Ghosts bring to mind hauntings, otherworldly apparitions, strange noises in the night.
In ancient Assyria and Babylonia, ghosts populated a variety contexts, from the frightening to the mundane.
Here is a brief look at ghosts in ancient Mesopotamia to celebrate #HALLOWEEN
In ancient Assyria and Babylonia, ghosts populated a variety contexts, from the frightening to the mundane.
Here is a brief look at ghosts in ancient Mesopotamia to celebrate #HALLOWEEN
Akkadian word of the day is etemmu “ghost”, sometimes written in cuneiform with the Sumerian GIDIM (and related logograms) 
In Mesopotamia, ghosts appear in personal and royal letters, in which they figure in prophesies, are blamed for misery, and included in oaths.
To an Assyrian king: “Her ghost blesses him (saying) as he has shown reverence to the ghost, ‘His descendants shall rule over Assyria!’”
To an Assyrian king: “Her ghost blesses him (saying) as he has shown reverence to the ghost, ‘His descendants shall rule over Assyria!’”
Ghosts appear in literature, like these lines near the end of the Epic of Gilgamesh, which suggest incomplete burials produced restless ghosts:
“Did you see the one whose corpse was left lying in the open countryside?”
“I saw. His ghost does not lie at rest in the Netherworld.”
“Did you see the one whose corpse was left lying in the open countryside?”
“I saw. His ghost does not lie at rest in the Netherworld.”
“...a ghost who has no grave, a ghost who has no one to care for him, or a ghost who gets no scrap of offering, or a ghost who gets no libation of water, or a ghost who has no one to mention him by name...”
Ghosts appear often in Akkadian magical texts, like this incantation
Ghosts appear often in Akkadian magical texts, like this incantation
Magical texts from ancient Mesopotamia sometimes describe people being persecuted, pursued, or otherwise affected by ghosts.
A witch quoted in the witchcraft series Maqlû, might say: “In your tracks, I set a lurker-demon,
I cause a pursuing ghost to seize your path.”
A witch quoted in the witchcraft series Maqlû, might say: “In your tracks, I set a lurker-demon,
I cause a pursuing ghost to seize your path.”
In cuneiform medical texts, ghosts are often blamed for illness.
Ghosts can be wandering, murderous, pursuing, strange, etc. The way they died is sometimes included.
“Ghost of one killed with a weapon”
“Ghost who died through murder”
“Ghost of one who died of thirst”
Ghosts can be wandering, murderous, pursuing, strange, etc. The way they died is sometimes included.
“Ghost of one killed with a weapon”
“Ghost who died through murder”
“Ghost of one who died of thirst”
Wordplay and puns may explain the connection between Ghosts and certain types of illnesses in Akkadian medical texts.
For example: “if his reasoning (temu) is altered so that he wanders about without knowing it, as in Hand of Ghost (etemmu)...”
For example: “if his reasoning (temu) is altered so that he wanders about without knowing it, as in Hand of Ghost (etemmu)...”
In ancient Mesopotamia, patients saw ghosts and the dead as part of certain illnesses.
“If Ghost afflicts a person so that he continually sees dead persons (when) in his bed.”
“If a person continually sees dead persons, Hand of Ištar”
“If Ghost afflicts a person so that he continually sees dead persons (when) in his bed.”
“If a person continually sees dead persons, Hand of Ištar”
Read more about ghosts in Akkadian medical texts in “Magico-Medical Means of Treating Ghost-Induced Illnesses in Ancient Mesopotamia” by JoAnn Scurlock #HistoryBooksByWomen
Anyway, Happy #Halloween in cuneiform!
