Phenomenology of the Concept of "Blessing" and "Curse" in Mesopotamia Civilizations

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religions, University of Sistan and Baluchistan, Zahedan, Iran

2 Master's Graduate in Philosophy and Religions, University of Sistan and Baluchistan, Zahedan, Iran

10.22034/jrr.2023.316277.1951

Abstract

The change in the concepts of "blessing" and "curse" among the ancient Mesopotamians shows an example of the evolution of religious beliefs among them. The beliefs were part of the religious and mythological foundations of the owners of these civilizations and had a deep function in their lives. Therefore, blessing meant the favor of the gods in changing unfavorable situations and asking for a curse explicitly or implicitly was considered to be a request for their judgment for unjust situations and those who used the tactic of cursing were seeking heavenly justice and reform. Over time, these beliefs, while preserving their conceptual content, entered the semantic center of Judaism from the religious meanings of the ancient period. Using the phenomenological and comparative method, the present article examines these concepts and the process of their religious evolution in the religious culture before and after Judaism

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References

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