2020/08/13 by Paul Delnero · 4 citations
Arts and Humanities · Medicine · #Ancient Near East History #Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies #Ancient Egypt and Archaeology #Tears #Medicine #Surgery
paper · doi:10.1515/9781501512650
openalex publication_date 2020/08/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
In contrast to other traditions, cultic laments in Mesopotamia were not performed in response to a tragic event, such as a death or a disaster, but instead as a preemptive ritual to avert possible catastrophes. Mesopotamian laments provide a unique insight into the relationship between humankind and the gods, and their study sheds light on the nature of collective rituals within a crosscultural context. Cultic laments were performed in Mesopotamia for nearly 3000 years. This book provides a comprehensive overview of this important ritual practice in the early 2nd millennium BCE, the period during which Sumerian laments were first put in writing. It also includes a new translation and critical edition of Uruamairabi (‘That city, which has been plundered’), one of the most widely performed compositions of its genre.