Social World of the Babylonian Priest

Bastian Still, Ph.D. (2016), Leiden University, is currently employed as a Postdoctoral researcher at the American University of Cairo. His research focuses on the history, culture, and society of Babylonia during the first millennium BCE.

• AcknowledgmentsFigures and TablesAbbreviationsIntroduction0.1 State of the Art0.2 Research Questions0.3 Methodology0.4 Case Study: The Priestly Community of Borsippa0.5 The Babylonian Priest0.6 The Temple Hierarchy0.7 Main Protagonists of this Study0.7.1 Temple-Enterers0.7.2 Brewers0.7.3 Bakers0.7.4 Oxherds0.7.5 Reed-Workers0.8 Book StructurePart 1: Social Interactions among Priests in Borsippa1 The Hypergamous Marriage SystemIntroduction1.1 Marriage in Borsippa: Sacerdotal Endogamy1.2 The Concept of Wife-Giver and Wife-Taker1.3 Visualising the Marriage Network1.4 Wife-Givers and Wife-Takers in Borsippa1.5 Hypergamy in Historical Context1.6 Wife-Givers and Wife-Takers in the CultConclusion2 LandholdingIntroduction2.1 Hanšû Estates and the Ancestral Family2.1.1 The Nature of Hanšû Land2.1.2 The Historical Origins of Hanšû Land in Borsippa2.1.3 The Motivations behind the Land Allotment Schemes2.1.4 The Identity of the Beneficiaries2.1.5 The Value of Hanšû Land in the Sixth Century BCE2.2 Land Sales and the Circulation of Property2.2.1 Marriage Alliances2.2.2 Professional Solidarity2.3 Tenancy and Agricultural Collaboration2.3.1 Unfree Tenants2.3.2 Tenants without Family Names2.3.3 Tenants with Family NamesConclusion3 Silver LendingIntroduction3.1 Temple-Enterers3.2 Brewers3.3 Bakers3.4 Oxherds3.5 Reed-WorkersConclusion4 Circles of Trust and IntimacyIntroduction4.1 Formal Quantification of Personal Networks4.2 Qualitative Analysis of Tie Strength and Friendship4.2.1 Ea-ilūtu-bani4.2.2 Ilia (A)4.2.3 Bēliya’u4.2.4 Rē’i-alpi4.2.5 AtkuppuConclusionPart 2: Priests in Neo-Babylonian Society5 Homophily and InteractionIntroduction5.1 Spatial Distribution5.2 Homophily5.3 Understanding Rentiers and EntrepreneursConclusion6 Social Boundary and Collective Identity6.1 Affiliation to the Temple6.1.1 Prebend Ownership6.1.2 Purity and Initiation6.1.3 Sacrifices and Festivals6.1.4 Representation6.1.5 Priestly Families vs. the Individual Priest6.2 Ownership of Property6.2.1 Residential Property6.2.2 Landed Property6.3 Literacy and Scribal Education6.4 LanguageConclusion7 Conclusion7.1 Summaries of Individual ChaptersChapter 1: The Hypergamous Marriage SystemChapter 2: LandholdingChapter 3: Silver LendingChapter 4: Circles of Trust and IntimacyChapter 5: Homophily and InteractionChapter 6: Social Boundary and Collective Identity7.2 Research Questions Revisited7.3 OutcomesThe Impact of Temple-Based RegulationsPriests as a Distinct Social Group7.4 OutlookAppendix 1: Quantitative Analysis of Priestly Marriages in BorsippaIntroductionTemple-EnterersBrewersBakersButchersOxherdsReed-WorkersAppendix 2: Annotated List of Hanšû Land in BorsippaAppendix 3: Property Sales in the Borsippa CorpusSales of Hanšû LandSales of Non-hanšû LandSales of Housing PlotsBibliography

“S.’s book is a valuable contribution to our growing knowledge of the Mesopotamian priesthoods in the first millennium.” - Nathan Macdonald, in Society for Old Testament Study Book List 2020