The Witchcraft Series Maqlû

Writings from the Ancient World #37

by Tzvi Abusch

The Akkadian series Maqlu, "Burning," is one of the most significant and interesting magical texts from the Ancient Near East. While containing almost 100 incantations and accompanying rituals directed against witches and witchcraft, it actually represents a single complex ceremony. The ceremony was performed during a single night and into the following morning at the end of the month Abu (July/August), a time when spirits were thought to move back and forth between the netherworld and the world of the living. This edition of the text contains a detailed introduction as well as an annotated transcription and translation of the text."

Genres: Esoterica

216 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2015

Reviews

[Seph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The combination of Akkadian transcription and English translation of all nine tablets in the Maqlû series makes this a worthwhile edition of the text, and an excellent addition to the library of any aspiring student of Mesopotamian magic.