Birth in Babylonia and the Bible

Midwives in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Ancient Israel: An Intersectional Investigation

“…During its monarchic period, ancient Israel became entangled in the imperial relations, eventual colonization, and conquest by the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. We know much about the birth practices of Mesopotamia from the important book by Marten Stol, Birth in Babylonia and the Bible (Stol 2000). Among many other topics, Stol covered the magical incantations, the gods and goddesses of birth, birth bricks, umbilical cutting, and midwifery that we have seen in Egyptian birth practices and beliefs (See also Otto 2016: 135–142; Scurlock 1991; Van der Toorn 1994: 84–92).…”

“…The Akkadian word for “midwife” was šabsūtu who might be paired with a qadištu (a priestess or holy woman) (Scurlock 1991: 140). As we saw in the Egypt discussion, our knowledge of Mesopotamian midwifery primarily comes from the myths and traditions about the goddesses of birth (Stol 2000: 171; See also Flynn 2018: 34–35, 39–40). Take, for example, this section from Atrahasis I : “The womb-goddesses were assembledAnd Nintu was present.…”

“…In the process of giving birth, the wife sat or squatted on birth bricks with the moon-goddesses in attendance. Nintu the midwife-goddess punctured the amniotic sac with a staff and drew a protective circle in flour around the birth site (Stol 2000: 115–116, 171, n. 3; Scurlock 1991: 150). She then puts down a mud brick, which becomes the pad on which the baby was delivered, and on which the birth cord and placenta was placed (Kilmer 1987: 213).…”

“…She then puts down a mud brick, which becomes the pad on which the baby was delivered, and on which the birth cord and placenta was placed (Kilmer 1987: 213). After the baby “falls” (the Babylonian term for being born), she cuts the umbilical cord with a reed and deposited the placenta in a jar (Stol 2000: 127). Cutting the naval cord was an auspicious moment in Babylonian myth, as we also saw in Egyptian traditions.…”

“…Cutting the naval cord was an auspicious moment in Babylonian myth, as we also saw in Egyptian traditions. Assisting Nintu, the Sumerian goddess Ningal decreed the child’s fate when its final bond with its mother was severed (Stol 2000: 143). At this point, the midwife pronounced incantations to repel any evil spirits who might harm the baby and its mother, especially the baby-snatching demon, Lamaštu (Scurlock 1991: 147–158; Modern-day Kurdish Jews continued to cast spells to protect pregnancy and birth from evil spirits, according to Sered 1992: 130–131; Stol 2000: 217–249).…”