Im missing something (Descriptive Ritual)

[us4-he2-gal2]

Recently I was reviewing W.W. Hallo's article "The limits of skepticism" in which he attempts to present the 'maximalist" perspective of Mesopotamian Religious studies, and in particular he counters or objects to Oppenheims "skepticism" in the article "Why a Mesopotamian Religion should not be written."

Hallo states that there are materials Oppenheim did not consider, for instance he states " Baruch Levine and I found valuable data in genres ignored by Oppenheim such as the so-called "descriptive rituals." In a note accoompanying this statement he gives the citation "B.A. Levine and W.W. Hallo "Offerings to the Temple Gates at Ur" HUCA 38 (1967); 17-58"

So what were the genre of texts referred to as "descriptive rituals?" Because I missed them to. I have the feeling that all of these texts - most likily- are later in date and so their value for decoding the early religion would be a matter of interpretation perhaps. But this deserves furhter consideration. There is also the book (currently un-acessable)

The Cults of Uruk and Babylon: The Temple Ritual Texts as Evidence for Hellanistic Cult Practice" by Marc J.H. Linnsen

which might touch on this, if Temple Ritual Texts = Descriptive ritual. Something to look in to

[amarsin]

Meh. There's a long history behind Hallo's article. It often seems that for him, a too-skeptical approach to Mesopotamian religion will mean that we should be skeptical of more modern religions (read: Judeo-Christian; particularly the former) and this gets Hallow upset.

And Hallo loves to cite himself. Even when it's particularly gratuitous. I don't know what his HUCA article has to say, but I'd bet it's not quite the answer to Oppenheim that he implies.

[/nastiness]

[us4-he2-gal2]

WIthin the book "Wisdom, Gods, and Literature: Studies in Assyriology in Honour of W.G. Lambert" is A. R. George' article "Four Temple Ritual from Babylon". In this article the author presents tablets from Babylon now held in the British museum, datable from the middle of the 1st millennium to as late as Parthinian Babylon. These texts describe rituals that are held annually in a given month and I wonder if this is the material Hallo refers to as "Descriptive Ritual". A large part of Oppenheim's skepticism is that we might never be able to describe the religious practice of the Mesopotamian common man - who is woefully un-presented in Cuneiform record. As mentioned Hallo refers the reader to his "Offerings to the Temple Gates at Ur" - at the gates of the temple implies that the focus is on the commoner who brings offerings (but is not admitted to the temple and to the world of the temple cult and religion) and this may be the the subject of that particular invesitgation. George's article provides texts relating to the role of the priests and specialists within the temple by contrast and so we may have something different here again.

To describe breifly the materials given in this article:

1. Nisannu: The texts descirbes ritual that takes place in and around the cult-rooms of Bēl and Bēltiya* (Marduk/Zarpanitum.) and detail litinies to be spoken by the šešgallu-priest , two of which belong to the reperoire of the kalû, and two of which to the āšiputû.
2. Simanu: Ritual and a bried recitation to Samas to be performed in the thrid month (Simanu) by the kurgarrû functionary and the assinnu.
3. Kislīmu: Ritual in the 9th month (Kislīmu) envolving the distribution of reeds from the temple of to Gula's temple (E-sa-bad .)
4. Šabatū: The ritual for this month concerns the procession of variosu gods (that is, their statrues or emblems) outside of Babylon" to the city of Kiš.