Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
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Throughout history people have tried to explain phenomena that were abstract to them, attributing to these events all kinds of reasons ranging from physical to supernatural ones. A system of shared...Show moreThroughout history people have tried to explain phenomena that were abstract to them, attributing to these events all kinds of reasons ranging from physical to supernatural ones. A system of shared beliefs and norms develops, guiding and explaining to them how to act and respond to all kinds of events, among which is death. How people behave after a death has occurred varies widely across cultures. The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of death held in ancient Mesopotamia and to try to find answers of how it came to be. The first two chapters are dedicated to providing an overview of the Mesopotamian concept of death. The remaining chapters of the current study analyse certain facets of the concept of death which can be traced back to environmental factors. The facets included are: the realm of death, examining its portrayal, location, hierarchy, and type of government; death and burial; the concept of death related to everyday life.Show less
This thesis looks at something that goes beyond the cult of the dead, actively seeking contact and giving messages to the deceased. The occasional pragmatic contact with the dead could almost be...Show moreThis thesis looks at something that goes beyond the cult of the dead, actively seeking contact and giving messages to the deceased. The occasional pragmatic contact with the dead could almost be seen as magical practices to manipulate or influence the dead to do something. Egypt and Mesopotamia are considered in this thesis because from Egypt we have the so-called letters to the dead but Mesopotamia does not have these, but is in this thesis discussed as which comparable practices can be found in Mesopotamia and whether the deceased could be approached on specific moments, and for specific purposes.Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
open access
2018-09-22T00:00:00Z
In this thesis, I analyze the Akītu festival for the purpose of understanding the socio-political landscape of the Neo- and Late-Babylonian periods in Babylon (626 BCE - 100 BCE). The history of...Show moreIn this thesis, I analyze the Akītu festival for the purpose of understanding the socio-political landscape of the Neo- and Late-Babylonian periods in Babylon (626 BCE - 100 BCE). The history of the Akītu festival, known as the Mesopotamian New Year’s festival, spans several millennia, but was especially known in its 1st millennium form in Babylon. This analysis focuses on the relationship between kings, gods, and high priests of Babylon and their actions in an historical and social space with relation to this festival. The interaction between cult and state in this shared space is used to compare how each empire utilized the festival and gods in order to exert and subvert power over the other within both an historic context and a wider socio-political history. I show that the Akītu festival was a constantly developing festival that was as dependent on the ruling king as it was a defining factor of kingship in Babylon.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Oude culturen van de mediterrane wereld (Bachelor)
open access
2015-09-18T00:00:00Z
De zogenoemde wetsverzamelingen die wij kennen van diverse Mesopotamische koningen blijken vergelijkbaar qua doel, karakter en wordingsgeschiedenis. Hoewel zij, in tegenstelling tot decreten en het...Show moreDe zogenoemde wetsverzamelingen die wij kennen van diverse Mesopotamische koningen blijken vergelijkbaar qua doel, karakter en wordingsgeschiedenis. Hoewel zij, in tegenstelling tot decreten en het gewoonterecht geen directe rechtsbron vormden, verzamelden de verzamelingen wel gewoonterecht en kunnen zo onze kennis over het Mesopotamische recht vergroten. Een dergelijke onderneming kan men het beste aanpakken door de de wetsverzamelingen systematisch te vergelijken, niet alleen met elkaar maar ook met de overgeleverde jurisprudentie. Dit voorstel tot rechtsvergelijking wordt in dit essay geïllustreerd aan de hand van "de eed bij de bovennatuur".Show less
