Identity Through Appearance: Babylonian Priestly Clothing During the 1st Millennium BC

Abstract

Through a study of Babylonian priestly clothing, one can see the social role and attitudes of priests in Babylonian cities, not only when they worship deities, but also in their daily lives. Information on priests’ clothing is rare in cuneiform texts. A Hellenistic ritual from Uruk gives interesting insights that one can compare with the data from the daily records from the Neo-Babylonian period. It appears that outside the temple, the priests wore “civil” clothes. Religious garments were kept in particular rooms of the temples, and their terminology is archaic and similar to the garments of the gods. During worship, each category of priest had its own specific dress identifying its status and its role in the rituals. These garments were sometimes adorned with motifs representing celestial symbols or protective deities.