Don’t miss an opportunity to learn from international scholar and beloved “superstar” Assyriologist Prof. Irving Finkel from the British Museum. This engaging workshop, includes three sessions and a box lunch. This cycle of intimate talks shows what we have learned about the culture of ancient Mesopotamia thanks to the survival of clay tablets in cuneiform writing. Each talk features a PowerPoint presentation of images. No prior knowledge is required. NOTE – each session is one hour. Generously co-sponsored by the Jung Center in partnership with The British Consulate-Houston.

Session 1: Great Cuneiform Inscriptions | 10 - 11a CT
A voyage through some of the world's most iconic cuneiform texts: Gilgamesh; Inanna's Descent; modern-sounding astrological texts; royal and private letters; songs and music and recipes for beer.

Session 2: Amulets and Magic Spells | 11:15 - 12:15p CT
Demons, devils and witches could be troublesome for ancient Mesopotamians, but expert exorcists were available with pocketfuls of magic spells and knowledge of rituals to drive them out and leave their clients in peace. We will investigate some of their repertoire.

Lunch | 12:15 – 1:00p CT

Session 3: On Ghosts | 1:00 – 2:00 CT
Like all peoples of the world the ancient inhabitants of Iraq knew all about ghosts. Many texts and descriptions inform us what they were like, what they did, how to get rid of them or how to summon one up to confide information about the future for a wealthy client.

ADMISSION: $120

The Jung Center

5200 Montrose Blvd.