TnT OoOS 1892 Feb 13

OLDEST OF OLD SORCERERS

## Print Details

* Orig in Print; Newspaper
* Author Not Stated, assumed Anonymous
* Location: New York, New York
* Issue Date: Saturday, February 13, 1892, page 9
* Online URLs
* https://www.nytimes.com/1892/02/13/archives/oldest-of-old-sorcerers-to-babylonians-now-given-this-doubtful.html
* https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1892/02/13/104118877.html

* Note 0

## Article Text

OLDEST OF OLD SORCERERS

-- \* --

TO BABYLONIANS NOW GIVEN THIS DOUBTFUL GLORY.

-- -- --

LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT WHICH OLD LETTERS ON TABLETS REVEAL --
FORMS AND CEREMONIES USED IN EXORCISING EVIL SPIRITS.

Berlin, Feb 1 - Among the most important recent contributions to our knowledge of antiquity are those furnished by the Assyrian letters on tablets in cuneiform writing, a large portion of which are the correspondence of Egyptian and Assyrian monarchs. About 300 of those are in the so-called Jell Amara collection; of these two have been found to be in the Hittite language. The longer is from Dueratta, King of Mitani, in the region of the Euphrates, to Amenophis III, King of Egypt. Dueratta wrote usually in Assyrian, but this is in his native tongue, commonly called Medic, an Accadian or Mongul dialect, of which the Turkish of Central Asia is the best modern representative. Dueratta was a great friend of Amenophis III, and he gave his daughter, Tadukhipa, to be married to Amenophis.

This letter was sent with her when she left her native land to meet her future husband. It contains much valuable information, historical and social. The first paragraph is in Assyrian and the rest in Hittite. Duaratta sometimes calls his country the Kingdom of the Minyans, who, are known from Egyptian records to have lived on the Upper Euphrates, and were invaders of Egypt before the great eighteenth Theban dynasty. The country was frequented by Amenophis for the purpose of lion hunting, and the friendship between the kings may have thus originated. The letter was written about 1500 BC and, although much damaged, many passages are fairly legible, as for instance:

“To Amenophis III, (the great King King of the land of Egypt, from Dueratta, Lord of Mitani,) a letter. I am at peace. May there be peace to you. \* \* \* to thy ladies, to thy great men, to thy horses, to thy servants, \* \* \* to thy land, and to all that is thine may there be exceeding peace.”

A broken fragment here refers to the arrival envoys and to the dispatch of replies, and alto to previous embassies. One Gilias is to go as envoy, described as an intelligent man in what concerns writing, and is instructed as to what is necessary should writing prove insufficient. Gilias is to travel with one Menes, the Egyptian envoy, Duaratta acknowledges fealty to the King of Egypt, saying that he is ruling for him from the provinces. One portion of the letter mentions the present sent, speaks of their value and gives an inventory of them, at the same time acknowledging the reception of a golden crown and earnestly requesting an answer of papyrus, telling of the receipt of his gifts.

The bottom of the tablet is ruined, but, fortunately, the back, which is, moreover, the more important part, is better preserved. From this it appears that the messenger who takes the letter to the king of Egypt is also the interpreter, Duaratta making excuses for not writing in Egyptian. He mentions sending a present of a thrown of gold in exchange for the gift golden crown, “a brilliant gift whos glory is as the sun rising from the deep.” “Brother,” says he ”maybe a concubine of thine will be pleased with the sight. Give it to her quickly. They shall give it at her house in my brother’s presence.”

There now follows a passage concerning the gift of “the King, my grandfather, of the library of tablets, all the tablets which have been collected,” &c. The concluding part of the letter, referred again to his daughter, the bride, whose welfare lies evidently near her father’s heart, expatriates at considerable length upon the ceremonies proceeding by which the Princess and people are formally given notice of the transaction, besides other matters pertaining to the subject.

The translation of this inscription of over 500 lines is considered by Conder to place the Hittite among the best known languages of the ancient world, and to characterize it as as closely akin to Accadian, spoken a little further south, and to the third language, deciphered by Sir Henry Rawlinson and Dr. Oppert on the Behistun tablets.

