Ricerc@Sapienza

In this paper I discuss the Mesopotamian concept of time, from its mythological foundation to its ritual reckoning in calendrical festivals, taking the Babylonian Poem of Creation as a main guideline. From the creation, and conception, of time in cosmogonies I proceed to treat the dichotomy mythical vs. historical time and the preeminent theories on time when applied to religious phenomena. The recitation of the Poem of Creation during the New Year festival (ak?tu) is taken as a key element to deal with the function and relation of rituals with time marking, creation, and control.

The possible representation of steles on one seal from the Royal Palace G of EB IVA Ebla is being considered in this contribution. By comparison with the written evidence, an attempt will be made at understanding how successful steles were made, where they were placed, and what their meaning for the visual image of kingship in the culture of the mature Early Syrian Ebla was