ABSTRACT
Let us begin with simple definitions of magic and witchcraft in Mesopotamia. Weclassify as magical those rites that address the needs, crises, and desires of the individual. In contrast to some later western societies, magic in Mesopotamia was regarded as legitimate and as part of the established religion. Therefore, in a Mesopotamian context, witchcraft refers not to magical behavior as such, but to inimical behavior, that is, to the practice of magic for anti-social and destructive purposes (though, as we shall note later, not all behavior so labeled was, in fact, motivated by evil intentions).