The interpretation of ancient Bablonian inscription shows to what as astonishing extent the belief in magic, witches, and malign spirits prevailed. The belief that those spirits followed men continuously and were constantly on the alert to do them harm takes an important place in the religious conceptions of the day. When sickness or misfortune befell one, the cause was at once attributed to an evil magic, and hence one of the most important duties of the priesthood was to exorcise the soil. In the rule, it was to demons and gods of a lower degree that the mischief was charged, and to counteract their spell the help of the great, good deities was sought.

Numerous formulas for exorcising preserved in Babylonian literature have this object in view, and the methods pursued show great diversity. Sometimes particular plants are mentioned as having great virtue. Sometimes certain washings are effective. Then again, special magical manipulations are held to be powerful against the evil influences; for instance, the wrapping of the invalid a cord which had been spun expressly for the purpose out of black and white wool by an old woman, or else the patient was wrapped in the skin of a young kid, &c. Sometimes an onion was peeled and thrown into the fire, the person repeating at the same time the words;

“Just as this onion, peeled and thrown into the fire is burned,
can never sink into the earth,
can never shoot up it’s stalk and behold the sun,
and can never serve as food for King or God,
so many the sickness in my body,
my flesh, and joints be peeled like this onion.
May burning flames burn it this day.
May the magic depart, but I behold the light.”

But the Babylonian was not satisfied with ascribing sickness and misfortune to hostile divinities alone. He saw among them those who were in league with devils bringing evil on their fellows by magic. As in the later course of witchcraft, o at this time, it was to women that the arts of witchcraft were principally ascribed. They pursued men with their demoniacal power everywhere, in the street, at home, at the fountain, in the open place. Their method of bewitching consisted in ejecting upon them poisonous spittal, (kispu) hence they were called Kasapu, a term for witches which also occurs in the old Testament. As a suitable punishment, nothing would do except burning. So also, in the Old Testament, Exodus xxii: 18: “The witch thou shalt not suffer to live.

Thus far, however, the investigations have not been able to discover from Babylonian literature whether witches were actually burned or only in effigy The only source thus far is a series of formulas for exorcising. In form these resemble a trial, in which the accused, and the plaintiff, the witch the accursed, and the gods and the judges. Here we find only burning in effigy mentioned. The possessed persons forming an image and burning it before the altar of the gods whos aid they sought. Evidently the Babylonians considered it difficult to detect witches, and were, therefore, as the rule, compelled to satisfy themselves with burning an image. As illustrations of these formulas may be given the following:

“I call upon you, ye Gods of the Night.

With you I call upon the Night, the veiled bride.

I call on the first, second, third night watch,

Because of the witch who has possessed me;

The witch who has enchanted me, has driven from me my god, my goddess.

O the pains of my ears that I suffer, standing here without rest day or night.

Food is refused my mouth, water of refreshment is little.

Play is turned to a lamentation, day is turned to a mourning.

So draw near to me, ye great gods; hear my speech.

Judge my cause, learn my condition.

I made a picture of my enchanter and my enchantress, of my wizard and my witch.

Lay it at your feet, declaring my cause,

Because they have done evil, devised mischief.

So may they die but I live; their magic, their spittle, their possession, may they perish.

May the binu plant purify me which grows on the bank

May relieve me, whoever takes up the earthen vessel. (l)

May the mustukal plant purify me which fills the earth;

May the cedar vessel relieve me which is filled with grain;

Before your countenance I shall shine like kankailu plant,

Shall beam pure as the immaculate (?).

May the enchantment of the witch die;

Her words sink back into her mouth;

May the tongue be cut off (?).

Because of her witchery may she be smitten by the Gods of Night;

May the three night watches release from her evil poisoning;

May her mouth become vinegar, (?) her tongue salt;

Because he has spoken evil against me,

May he be poured out like vinegar.

