Magic

The people of ancient Mesopotamia did not make a clear distinction between magic and normal religious beliefs and rituals. It was thought that the gods had the power to wield magic, for both good and ill, and some gods, notably Enlil and Marduk, were seen as skilled sorcerers. Magic always acknowledged the existence of evil, which was seen as a palpable force that lurked on the fringes of human society and was capable of “infecting” anyone at any time. This infection could take the form of illness, accidents, bad fortune, or death and was supposedly caused by demons, witchcraft, or gods seeking to punish the wicked. Any and all of these negative forces could be viewed as forms of black magic. White, or positive, magic existed to counter the effects of black magic. White magic consisted of spells, incantations, and physical actions, including burning effigies representing demons or evil spirits, that drove away demons and other aspects of black magic. Rituals of white magic were usually performed by a diviner or a spiritual doctor (ashipu). The white magician first had to determine what kind of demon or other evil was affecting the victim. To this end, he could consult special texts, the Surpu and the Maqlu, which contained lists of the various ills that could afflict people and numerous spells and cures for these ills. The ultimate goal was to rid the person of evil, when necessary by performing an exorcism. Practicing black magic or witchcraft was a crime, and the law codes of ancient Mesopotamia provided statutes dealing with it. The statute in Hammurabi’s code reads:

If a man charge a man with sorcery, but cannot convict him, he who is charged with sorcery shall go to the sacred river, and he shall throw himself into the river. If the river overcomes him, his prosecutor shall take to himself his house. If the river shows that man innocent and he comes forth unharmed, he that charged him with sorcery shall be put to death. He who threw himself into the river shall take to himself the house of his accuser.

See Also: divination; doctors and medicine; exorcism