Semitic magic, its origins and development / by R. Campbell Thompson.

  • Reginald Campbell Thompson
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Semitic magic, its origins and development / by R. Campbell Thompson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    250/362 (page 178)
    ASSYRIAN AND ARAB ATONEMENTS. Now these Assyrian incantations, which may have had their origin among the Sumerians, are undoubtedly older than the Priestly Code in its present form, and the actual evidence of the tablets themselves from Assurbanipal’s Library show that such ceremonies existed in Assyria at least as early as 626 b.c. Hence it is certain that the Babylonians did not borrow the idea of the ‘atonement’ ceremony from the Hebrews during the Captivity. On the other hand, taking into account that scapegoats and other forms of ‘ atonements ’ are common all over the world, it is unlikely that the Hebrews borrowed much of this form of exorcism in Babylon, although perhaps they may have somewhat modified their views in accordance with the beliefs of their captors. The most reasonable explanation, especially when the Arab fedu or kaffarah ceremonies are taken into account, is that all the Semites drew these beliefs from their common ancestry, and retained the primitive nomenclature (k-p-r) which shows how extremely ancient the custom must be. To remove an unclean tabu from a person by means of a substituted ‘ atonement ’ animal is obviously a form of sympatliefic magic, and as such the ceremony will easily be recognized as very primitive. (accept ?), may Marduk dinanua sa ibbanA liSamgir (?) make acceptable my dinanu which hath been made.” The lines preceding these refer to the mamit or 1 ban ’ which the man has incurred. From Tablet N (Devils, ii), iii, 45, 46 (urisu dinanu sa ameluti, “ the kid is the dinanu for mankind ”) it is evident that dinanu has the significance of ‘ substitute,1 and if so, its parallel puhu will have a similar meaning, which will fit in with our context. Hence this translation may be offered provisionally :— “ [Cast] his 1 atonement3 to the crossways, Leave his ‘substitute3 to the ash-heaps (?) of the land.”