The Divine/Demonic Seven and the Place of Demons in Mesopotamia

The Divine/Demonic Seven and the Place of Demons in Mesopotamia
ISBN-10
9004546138
ISBN-13
9789004546134
Category
Religion
Pages
372
Language
English
Published
2023-06-12
Publisher
BRILL
Author
Gina Konstantopoulos

Description

In The Divine/Demonic Seven and the Place of Demons in Mesopotamia, Gina Konstantopoulos analyses the Sebettu, a group of seven divine/demonic figures found across a wide range of Mesopotamian textual and artistic sources in Mesopotamia from the late third to first millennium BCE. The Sebettu appeared both as fierce, threatening demons and as divine, protective, figures. These seemingly contradictory qualities worked together, as their martial ferocity facilitated their religious and political role. When used in royal inscriptions, they became fierce warriors attacking the king’s enemies, retaining that demonic nature. This flexibility was not unique to the Sebettu, and this study thus provides a lens through which to examine the place of demons in Mesopotamia as a whole.

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