The babilili-Ritual from Hattusa (CTH 718).

• Author: Torri, Giulia
• Position: Book review

The babilili-Ritual from Hattusa (CTH 718). By GARY BECKMAN. Mesopotamian Civilizations, vol. 19. Winona Lake, Ind.: ElSENBRAUNS, 2014. Pp. xiii + 97. $49.50.

The so-called babilili ritual is one of the most interesting compositions retrieved in the Hittite capital city, Hattusa, which Gary Beckman has now edited and translated in a masterly manner for the series Mesopotamian Civilizations.

Beckman has dedicated several years to the analysis of this ritual (see bibliography in the present book), which is named after expressions such as (LU) sankunnis/SANG A (URU)bdbilili kissan memai "The priest speaks as follows in Akkadian," mahhan (LU)SANGA AWATE (MES URU)babiIili memiyawanzi zinnai, "When the priest has finished speaking (these) words in Akkadian," recurring in the text body. Actually, neither the incipit of the first tablet nor the colophon with the original title of the composition have come down to us, with the exception of a fragmentary colophon in KUB 39.71++ IV 49-50: DUB.'N'[KAM... ] U-U[L QA-TI] "N Tablet. Not finished."

For sake of precision, we should say that only the spells addressed in the text to an aspect of Istar, that is, Pirinkir, are accompanied by the adverb babilili, which can be compared to hattili, hurlili, nesumnili, luwili, and so on, serving to introduce spells and songs in a specific language. These terms are usually inserted in the texts when the priests address a deity, thus using his language, so that the message can reach him. The deity of this ritual is never addressed in Hittite, the language used in the ritual spells for cleansing of the ritual patron, or even Hurrian, whose cultural and religious influence is clearly recognizable in the whole text. There is only one broken spell in this language [Fl iii 10], but we cannot say if it referred to the deity.

Beckman's edition is made up of an introduction, in which he mainly reaffirms his ideas about the text as published in his previous studies; transliterations and translations of the main texts and fragments; a short commentary; and a chapter devoted to the incantations. The ritual serves for the purification of a client, generically mentioned as ritual patron (EN.SISKUR), requesting the intervention of the goddess Pirinkir (named Istar in the Akkadian spells) and inviting her to a meal. The water of purification is prepared, offerings are presented to the deity, and several performative rites are carried out to obtain the cleansing of the client.

The...