The witchcraft series Maqlû

About this book

The Akkadian series Maqlû (Burning) is one of the most significant and interesting magical texts from the ancient Near East. It contains almost one hundred incantations and accompanying rituals directed against witches and witchcraft. But it is not a collection; rather, it actually represents a single complex ceremony that was performed during a single night and following morning at the end of the month Abu (July-August), when spirits were thought to move back and forth between the netherworld and the world of the living. This volume makes available an annotated transcription and translation of the Maqlû text. A detailed introduction provides historical, literary, and ceremonial context. (Back cover).