Tzvi Abusch
Degrees
Harvard University, Ph.D.Brandeis University, M.A.
Yeshiva University, B.A.
Yeshiva University, B.R.E.
Expertise
Tzvi Abusch's expertise is in the languages and cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Near Eastern religions, and Hebrew Bible. His primary fields of research and publications are Mesopotamian religion, magic, literature, and thought as well as biblical-Babylonian interconnections.Profile
Tzvi Abusch is a scholar of ancient Near Eastern texts. He is a close reader of texts and is particularly interested in Mesopotamian literary texts that deal with religion, magic, and thought.Courses Taught
| NEJS | 112a | The Book of Genesis |
| NEJS | 116a | Ancient Near Eastern Religion and Mythology |
| NEJS | 122a | Magic and Witchcraft in the Ancient Near East |
| NEJS | 200b | Old Babylonian Akkadian Texts |
| NEJS | 201a | Akkadian Literary Texts I |
| NEJS | 201b | Akkadian Literary Texts II |
| NEJS | 202a | Akkadian Mythological/Religious Texts I |
| NEJS | 212a | Topics in Mesopotamian Religion, Magic, and Thought |
Awards and Honors
Member, St John's College, University of Cambridge (life-time). (2017)
Sir Asher Joel Scholar for 2018, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia (2017 - 2018)
Beaufort Visiting Scholar, St John's College, University of Cambridge, Easter Term 2017 (2016 - 2017)
Lecture. China Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, PRC (2015)
Research award, Institute of Religious Studies, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PRC (2014 - 2015)
Annual Professor, W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeology, Jerusalem, American Schools of Oriental Research (2013 - 2014)
Melammu: The Intellectual Heritage of The Ancient Near East and Mesopotamia. Board Member (2013 - 2017)
Research Associate, Harvard University, Semitic Museum (2013 - 2018)
Research Associate, Harvard University, Semitic Museum (2012 - 2013)
Chair and Respondent on Ancient Near East at the conference The Body of the “King” held at the University of Padua, Italy (2011)
President of Melammu: The Intellectual Heritage of Assyria and Babylonia in East and West. (2011 - 2012)
Research Associate, Harvard University, Semitic Museum (2011 - 2012)
American Oriental Society, 220th Meeting. Session: Ancient Near East Religion and Magic in Honor of Tzvi Abusch (2010)
Festschrift: Gazing on the Deep: Ancient Near Eastern and Other Studies in Honor of Tzvi Abusch, eds. J. Stackert, B. N. Porter, D. P. Wright (2010)
Visiting Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Religions, University of Chicago Divinity School, (2009)
Research Associate, Harvard University, Semitic Museum (2008 - 2011)
Research Associate, Harvard University, Semitic Museum (2007 - 2008)
Member, Institute for Advanced Studies, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2006)
Research Associate, Harvard University, Semitic Museum (2006 - 2007)
Senior Fellow, W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem, Israel (2006 - 2007)
Senior Kreitman Foundation Visiting Fellow, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (2006)
Research Associate, Semitic Museum, Harvard University (2005 - 2006)
Senior Fellow, W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem (2005)
Lady Davis Professor, Hebrew University (2004)
NEH Fellow, Albright Institute, Jerusalem (2004)
Member, Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton (2003)
Annenberg Research Institute Fellowship (1992 - 1993)
Fulbright Senior Scholarship Grant (United Kingdom) (1992 - 1993)
Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (1992 - 1993)
Forschheimer Visiting Professorship, Hebrew University (1989 - 1990)
National Endowment for Humanities Fellowship (1989 - 1990)
Rose B. & Joseph Cohen Chair in Assyriology and Ancient Near Eastern Religion (1989)
National Endowment for Humanities Fellowship (1976 - 1977)
American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship (1973)
Fulbright Scholarship (Israel) (1964 - 1965)
Scholarship
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Cultures in Contact: Ancient Near Eastern and Jewish Magic." A Handbook of Jewish Magic. Ed. Siam Bhayro and Ortal-Paz Saar. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2018 (forthcoming)
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Mesopotamian Magic." Handbook of Ancient Mesopotamia. Ed. Gonzalo Rubio. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2018 (forthcoming)
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Mesopotamian Religion." The Oxford Handbook of Ritual and Worship in the Hebrew Bible. Ed. Samuel Balentine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018 (forthcoming)
