The term rabiṣu is also mentioned in various incantations. In Mesopotamian texts, this is a malevolent demon, which lingers at the entrance of buildings Barré proposes to translate the term rabiṣu by ‘one who lies in wait’.40 He then points out that in the Old Babylonian period, rabiṣu developed into a ‘malevo- lent demon, often qualified as lemnu, “evil”.’ Together with other demons, the rabiṣu is responsible for medical ailments. The fact that this demon haunts the opening of a tent or at the threshold of a house is in keeping with his character as rabiṣu, ‘namely to lurk in ordinary places to spring his ambush.’41 No matter how one tries to ward off demons such as rabiṣu by means of incantations, the menace and fear are by no means always dispelled by com- mands or rituals. The fear of demons appears to be deeply rooted, as is appar- ent from a few lines on tablet V:

2.1 The Closed Inner World of the Home

Fear of demons and malicious spirits was widespread in the Mesopotamian world. The outside world was full of innumerable, destructive demonic powers which targeted humans.

They are gloomy, their shadow dark, no light is in their bodies, ever they slink along covertly, walk not upright, from their claws drips bitter gall, their footprints are (full of) evil venom.35

Dark forces long to grab the unprotected person in their claws. This fear makes it understandable that we constantly encounter incantations to protect the occupants of the house. Thus we read on tablet III:

18 Evil Utukkū, Alû, ghost, Sheriff-demon, god, and Bailiff-demon, 19 —they are evil! 20 May they not approach my body, 21 nor harm my face, 22 nor walk behind me, 23 nor enter my house 24 nor clamber onto my roof, 25 nor enter my sitting room. 26 Be adjured by heaven, be adjured by earth.36

A similar incantation specifically mentions the threshold of the house. This marks the separation between the closed space of the home and the outside world. The threshold is a place where demons lie in wait.37

35 Text 22 i, 31–35, in: J.B. Nies, C.E. Keiser, Historical, Religious and Economic Texts and Antiquities, New Haven 1920; Jacobsen, The Treasures of Darkness, 12. 36 Utukkū Lemnūtu, tablet 3, 18–26, in: Geller, Healing Magic, 100–101; Evil Demons, 197; tablet III, image I, lines 11–20, in: Thompson, Devils and Evil Spirits, 3; cf. also lines 100–107; tablet IV, column VI, 20–25. 37 T. Canaan, Dämonenglaube, 36–39. Cf. also some imprecations against Lamaštu in YOS 11 (1985), nos. 19 and 20. In 19:6, we read of Lamaštu blocking the door so that women cannot go in and out. In 20:7, the threshold is identified as Lamaštu’s abode; see also K.J. Cathcart, ‘The Phoenician inscriptions from Arslan Tash and some Old Testament texts: (Exodus 12; Micah 5:4–5[5–6]; Psalm 91)’, in: On Stone and Scroll: Essays in Honour of Graham Ivor Davies, J.K. Aitken, K.J. Dell, B.A. Mastin (eds.) (BZAW 420), Berlin 2011, 87–99, especially 91–92.