Lesson plan
Šulak
In ancient Babylonian medicine and religion, Šulak ( , , or ) was a demon that lived within toilets. It was believed by Babylonians and Assyrians to attack those who sat on toilets while they defecated, striking them or possessing them and inflicting maladies such as stroke and epilepsy. Šulak was described as resembling a bipedal lion, and Babylonians invoked the lion-centaur spirit Urmahlullu to ward off the demon. A similar demon, Bar Širiqa, appears in the Babylonian Talmud and has been theorized to derive from Babylonian beliefs surrounding Šulak.
Article summary
In ancient Babylonian medicine and religion, Šulak ( , , or ) was a demon that lived within toilets. It was believed by Babylonians and Assyrians to attack those who sat on toilets while they defecated, striking them or possessing them and inflicting maladies such as stroke and epilepsy. Šulak was described as resembling a bipedal lion, and Babylonians invoked the lion-centaur spirit Urmahlullu to ward off the demon. A similar demon, Bar Širiqa, appears in the Babylonian Talmud and has been theorized to derive from Babylonian beliefs surrounding Šulak.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
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- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.