religion in ancient mesopotamia jean bottero pdf download
the process of medicine in ancient mesopotamia was more complex. unlike the other ancient civilisations, it had various medical professions. the first was the physician, who was a man who performed, and taught others how to perform, the four fundamental practices of medicine. in sum, such as the babylonian physicians did for the city of lagash, the eshnunna physicians taught several common practices in the city of telloh (and other cities). these physicians were divided into two groups: those of the royal house and those of the royal bodyguard. the royal physicians established the common practices of medicine. we also have texts that record attempts to create new medical practices, such as the works of the scribe nabonidus that prescribe the correct dosages of incantations, in order to ensure the proper healing of patients (temtu dubtar or medicine; see khanjari 1990 ). the royal physicians were honoured, not only by the kings but also by all peoples. in their medical practices, they can be compared with those from egypt.
there can be no doubt that in an ancient agricultural society, the individual was always identified with the soil, as shown in many parallels between ancient societies, particularly ancient palestine and mesopotamia. it is true, however, that the relationship between man and land was much more intimate in mesopotamia than elsewhere. to begin with, the village community and the tribe, which constitute the smallest political unit, consisted not merely of an agricultural but of a household. the fields were cultivated by the family of the village headman (gematria dukkala). the most important part of the family was the family house, a paternal ancestor having lived there. in the first centuries of the second millennium bc, hittite documents attest to the fact that it was quite common for the father of the family to live in the house of his ancestors.