The healing goddess Gula: towards an understanding of ancient Babylonian medicine

Providing a comprehensive examination of the traits and areas of authority Ancient Babylonians attributed to their healing goddess, this book draws on a wide range of Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform sources, including god lists, literary compositions, lexical lists, prognostic texts, incantations, and pre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Culture and history of the ancient Near East
Main Author: Böck, Barbara ca. 20./21. Jh. (Author)
Format: Print Book
Language:English
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Published: Leiden [u.a.] Brill 2014
In: Culture and history of the ancient Near East (67)
Series/Journal:Culture and history of the ancient Near East 67
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Babylonia / Medicine
Further subjects:B Medicine, Assyro-Babylonian
B Gula (Assyro-Babylonian deity)
B Healing
B Magic, Assyro-Babylonian
Online Access: Inhaltsverzeichnis (Verlag)
Klappentext (Verlag)
Description
Summary:Providing a comprehensive examination of the traits and areas of authority Ancient Babylonians attributed to their healing goddess, this book draws on a wide range of Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform sources, including god lists, literary compositions, lexical lists, prognostic texts, incantations, and prescriptions. Analysing the use of selected metaphors associated with the goddess, a new perspective is offered on the explanation for disease as well as the motivation for particular treatments. Special chapters deal with the cuneiform handbook on prognosis and diagnosis of diseases, medical incantations appealing to the healing goddess, and the medicinal plants attributed to her. For the first time a body of evidence for the use of simple drugs is brought together, elaborating on specific plant profiles. The result is a volume that challenges many long-held assumptions concerning the specialized cuneiform medical literature and takes a fresh look on the nature of Ancient Babylonian healing
ISBN:9004261451