The standard Babylonian series Maqlû, “Burning,” comprises eight tablets of incantations in which the text of almost one hundred Akkadian incantations is recorded, and a ritual tablet in which the incantations are cited by their incipit and ritual directions are prescribed. It is the longest and most important magical ritual against witches and their witchcraft from ancient Mesopotamia. This complex ceremony was performed during one night and the following morning at the end of the month Abu (July/August).
At the heart of this volume is a student edition of the series. This edition includes a transliteration of the eclectic text, a computer-generated cuneiform text, a detailed commentary on selected sections, and computer-generated glossaries and indices. The edition is prefaced by an introduction containing information on the series, its text, and the SAACT edition, as well as a list of all the individual Maqlû manuscripts.
