and Neo-Assyrian Mesopotamia. Divination is the human production and interpretation of signs which... Show moreThis dissertation compares divination in ancient Greece to divinatory practices in Republican Rome and Neo-Assyrian Mesopotamia. Divination is the human production and interpretation of signs which were thought to have come from the supernatural – the signs could be concerned with past, present or future. The process of divination consists of three elements: homo divinans, sign and text. These three elements are systematically compared, after which divination is discussed in its relation to time and uncertainty.********************************************************************************Commercial edition available at Brill Publishers, ISBN 978-90-04-25239-4 (hbk) ; 978-90-04-46422-3 (pbk); 978-90-04-25630-9 (e-book)https://brill.com/view/title/24193 Show less