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "The Reconciliation of Angry Personal Gods: A Revision of the Šuillas.." Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History (2018). (forthcoming)
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "The Versions of a Šuilla to Gula." Die Welt des Orients 49. 1 (2018). (forthcoming)
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Vetitive and Prohibitive: An Observation." Magic and Medicine in Mesopotamia. vol. 14 Ed. Strahil V. Panayotov and Luděk Vacín. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2018 (forthcoming)
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Alternative Models for the Development of Some Incantations." Sources of Evil: Studies in Mesopotamian Exorcistic Lore. vol. 15 Ed. Greta Van Buylaere, Mikko Luukko, Daniel Schwemer, and Avigail Mertens-Wagschal. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2018. 223-234.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "The Form and History of a Babylonian Prayer to Nabû." "The Scaffolding of Our Thoughts": Essays on Assyriology and the History of Science in Honor of Francesca Rochberg. vol. 13 Ed. C. Jay Crisostomo et al.. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2018. 169-182.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "A Paean and Petition to a God of Death: Some Comments on a Šuilla to Nergal." From the Four Corners of the Earth: Studies in Iconography and Cultures of the Ancient Near East in Honour of F.A.M. Wiggermann. Ed. D. Kertai and O. Nieuwenhuyse. Muenster: Ugarit-Verlag, 2017. 15-28.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Fortune and Misfortune of the Individual: Some Observations on the Sufferer’s Plaint in Ludlul bēl nēmeqi II 12-32." Fortune and Misfortune in the Ancient Near East (Proceedings of RAI 60, Warsaw, 2014). Ed. Olga Drewnowska and Małgorzata Sandowicz. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 2017. 51-57.
Abusch, I. Tzvi (and Daniel Schwemer, with M. Luukko & G. Van Buylaere). Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-witchcraft Rituals, volume 2. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2016.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Comments on the Opening Session: Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt." The Body of the King: The Staging of the Body of the Institutional Leader From Antiquity to Middle Ages in East and West. Proceedings of the Meeting Held in Padova, July 6th-9th, 2011. Ed. G. B. Lanfranchi and R. Rollinger. Padova: S.A.R.G.O.N. Editrice e Libreria, 2016. 65-68.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Corrigenda to the Transliteration of Maqlû in The Anti-witchcraft Series Maqlû: A Student Edition and Selected Commentary." Nouvelles Assyriologiques Brèves et Utilitaires 2/49 (2016): 80-81.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Kingship in Ancient Mesopotamia: The Case of Enūma Eliš." The Body of the King: The Staging of the Body of the Institutional Leader From Antiquity to Middle Ages in East and West. Proceedings of the Meeting Held in Padova, July 6th-9th, 2011. Ed. G. B. Lanfranchi and R. Rollinger. Padova: S.A.R.G.O.N. Editrice e Libreria, 2016. 59-64.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. The Anti-witchcraft Series Maqlû: A Student Edition and Selected Commentary. Helsinki: Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, 2016.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. The Magical Ceremony Maqlû: A Critical Edition. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2016.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-Witchcraft Rituals." http://asorblog.org/2014/09/29/corpus-of-mesopotamian-anti-witchcraft-rituals (2015)
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Maqlû Tablet II: Its Literary Frame and Formation." Marbeh Hokmah: Studies in the Bible and the Ancient Near East in Loving Memory of Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Ed. E. Shamir Yona, Edward L. Greenstein, Mayer Gruber, Peter Machinist, Shalom Paul. Winona lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015. 1-12.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Talking to God(s). Prayers and Incantations: Introduction." Mesopotamia in the Ancient World: Impact, Continuities, Parallels. vol. 7 Ed. Robert Rollinger and Erik van Dongen. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, 2015. 35-39.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. Male and Female in the Epic of Gilgamesh: Encounters, Literary History, and Interpretation. Winona lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 2015.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. The Witchcraft Series Maqlû. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2015.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Divine Judges on Earth and in Heaven." The Divine Courtroom in Comparative Perspective. Ed. A. Mermelstein and S. E. Holtz. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2014. 6-24.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Exorcism. I. Ancient Near East and Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.." The Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception. 2014.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Notes on the History of Composition of Two Incantations." From Source to History: Studies on Ancient Near Eastern Worlds and Beyond Dedicated to Giovanni Battista Lanfranchi. Ed. A. Greco, A. Greco, D. M. Bonacossi, S. Ponchia, and R. Rollinger. Muenster: Ugarit-Verlag, 2014. 1-10.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "The Tale of the Wild Man and the Courtesan in India and Mesopotamia: The Seductions of Rśyaśrnga in the Mahābhārata and Enkidu in the Epic of Gilgamesh (with Emily B. West)." Melammu Proceedings 6: The Ancient World in an Age of Globalization VI. (2014): 69-109.
Abusch, I. Tzvi.. "Jonah and God: Plants, Beasts, and Humans." Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religion 13. 2 (2013): 146-152.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "A Shuilla: Nergal 2." Reading Akkadian Prayers and Hymns: An Introduction. Ed. A. Lenzi. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011. 339-349.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "An Incantation-prayer: Gods of the Night 1." Reading Akkadian Prayers and Hymns: An Introduction. Ed. A. Lenzi. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011. 157-167.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "The Revision of Babylonian Anti-witchcraft Incantations: The Critical Analysis of Incantations in the Ceremonial Series Maqlû." Continuity and Innovation in the Magical Tradition. Ed. G. Bohak, Y. Harari, and Sh. Shaked. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2011. 11-41.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Witches and Demons in Ancient Mesopotamia." Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni 77. 2: Demoni mesopotamici (2011): 342-356.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-witchcraft Rituals, volume 1 (with Daniel Schwemer).. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2011.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "A Neo-Babylonian Recension of Maqlû: Some Observations on the Redaction of Maqlû Tablet VII and on the Development of Two of its Incantations." Festschrift fuer Gernot Wilhelm anläßlich seines 65. Geburtstages am 28. Januar 2010. Ed. J. C. Fincke. Dresden: Islet Verlag, 2010. 1-16.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Mother and Child or Sexual Mates." A Woman of Valor: Jerusalem Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Honor of Joan Goodnick Westenholz. Ed. W. Horowitz, U. Gabbay, and F. Vukosavović. Madrid: CSIC, 2010. 13-17.
Abusch, I. Tzvi (with Daniel Schwemer). "RIAA 312 (O 193) Re-revisited." Akkadica 130. 2 (2009): 211.
Abusch, I. Tzvi (with Daniel Schwemer). "RIAA 312 (O 193) Revisited.." Akkadica 130. 1 (2009): 103-109.
Abusch, I. Tzvi (with Daniel Schwemer). "The Chicago Maqlû Fragment (A 7876)." Iraq 71. (2009): 53-87.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Maqlû III 1-30: Internal Analysis and Manuscript Evidence for the Revision of an Incantation." Studia Orientalia 106. (2009): 307-313.
Abusch, I. Tzvi (with Daniel Schwemer). "Das Abwehrzauberritual Maqlû ('Verbrennung')." Omina, Orakel, Rituale und Beschwoerungen, Texte aus der Umwelt des Alten Testaments, Neue Folge. vol. 4 Ed. Bernd Janowski und Gernot Wilhelm. Guetersloh: Guetersloher Verlagshaus, 2008. 128-186.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Hunting in the Epic of Gilgamesh: Speculations on the Education of a Prince." Treasures on Camels’ Humps: Historical and Literary Studies from the Ancient Near East Presented to Israel Eph`al. Ed. M. Cogan and D. Kahn. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 2008. 11-20.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "The Development and Meaning of the Epic of Gilgamesh: An Interpretive Essay." Journal of the American Oriental Society 121. (2001): 614-622. Poetry Criticism, vol. 87, 211-219. vol. 121, 2008.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Witchcraft, Omens, and Voodoo-death in Ancient Mesopotamia." Studies in Ancient Near Eastern World View and Society Presented to Marten Stol. Ed. R. J. van der Spek, et al.. Bathesda: CDL, 2008. 53-68.
Abusch, I. Tzvi, Associate Editor, ed. Ancient Religions. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England: Harvard University Press: Belknap Press, 2007.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Biblical Accounts of Prehistory: Their Meaning and Formation." Bringing the Hidden to Light: The Process of Interpretation. Studies in Honor of Stephen A. Geller. Ed. K. Kravitz and D. M. Sharon. Winona lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns/JTS, 2007. 1-17.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Notes on Two Passages in the Biblical Account of Prehistory." Studies in Hebrew and Arabic in Honor of Raymond P. Scheindlin. Ed. J. Decter and M. Rand. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2007. 1-5..
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Witchcraft Literature in Mesopotamia." Babylonian World. Ed. G. Leick. London and New York: Routledge, 2007. 373-385.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Witchcraft, Impotence, and Indigestion." Disease in Babylonia. Ed. I. L. Finkel and M. J. Geller. Leiden: Brill, 2007. 146-159.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Zum Geleit." D. Schwemer, Abwehrzauber und Behexung. Studien zum Schadenzauberglauben im alten Mesopotamien (Unter Benutzung von Tzvi Abuschs Kritischem Katalog und Sammlungen im Rahmen des Kooperationsprojektes Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-Witchcraft. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2007. xiii-xvi.
Abusch, I. Tzvi, Associate Editor. Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide. Harvard University Press: Belknap Press (HUP Reference Library), 2006.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. ""Lists of Therapeutic "Lists of Therapeutic Plants: An Observation,"." If a Man Builds a Joyful House: Assyriological Studies in Honor of Erle Verdun Leichty. Ed. A. K. Guinan, et al.. Leiden: Brill, 2006. 1-3.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Considerations When Killing a Witch: Development in Exorcistic Attitudes to Witchcraft." The Dynamics of Changing Rituals: The Transformation of Religions Rituals within Thier Social and Cultural Context. Ed. J. Kreinath et al., 2006
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Illness and Healing in Ancient Mesopotamia." Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide. Harvard University Press: Belknap Press, 2006
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "Mesopotamian Prayers and Incantations." Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide. Harvard Unviersity Press, 2006
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "The Courtesan, The Wild Man and The Hunter: Studies in the Literary History of the Epic of Gilgamesh." An Experienced Scribe Who Neglects Nothing. Ed. Yitschak Sefati., 2006. 413-433.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. "The Promise to Praise the God in Shuilla Prayers." Biblical and Oriental Essays in Memory of William L. Moran. Ed. Augustinus Gianto, Biblica et Orientalia., 2006. 1-10.
Abusch, I. Tzvi, ed. Riches Hidden in Secret Places: Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Memory of Thorkild Jacobsen. Eisenbrauns for the American Oriental Society, 2002.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. Mesopotamian Witchcraft: Towards a History and Understanding of Babylonian Witchcraft Beliefs and Literature. Leiden: Brill/Styx, 2002.
Abusch,I. Tzvi. Mesopotamian Magic: Textual, Historical, and Interpretive Perspectives. Groningen: Styx, 1999.
Abusch,I. Tzvi, co-ed. John Huehnergard & Pietr Steinkeller. Lingering Over Words: Studies in Ancient Near Eastern Literature in Honor of William L. Moran. Harvard Semitic Studies, 1990.
Abusch, I. Tzvi. Babylonian Witchcraft Literature: Case Studies, Brown University Judaic Studies 132. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987.