An Aramaic Incantation Bowl and the Fall of Hatra

A newly analyzed Aramaic incantation bowl reveals potential evidence of the fall of Hatra, suggesting that some inhabitants may have been deported to Babylonia after the city's capture in 240/1 AD. The bowl, inscribed with a list of Northern Mesopotamian demons in square script, shares parallels with Mandaic traditions and epigraphic records from Hatra and nearby sites. This finding implies that displaced Hatrenes could have introduced elements of their pantheon into early Mandaean culture during this period of cultural exchange. The study employs comparative analysis of demonic entities to reconstruct historical movements and religious influences following the city's downfall.

Marcato, E. (2020). An Aramaic Incantation Bowl and the Fall of Hatra. Journal of Ancient near Eastern History, 7(2), 133–157. https://doi.org/10.1515/janeh-2020-0004