The incompleteness of the Hatrene documentation allows us to propose a limited number of hypotheses concerning the role of the Hatrene official named rbyt “major-domo”. A substantial help is supplied by the confrontation with the abundant Assyrian and Babylonian documentation dated to the first millennium BC, and coming from palace, temple, and private archives. It is likely that the rbyt at Hatra maintained the principal characteristics of the temple administrator of Mesopotamian tradition. He could also act within the secular sphere, as witnessed by the title rbyt d(y) ʽrb “major-domo of Arabia”, and play a prominent role in the administration of justice. It is possible that the hierarchical structure of the pantheon was mirrored into the relations among these different officials, and that the major-domo of the god Maren benefited from the highest prestige.
A look at Hatrene society: the role of the rbyt in light of the Mesopotamian rab bīti
Marcato, Enrico
2015-01-01
Abstract
The incompleteness of the Hatrene documentation allows us to propose a limited number of hypotheses concerning the role of the Hatrene official named rbyt “major-domo”. A substantial help is supplied by the confrontation with the abundant Assyrian and Babylonian documentation dated to the first millennium BC, and coming from palace, temple, and private archives. It is likely that the rbyt at Hatra maintained the principal characteristics of the temple administrator of Mesopotamian tradition. He could also act within the secular sphere, as witnessed by the title rbyt d(y) ʽrb “major-domo of Arabia”, and play a prominent role in the administration of justice. It is possible that the hierarchical structure of the pantheon was mirrored into the relations among these different officials, and that the major-domo of the god Maren benefited from the highest prestige.I documenti in ARCA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.