Cultic Uses of Wool and Textiles at Emar
Résumé
Emar (present-day Meskene) is located in the great bend of the middle Euphrates in northwest Syria.
Among the cuneiform tablets originating from the site and its vicinity (around 1200 documents dating to the
13th and beginning of 12th centuries BC), the ritual texts gives detailed prescriptions related to various
cultic services and festivals. This group of texts sometimes depicts the use of textile and wool by name and
colour and through various actions to be performed in the course of the ceremony (covering / uncovering
the cult image, tying a thread of red wool on it, dressing the priestess, etc.). The present paper aims to
collect and analyse this set of data.