Talk by Nicla de Zorzi- Conference “If a city is situated on seven heights…” Current insights into Ancient Near Eastern divination. , Istituto Svizzero di Roma. Date: 23.9.2020 -24.9.2020,
Talk: “Written on the Lungs: On the Reconstruction and Interpretation of Šumma ḫašû”, 23.9.2020, 18:45
Abstract: Šumma ḫašûis an ancient Mesopotamian divinatory composition that deals with the peculiarities of the lungs of a sacrificial sheep. This composition represents the ninth chapter of a divinatory series concerning either various parts of the entrails or specific ominous features observed on the exta which became known in the first millennium BCE as bārûtu(“Art of the Seer”). The first part of my talk will focus on the technical terminology used by ancient diviners to describe the various parts and features of the lungs. In the second part of my talk I will give an overview on the current state of reconstruction and interpretation of Šumma ḫašû.
Conference: The aim of this international conference is to bring together a representative group of specialists in the field of Ancient Near Eastern divination and to start a constructive multi-disciplinary dialogue. The conference covers a large geographic area including Mesopotamia, Syria, South Arabia, Anatolia and Egypt from the third millennium BCE to the Late Antiquity.
The event will be held in English. To participate via Zoom please sign-up here: https://bit.ly/2RKzJab
Find all abstracts here: https://bit.ly/2Hh51n7
