“The Holy Brick of Birth-giving”: A Reassessment of Ancient Near Eastern Birth Bricks and Their Medical Role in Delivery

The bricks of birth are often described as a birthing tool in ancient Near Eastern societies. Assertions about their function and usage are based almost solely on two sources: ancient religious texts and ethnographic studies. However, upon closer investigation, the religious texts suggest that the bricks were primarily ritual implements, and the ethnographic studies cited only briefly allude to the possible use of bricks prior to delivery.

In order to assess the likelihood that birth bricks were used as a medical aid during labor, this project evaluates the available textual and archaeological sources, the central terminology, and commonly-cited ethnographic studies. The project then makes suggestions about the actual functionality of the bricks based on modern clinical studies and analysis of the aforementioned sources. The research suggests that bricks may have served a ritual function during birth in the ancient Near East, but are unlikely to have played a functional or medical role during delivery.