Lament and ritual weeping in the "negative confession" of the Babylonian Akītu festival

Main author: Mirelman, Sam
Format: Journal Article           
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Summary: This study seeks to contextualise the king’s “negative confession,” which took place in the spring Akītu Festival of Babylon, within the established norms of Mesopotamian ritual practice. The king’s humiliation is situated within the contexts of status reversal, lament and ritual weeping. The study includes a comparative almanac of the Akkadian prayer and/or exclamation known as šigû.
Language: English
Published: Brill 2021