Plague Prayers of the Ancient Hittites | Theo van den Hout

Early in the 14th Century BCE, the Hittites faced a twenty year plague. How did these ancient Anatolians deal with pandemics? While the methods may be different, not much has changed. Join Theo van den Hout, the Arthur and Joanne Rasmussen Professor of Anatolian Languages and Cultures, OI, for a discussion on plague prayers and scapegoating rituals used to combat plague in the ancient Hittite world. Watch part 2, where Theo discusses the political landscape between the Hittites and the Egyptians here: To support this and all of our research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: Please excuse the audio and video, this podcast was recorded at-home. 2020, Oriental Institute music: