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10. The Reinvention of Tradition: The Assyrian State Rituals

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Religion and Ideology in Assyria
This chapter is in the book Religion and Ideology in Assyria
10 The Reinvention of Tradition: The AssyrianState Rituals10.1 Cultic and Ritual Contributions to Assyrian IdeologicalDiscourseWhen Assyria developed into a territorial state during the Middle Assyrian peri-od and then a large-scale empire during the Neo-Assyrian period, it faced theproblem of integrating local communities and their activities into a more com-plex centralized organizational system. In order to control conquered regions,Assyria relied not only on its superiority in technological warfare, but also onvarious economic, ideological, and political strategies.1Throughout Mesopota-mian history, rulers made use of similar strategies to maintain their authority,favoring one or the other; in Assyria, these strategies were formed into a coher-ent system and perfected. During the Middle Assyrian period, Assyrian expan-sion toward the Hābūr and beyond2prompted the implementation of economicmeasures that strengthened Aššur’s position as the imperial center. A two-tiered system served to bind the provinces to the administrative and cultic cen-ter of Aššur, namely the payment of regular taxes to the palace and the month-ly delivery ofgināʾuofferings to the Aššur temple.Information regarding thegināʾuoffering comes from tablets found in tenclay pots at the southwest side of the large forecourt of the Aššur temple of theMiddle Assyrian period, rebuilt under Shalmaneser I (1263‒1234 BCE). Nearlyall of these tablets concern the administration of thegināʾuofferings in theAššur temple.3Among these texts are tabular lists that supply data in con-densed form regarding the total amount of the four different kinds ofgināʾuofferings from the provinces of the Assyrian empire that were delivered to Aš-šur in one year, including cereals, honey, sesame, and fruit. There was a greatdeal of variation in the quantity and nature of deliveries from the various prov-inces from year to year, but the average annual total received by the Aššurtemple is estimated to be approximately “1000 homer (c. 100 m3) cereals, 10homer (c. 1 m3) honey, 100 homer (c. 10 m3) sesame and 50 homer (c. 5 m3)fruit.”4These deliveries were managed by the supervisor of thegināʾuofferings1For economy, politics, military, and ideology as the four sources of power see Mann 1986.2Pongratz-Leisten 2011b.3Weidner 1935‒36, 13 with n. 87 and 21 with n. 148; Postgate 1985; Pedersén 1985, 43‒53,Archive M 4; Freydank 1991, 1992, 1997, and 2006; Maul 2013.4Pedersén 1985, 46.

10 The Reinvention of Tradition: The AssyrianState Rituals10.1 Cultic and Ritual Contributions to Assyrian IdeologicalDiscourseWhen Assyria developed into a territorial state during the Middle Assyrian peri-od and then a large-scale empire during the Neo-Assyrian period, it faced theproblem of integrating local communities and their activities into a more com-plex centralized organizational system. In order to control conquered regions,Assyria relied not only on its superiority in technological warfare, but also onvarious economic, ideological, and political strategies.1Throughout Mesopota-mian history, rulers made use of similar strategies to maintain their authority,favoring one or the other; in Assyria, these strategies were formed into a coher-ent system and perfected. During the Middle Assyrian period, Assyrian expan-sion toward the Hābūr and beyond2prompted the implementation of economicmeasures that strengthened Aššur’s position as the imperial center. A two-tiered system served to bind the provinces to the administrative and cultic cen-ter of Aššur, namely the payment of regular taxes to the palace and the month-ly delivery ofgināʾuofferings to the Aššur temple.Information regarding thegināʾuoffering comes from tablets found in tenclay pots at the southwest side of the large forecourt of the Aššur temple of theMiddle Assyrian period, rebuilt under Shalmaneser I (1263‒1234 BCE). Nearlyall of these tablets concern the administration of thegināʾuofferings in theAššur temple.3Among these texts are tabular lists that supply data in con-densed form regarding the total amount of the four different kinds ofgināʾuofferings from the provinces of the Assyrian empire that were delivered to Aš-šur in one year, including cereals, honey, sesame, and fruit. There was a greatdeal of variation in the quantity and nature of deliveries from the various prov-inces from year to year, but the average annual total received by the Aššurtemple is estimated to be approximately “1000 homer (c. 100 m3) cereals, 10homer (c. 1 m3) honey, 100 homer (c. 10 m3) sesame and 50 homer (c. 5 m3)fruit.”4These deliveries were managed by the supervisor of thegināʾuofferings1For economy, politics, military, and ideology as the four sources of power see Mann 1986.2Pongratz-Leisten 2011b.3Weidner 1935‒36, 13 with n. 87 and 21 with n. 148; Postgate 1985; Pedersén 1985, 43‒53,Archive M 4; Freydank 1991, 1992, 1997, and 2006; Maul 2013.4Pedersén 1985, 46.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Acknowledgments vii
  3. Contents ix
  4. Abbreviations xv
  5. 1. Introduction 1
  6. 2. The Dynamics of Cultural Regions and Traditions in Mesopotamia and the Rise of Assyrian Cultural Discourse 42
  7. 3. The Origins of Assyrian Cultural Tradition 93
  8. 4. Empire as Cosmos, Cosmos as Empire 145
  9. 5. Narratives of Power and the Assyrian Notion of Kingship 198
  10. 6. Administrator, Hunter, Warrior: The Mythical Foundations of the King’s Role as Ninurta 219
  11. 7. The King’s Share in Divine Knowledge 271
  12. 8. Between the Fictive and the Imaginary 290
  13. 9. The Individual Ruler as a Model for Kingship: Rethinking Ancient Historiography 322
  14. 10. The Reinvention of Tradition: The Assyrian State Rituals 379
  15. 11. The Voice of the Scholar 448
  16. Appendix 468
  17. Bibliography 477
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9781614514268-012

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Acknowledgments vii
  3. Contents ix
  4. Abbreviations xv
  5. 1. Introduction 1
  6. 2. The Dynamics of Cultural Regions and Traditions in Mesopotamia and the Rise of Assyrian Cultural Discourse 42
  7. 3. The Origins of Assyrian Cultural Tradition 93
  8. 4. Empire as Cosmos, Cosmos as Empire 145
  9. 5. Narratives of Power and the Assyrian Notion of Kingship 198
  10. 6. Administrator, Hunter, Warrior: The Mythical Foundations of the King’s Role as Ninurta 219
  11. 7. The King’s Share in Divine Knowledge 271
  12. 8. Between the Fictive and the Imaginary 290
  13. 9. The Individual Ruler as a Model for Kingship: Rethinking Ancient Historiography 322
  14. 10. The Reinvention of Tradition: The Assyrian State Rituals 379
  15. 11. The Voice of the Scholar 448
  16. Appendix 468
  17. Bibliography 477
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