Letters from Priests to the Kings Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal
Letters from Priests to the Kings Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal

Author: Steven Cole

Publisher:

Published: 2018-04-02

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9781575063294

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The letters edited in this volume represent the correspondence of various priests and high temple officials in the Assyrian realm during the third through fifth decades of the seventh century BC. They consist chiefly of reports to Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal about cultic concerns and matters connected with the construction and renovation of temple edifices in the major cities of the Assyrian empire, both in the heartland and in the provinces. These fascinating letters throw light on the buildings, refurbishment, and maintenance of temples, the fashioning and installation of statues of the king, the provisioning of the cult, the performance of sacrifices, the rite of sacred marriage, and the processions of divine images.

Writing Neo-Assyrian History
Writing Neo-Assyrian History

Author: Giovanni Battista Lanfranchi

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789521095023

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The purpose of the papers read at the meeting held in Helsinki, Finland, in 2014, and of the relevant proceedings forming this volume, was to discuss and update the historical methodologies adopted in the past and present study of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The title of the meeting and of this proceedings volume, "Writing Neo-Assyrian History", clearly indicates the aim of the organizers and of the participants: to submit to both specialized scholars and educated readers a comprehensive outline of the various studies about Neo-Assyrian history, and to thoroughly comment on all possible problems so as to offer a basic "manual" for further innovative studies. All this was conceived in the framework of the scientific mission of the International Research Project which produces the series State Archives of Assyria, aimed at publishing all available Neo-Assyrian texts according to a modern and commonly shared editing system. The importance of the meeting and of this volume is relevant not only because of the innovative character of most articles, but also because of the prospective methodological spin-off in other historical sectors, from Greek and Roman history to medieval, modern or even Oriental (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Indian) history. The importance of the spin-off in other sectors of the history of Ancient Mesopotamia, and in general of the Ancient Near East, is self-evident. The volume offers a distinctive contribution to knowledge in history and historiography in general, but also in demonstrating and applying a tight connection between history, philology, archaeology and history of art, extending to the fields of ideology, politics, sociology, religion, economy and law. The sources discussed in the various articles extend from cuneiform texts of various kinds to monumental relics and archaeological findings of all kinds, studied according to the most updated Assyriological methodologies and the most advanced historical approaches.

Assyrian Royal Rituals and Cultic Texts
Assyrian Royal Rituals and Cultic Texts

Author: Simo Parpola

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789521013416

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The internal stability and cohesion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire to a very considerable degree rested on the public image of the King as an omnipotent earthly representative of God. Many elaborate rituals were designed and performed in order to promote this image and firmly implant it in the minds of the king's subjects, vassals and enemies. The corpus of royal rituals known to us includes a long series of ritual acts to be performed by the king in the temples of Assur, Istar and other gods; rituals performed during the New Year's festival and other seasonal festivals in front of audiences consisting of domestic and foreign dignitaries as well as common people; coronation, battle and victory rituals; rituals designed to secure the continuity of the royal line; a protocol for the royal dinner; directions for performing the daily liturgy in Assyrian temples, and so on. The present volume is a critical edition of all currently known Assyrian royal rituals and related cultic texts written in the Neo-Assyrian language. Many of these texts are previously unpublished or inadequately edited, and very few of them have been previously translated into English. They constitute an extremely important source for the study of Assyrian religion, cult and royal ideology and ancient Near Eastern religion and cult in general.

A Companion to Assyria
A Companion to Assyria

Author: Eckart Frahm

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2017-03-24

Total Pages: 648

ISBN-13: 1118325230

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A Companion to Assyria is a collection of original essays on ancient Assyria written by key international scholars. These new scholarly contributions have substantially reshaped contemporary understanding of society and life in this ancient civilization. The only detailed up-to-date introduction providing a scholarly overview of ancient Assyria in English within the last fifty years Original essays written and edited by a team of respected Assyriology scholars from around the world An in-depth exploration of Assyrian society and life, including the latest thought on cities, art, religion, literature, economy, and technology, and political and military history

Selected Royal Inscriptions of Assurbanipal
Selected Royal Inscriptions of Assurbanipal

Author: Jamie R. Novotny

Publisher: State Archives of Assyria Cuneiform Texts

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 138

ISBN-13: 9789521013447

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Assyria's last great king Assurbanipal invested much time and effort ensuring that his accomplishments both on and off the battlefield were immortalized as he wished to his gods and subjects, foreign rulers and dignitaries, future kings of Assyria, and future generations of Assyrians. Numerous royal inscriptions and sculpted stone orthostats are a testament to the large number of scribes and artists involved in the creation and masterful reworking of his image as a warrior without equal, a fearless lion hunter, a well-educated and literate ruler, and a devoted supporter of religious institutions. This selection of Assurbanipal's inscriptions presents for the first time full editions of the prism inscriptions I and T and new editions of several important texts written on clay tablets from the library collections at Nineveh. These texts describe Assurbanipal's youth and education, military campaigns against Egypt and Elam, the return of Marduk's statue to Babylon, and the building and decoration of numerous temples and sanctuaries in Assyrian and Babylonian cities. Like the rest of the SAACT series, the volume is primarily intended as a teaching aid and is ideal for both classroom teaching and for self-study. Besides providing an introduction to the inscriptions of Assurbanipal and an appealing alternative to the "Annals of Sennacherib," it now makes it possible, for example, for first time to read Assurbanipal's famous "School Days Inscription" (L4) in class. Each text is presented both in cuneiform and in transliteration with fresh English translations. Moreover, the book includes a list of logograms and their readings, an Akkadian glossary, an index of personal, geographical and divine names, and a sign list, everything needed to read these important Assyrian compositions.