Abstract
The article deals with the kalû priest and his repertoire (kalûtu) in Assyria. It is argued that the office of kalû was a Babylonian institution, gradually imported into Assyria, until its final acceptance in Assyrian religion in the seventh century BCE. The article first discusses individual kalûs and their ancestral affiliation according to Assyrian sources. Then it proceeds to survey the copyists of kalûtu literature and the Neo-Assyrian libraries in which kalûtu tablets were found. Following, the serialization of the kalûtu literature in Nineveh is discussed vis-à-vis evidence from other Assyrian cities on the one hand, and Babylonia on the other hand. In addition, the way in which the Assyrian king related himself to the kalûtu literature is examined. Finally, the article points at some possible influences of the kalûtu literature on Neo-Assyrian literature.