Because she gave forth magical poison,

May she be scattered abroad like salt.

Her spell is broken, her the words destroyed.

All her words now till the desert place, according to the command of the Gods of Night.”

Another formula gives the ceremony of burning:

“I hold up the figures of my wizard,

Here the figure of my witch,

Of him and her who bound me by a spell.”

Here follows a full description of the suffering condition produced by the possession; then this formula;

“Thou, O Fire God, who burns wizard and witch,

Destroyer of evil thou art.

I call on thee as Sun God, the Judge;

Judge my cause, decide my case,

Burn the wizard and the witch,

Devour my enemies, swallow up my opposers.

May they day of anger reach them.
Like to the waters from a skin which I pour out,

May they perish.

Like the crumbling away of stones,

May their fingers be hacked off.

And by thy gracious permission the inevitable.”

Especially strong is the form of expression in the following, shorter formula:

“Which, in whose heart bad thoughts are formed against me;

Through whose tongue my enchantments came;

Through whose lips my poisoning came;

Wherever she steps, there stands death.

Witch, I seize thy mouth; seize thy tongue;

Seize thy flaming eye;

Seize thy gliding feet;

Seize thy walking knees;

Seize thy moving hands;

Bind thy hands on thy back.

The Moon God who lightens the night make an end of thee.

Into fire and water I cast thee.

Witch, like the precious stones of this seal ring,

Thy countenance became red and pale!”

As witches were in league with the demons, against these were formulas of exorcising prepared. Of these evil beings there seem to have been seven in number prominent, all of which are mentioned in the formula given below. One of the names occurs in Deuteronomy, xxxii., 17; Psalm, cvi., 37. The demons Litu and Lilitu may be inferred from their names to have been spirits of the night. Lilith, which is the same, occurs in Isaiah, xxxiv., 14. This occurrence of Babylonian names and the laws against sorcery of great severity in the Bible show how greatly the Jews were influenced by neighbouring civilizations, and likewise the caution taken to protect the nation against these influences. It is striking that Goethe, in his description of the Walpurgis Night, places among the swarm of evil spirits hovering around the Brocken this Lilith as a representative of Babylonia. Thus by a wonderful foresight he anticipated the results of modern research which have given Babylon the doubtful glory of being the most addicted to sorcery of all the nations of antiquity. The word Lilith was translated by Luther as “cobolt,” and hence Goeth must have obtained it from the later Rabinical sources which he used. The passage occurred in Faust, second second part, ans is as follows:

“Faust - Who is there?”

“Mephistopheles - Watch her closely, it is Lilith.”

“Faust - Who?”

“Mephistopheles - Adam’s first wife. She has beautiful hair, take care! Of this adornment she is vain, beware! If with it once she catches a young man, then free him from her whomever can.”

The following formula is one used by the ancient Babylonians against devils:

“I hold aloft the torch, set fire to the images

Of Utukku, Schedu, Rabieu, Ekimmu,

Lamastu, Labashu, Achahaza,

Lilu, Lilitu of the maid Lilu,

Of all that is hostile, that attacks men.

May their smoke mount to heaven,

May their sparks cover the sun,

May the priest, the son of the god Ea, break their spell.”

## Citations

1. **APA:** Unknown. (1892). Oldest of Old Sorcerers. The New York Times, p. 9. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1892/02/13/archives/oldest-of-old-sorcerers-to-babylonians-now-given-this-doubtful.html
2. **MLA:** Unknown. "Oldest Of Old Sorcerers". The New York Times, 1892, p. 9, https://www.nytimes.com/1892/02/13/archives/oldest-of-old-sorcerers-to-babylonians-now-given-this-doubtful.html. Accessed 7 Dec 2019.
3. **Harvard:** Unknown (1892). Oldest of Old Sorcerers. The New York Times, [print] p.9. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1892/02/13/archives/oldest-of-old-sorcerers-to-babylonians-now-given-this-doubtful.html [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].
4. **Chicago:** Unknown. 1892. "Oldest Of Old Sorcerers". The New York Times, , 1892. https://www.nytimes.com/1892/02/13/archives/oldest-of-old-sorcerers-to-babylonians-now-given-this-doubtful.html.

