Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Like us on Facebook
Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Curiosmos
No Result
View All Result

Depictions of a 2,700-Year-Old “Demon of Epilepsy” Stun Experts

Ivan PetricevicbyIvan Petricevic
December 28, 2019 - Updated on January 21, 2024
in Ancient Civilizations
Depictions of an ancient Mesopotamian demon. Image Credit: UoC / Olaf M. Teßmer.

Image Credit: UoC / Olaf M. Teßmer.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Archeologists have discovered traces of an ancient, rare 2,700-year-old demon of epilepsy on a Mesopotamian tablet.

The mysterious being was discovered by a researcher studying ancient Assyrian tablets. The creature is believed to have been the demon responsible for “epilepsy in ancient times.

The tablet upon which the Mesopotamian demon was etched was used in ancient times to treat health conditions.

The discovery of the tablet and its contents will help experts better understand the mysterious connections between medicine and magic thousands of years ago.

Related Posts

Gobekli Tepe Symbols Reveal A Comet Bombarded Earth Around 13,000 Years Ago?

Gobekli Tepe Symbols Reveal A Comet Bombarded Earth Around 13,000 Years Ago?

May 2, 2019 - Updated on May 2, 2023
Umnak Island. Landsat caught a rare glimpse of the third-largest Aleutian Island. Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

How the Eruption of a Volcano in Alaska is Linked to the Demise of Ancient Rome

June 23, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024

The ancient creature was discovered by noted Assyriologist Troels Pank Arbøll of the University of Copenhagen.

The odd creature was discovered on the back of the tablet. The demon of epilepsy was depicted by the ancient Assyrians 2,700 years ago having large horns, a tail, and a snake-shaped tongue.

Analysis of the depictions later revealed that it was a representation of the demon that the ancient Assyrians believed was responsible for causing Bennu’s disease, which describes the typical symptoms of epilepsy. The mysterious creature depicted on the ancient Assyrian tablet is now regarded as the oldest illustration ever found of a demon that can be associated with epilepsy.

“We have known for a long time that the Assyrians and Babylonians regarded diseases as phenomena that were caused by gods, demons, or witchcraft. And healers were responsible for expelling these supernatural forces and the medical symptoms caused by drugs, rituals, or incantations. But this is the first time we have managed to connect one of the scarce illustrations of demons in the medical texts with the specific disease epilepsy, which the Assyrians and Babylonians called Bennu,” explains postdoc Troels Pank Arbøll.

The epilepsy demon is depicted on an ancient Mesopotamian tablet. Image Credit: Troels Pank Arbøll / University of Copenhagen.
The epilepsy demon is depicted on an ancient Mesopotamian tablet. Image Credit: Troels Pank Arbøll / University of Copenhagen.

He adds: “Drawings of supernatural powers are very rare on cuneiform tablets with magical and medical treatments. When there is a drawing, it usually depicts one of the figures that the healers used in their rituals, not the demon itself. But here we have a presentation of an epilepsy demon as the healer who wrote the text must have imagined it.

The disease, known as Bennu-epilepsy, was one of the most feared diseases in ancient Mesopotamia. The symptoms of the disease include seizures, loss of consciousness or sanity, and, in some cases, the patients screamed out like a goat.

“The text also states that the demon acted on behalf of the lunar god Sîn when it inflicted a person with epilepsy. So the Assyrians and Babylonians believed that there was a connection between the moon, epilepsy, and insanity,” revealed Troels Pank Arbøll.

“In the following millennia, this idea became widespread, also in our part of the world, and it can still be detected in the English word ‘lunacy.’ In other words, the views on illness, diagnoses, and treatments in the earliest civilizations have had a significant impact on later perceptions of illness, even in recent history, “he added.


Join the discussion and participate in awesome giveaways in our mobile Telegram group. Join Curiosmos on Telegram Today. t.me/Curiosmos

Share521Tweet98Share27ShareSend
Ivan Petricevic

Ivan Petricevic

I've been writing passionately about ancient civilizations, history, alien life, and various other subjects for more than eight years. You may have seen me appear on Discovery Channel's What On Earth series, History Channel's Ancient Aliens, and Gaia's Ancient Civilizations among others.

Related Posts

The view of the structure from above ground. Image Credit: National University of Science and Technology, MISIS.
Ancient Civilizations

Mysterious Underground Structure is One of the Oldest Churches on Earth

July 22, 2019 - Updated on January 22, 2024
20 ancient engineering wonders that prove advanced skills existed long before modern history
Ancient Civilizations

Little-known Curiosities About Sacsayhuaman: More Than Just a Challenge to Pronounce

August 8, 2023 - Updated on February 4, 2025
Image of the Sphinx before it was completely excavated. Early 19th century.
Ancient Civilizations

Here Are 10 Extremely Old Images of the Sphinx You’ve Probably Never Seen

December 30, 2022 - Updated on January 18, 2024
The Mystery of Kailasa: How Did the Ancients Remove Three million cubic Feet of Stone?
Ancient Civilizations

The Mystery of Kailasa: How Did the Ancients Remove Three million cubic Feet of Stone?

June 11, 2019 - Updated on January 22, 2024
Here Are 3 Incredible Videos Showing the Interior of Ancient Egypt’s Oldest Pyramid
Ancient Civilizations

Here Are 3 Incredible Videos Showing the Interior of Ancient Egypt’s Oldest Pyramid

May 2, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024
Aerial view of the two main pyramids at Teotihuacan. Shutterstock.
Ancient Civilizations

Researchers Confirm Existence of Cave and Subterranean Tunnels Beneath Ancient Pyramid at Teotihuacan

July 31, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Fair Use Notice
  • DMCA / Removal
  • Impressum
  • Contact
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Ownership and Funding Information
  • Impressum
CURIOSMOS.COM

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists