Akkadian Royal Letters in Later Mesopotamian Tradition

Frazer, Mary (20. June 2024): Akkadian Royal Letters in Later Mesopotamian Tradition. Cuneiform Monographs, Vol. 55. Leiden/Boston: Brill.

Abstract

Akkadian Royal Letters in Later Mespotamian Tradition reconsiders the question of the authenticity of the letters attributed to earlier royal correspondents that were studied in Assyrian and Babylonian scribal centres ca. 700–100 BCE. By scrutinizing the letters’ contents, language, possible transmission histories ca. 1400–100 BCE and the epistemic limitations of authenticity criticism, the book grounds scepticism about the letters’ authenticity in previously undiscussed features of the texts. It also provides a new foundation for research into the related questions of when and why these beguiling texts were composed in the first place.

• Item Type: Monograph
• Keywords: Royal letters, Akkadian, epistolography, historiography, authenticity
• Faculties: History and Art History; History and Art History > Department of History; History and Art History > Department of History > Ancient History
• Research Centers: Center for Advanced Studies (CAS)
• Subjects: 900 History and geography > 930 History of ancient world (to ca. 499)
• ISBN: 978-90-04-68594-9 ; 978-90-04-68593-2
• Place of Publication: Leiden/Boston
• Language: English