Patients and Performative Identities

Patients and Performative Identities, Volume 1, examines the critical relationship between Mesopotamian medical specialists and their clients. While many histories of Near Eastern technical disciplines focus on practitioners, this work investigates how interactions with patients shaped social and professional identities. The text explores rituals used to secure success at court, the social classes involved in these practices, and the depiction of specialists on seal impressions and Greco-Roman iconography.

This volume provides an encyclopedic survey of ritual clients found within the cuneiform textual record. It analyzes the transmission of pharmaceutical knowledge and the various media used during interactions, such as the sickbed scenes in cylinder seals. As a significant resource for ancient history and Middle Eastern studies, Patients and Performative Identities, Volume 1, offers deep insights into the social contexts of the ancient Middle East and the evolution of medical traditions.