The Akitu festival, which dates from the middle of the third millennium BC, is one of the oldest Mesopotamian festivities. A unique ritual was established during this twelve-day ceremonial festival, which began on the first New Moon after the Spring Equinox in March/April, to humble the monarch and remind him of his responsibility to serve the deity Marduk to properly provide for the people. The monarch would be stripped of his regalia and slapped across the face by the chief priest. The Babylonians thought that if the monarch wept, Marduk would grant him another year as king.
“It could be interesting to note that a great Babylonian king like Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BCE), well recognized in our chronicles as the destroyer of Judea and the First Jerusalem Temple in 597 BCE, the mighty conqueror of the entire ancient world who considered himself to be the king of kings, would willingly and meekly offer up himself to such a humiliating once a year,” The Jerusalem Post writes in a featured article about the ancient tradition
The ceremonial loss of the king’s power, however, was seen as a necessary rite for reaffirming the community’s relationship with the gods, the community is represented by the king in the temple ceremony.
Marduk’s Rebirth and the Akitu Festival
The Akitu festival commemorated the rebirth of Marduk, the sun deity and one of the most powerful gods in the Babylonian pantheon, who was said to have created the world from chaos.
Although Babylon became an autonomous city in the early nineteenth century BC, it was eclipsed by more strong Mesopotamian nations such as Isin, Larsa, and Assyria. As Babylon’s authority increased in the 18th century BC, so did Marduk’s religion, commemorating his victory over Enlil (god of the previous Mesopotamian nations) and consolidating his position as the Babylonian pantheon’s leader.
The New Year ceremony re-enacted Marduk’s original victory over the powers of destruction to prevent the god of chaos from regaining control. It began with a grand parade via the Ishtar Gate and along the Processional Way to the “Akitu” temple, devoted to Marduk, which featured the king, members of his court, priests, and deity statues.
The king was to stand trial on either the fourth or fifth day of the festival. The high priest greeted the king before removing his crown and royal insignia and pulling him by the ears to the picture of Bel, where he was compelled to kneel. The king was asked to pray for pardon and swear that he had not neglected his responsibilities.
According to JPost, “the list of the king’s pledges and assurances was long and covered everything that both clergy and regular people generally want from their sovereign.” “It wasn’t until the king had concluded this list of guarantees, which he had prepared ahead of time, that the chief priest hit him on the cheek with an open palm as hard as he could. The blow had to be definite and forceful because tears from the king’s eyes were supposed to indicate that Bel (and his wife Beliya) were friendly, an omen that was supposed to ensure the king’s future success and the country’s wealth.”
The priest and the people were persuaded by a continual stream of tears that the king’s reign would be fortunate, and his crown and royal ornaments were returned to him. The severe slap was intended to remind the king to be humble and to inspire him to keep focused on his duties and obligations towards his people and gods, as well as to test the gods’ approval for his reign.
“However, the king’s humiliation during the New Year ritual served a dual purpose,” JPost says. “It showed the king that without his crown, sword, and scepter, he was just another ordinary mortal whose fate was in the hands of the powerful gods and their humble slaves.”
Throughout the Seleucid period (312–63 BC) and the Roman Empire, the Akitu celebration was held. The holiday was even imported to Italy by Roman Emperor Elagabalus (r. 218-222), who was of Syrian descent. There are still several modern Near Eastern spring festivities. Noruz (“New Day”) is a traditional Iranian holiday celebrated on March 21st.
The king slapping ritual sank into obscurity sometime along the way. Nonetheless, a ritual that humbles a nation’s leader and reminds him or her of their duty to serve their people with honor appears to have enormous worth.
