Mysteries of Mesopotamia: The Medicine and Magic

by Mr Ghaz
Medicine and magic were inextricably linked in Mesopotamia, and both were also closely tied to divination. Sickness was generally thought of as punishment for some transgression, witting or unwitting, against the gods; alternatively, it could result from the actions of malicious demons like Lamashtu or through black magic.

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The first step in treating sickness was to work out what might have brought on the condition-a task for the baru-priest, or diviner. The various types of malady were associated with different supernatural forces, so a typical diagnosis might be “the hand of Ishtar,” “the hand of Shamash,” or “the hand of a ghost.” Whoever had because it was said to have “seized” the patient.

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Mysteries of Mesopotamia: The Medicine and Magic