## More Info: History to Modern

Now referred to as the Amarna Letters.

* Dueratta = Tushratta
* Amenophis III = Amenhotep III
* Daughter = Tadukhipa

Tushratta (Sanskrit Tveṣa-ratha, "his chariot charges") was a king of Mitanni at the end of the reign of Amenhotep III and throughout the reign of Akhenaten—approximately the late 14th century BC. He was the son of Shuttarna II. His sister Gilukhipa and his daughter Tadukhipa were married to the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III; Tadukhipa later married Akhenaten who took over his father's royal harem. He had been placed on the throne after the murder of his brother Artashumara. He was probably quite young at the time and was destined to serve as a figurehead only. But he managed to dispose of the murderer.

Of the Amarna letters, he wrote EA 19, "Love and Gold", EA 23, "A Goddess travels to Egypt", EA 26, "To the Queen Mother, some missing gold statues" and EA 27, "The missing gold statues again"

The daughter, Tadukhipa, in the Hurrian language Tadu-Hepa, was the daughter of Tushratta, king of Mitanni (reigned ca. 1382 BC–1342 BC) and his queen Juni, and niece of Artashumara. Tadukhipa's aunt Gilukhipa (sister of Tushratta) had married Pharaoh Amenhotep III in his 10th regnal year. Tadukhipa was to marry Amenhotep III more than two decades later. Amenhotep III died shortly after Tadukhipa arrived in Egypt and she eventually married his son and heir Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). Some scholars tentatively identify Tadukhipa with Kiya, a queen of Akhenaten. It has been suggested that the story of Kiya may be the source for the New Kingdom story called the Tale of Two Brothers. This fable tells the story of how the pharaoh fell in love with a beautiful foreign woman after smelling her hair. If Tadukhipa was later known as Kiya, then she would have lived at Amarna where she had her own sunshade and was depicted with the pharaoh and at least one daughter. Others such as Petrie, Drioton and Vandier have suggested that Tadukhipa was given a new name after becoming the consort of Akhenaten and is to be identified the famous queen Nefertiti. This theory suggests that Nefertiti's name "the beautiful one has come" refers to Nefertiti's foreign origin as Tadukhipa. Seele, Meyer and others have pointed out that Tey, wife of Ay, held the title of nurse to Nefertiti, and that this argues against this identification. A mature princess arriving in Egypt would not need a nurse.

* https://archive.org/details/TheAmarnaLetters/page/n23
* https://archive.org/stream/TheAmarnaLetters/The%20Amarna%20Letters\_djvu.txt
* https://www.jstor.org/stable/41668234?seq=1

* https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/20355715?q&versionId=24058863

* https://www.ancient.eu/Amarna\_Letters/

To read a much better version I'd recommend going to the source that the reporter copied from, *The civilization of Babylonia and Assyria; its remains, language, history, religion, commerce, law, art, and literature* by Morris Jastrow. I do need to note that this book version was published in 1915, but it is also a collections of lectures and papers Morris gave/published at earlier dates.

By the In Book page numbers it's pages 237-282 with the main focus being on page 247

https://archive.org/details/cu31924028554271/page/n341

## Notes

0: I downloaded this article off of the New York Times archive site back when it was free. Now it is behind a paywall requiring you to hold a current subscription to the print newspaper and further fee to access the “time machine”, which is read only. They no longer offer public domain articles as text, jpgs or pdfs for free, or even separately. But you are more than welcome to buy the full page for 80 dollars off of their gift shop.

1: This is a …. I call it a “Ransom Copy”. The free PDF New York Times gave me had the article in 2 columns and on a single page. The text size was unreadable when printed. Except for the Property of New York Times mark at the bottom. That printed just fine. I ended up zooming in on the pdf 1580x, screen-shoting the page then printing each paragraph separately, which I then cut and pasted and scanned into the clipping you see.