Akkadian Royal Letters in Later Mesopotamian Tradition

Mary Frazer, Ph.D. (2015), is Akademische Rätin at the Department of Ancient History at LMU Munich. Her research focuses on the cultural and political history of ancient Assyria and Babylonia ca. 700–100 BCE.

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

List of Tables

List of Figures



1 Introduction

 1.1 An Exceptional Cuneiform Letter

 1.2 A Larger Phenomenon

 1.3 History of Research and Goals of This Study

 1.4 The Text Corpus

 1.5 Structure of This Study



2 The Authenticity of Letters A5–A17

 2.1 The Significance of the Authenticity Question

 2.2 Problems with the Authenticity Question

 2.3 Establishing Inauthenticity

 2.4 Weighing the Evidence: Subjective Assessments

 2.5 Analyses of A5–A13, A15–A17, Letter-by-Letter

 2.6 Summary and Conclusion



Editions



A Note on the Text Editions



Category A Letters with Identifiable Historical Settings

A1 Gilgamesh, “King of Ur” to an Unknown King



A2 A King of the Isin I Dynasty to a King of the Babylon I Dynasty



A3 Samsu-ilūna to Enlil-nādin-šumi



A4 Kurigalzu to Unidentifiable Recipients



A5 Unidentifiable Sender to Nazi-Maruttaš



A6 Adad-šuma-uṣur to Aššur-nārārī III and Ilī-padâ



A7 A Middle Elamite King to “the Babylonians”(?)



A8 “The Babylonians” (?) to a Middle Elamite King



A9 A King of the Isin II Dynasty to an Assyrian King



A10 Nebuchadnezzar I to “the Babylonians”



A11 The “Obedient Borsippans” to Assurbanipal



A12 Assurbanipal to “the Babylonians”



A13 “The Citizens of Babylon” (?) to Assurbanipal



A14 Šamaš-šuma-ukīn to Assurbanipal



A15 A Late Assyrian King (Assurbanipal?) to Šadûnu



A16 Sîn-šarra-iškun to Nabopolassar, “His Lord”



A17 Nabopolassar to Sîn-šarra-iškun





Category B Letters with Uncertain Historical Settings

B1 An Officer to a (Kassite?) King of Babylon



B2 A (Middle?) Assyrian King to a (Middle?) Babylonian King



B3 Extracts from One or More Letters, including One from a Group to a Superior



B4 Extracts from Letters with Different Correspondents, including One between Kings



B5 Extracts from One or More Letters from a Foreign King(?) to the Babylonians(?)



B6 A Travelling Official to His Superior



B7 Extracts from One or More Letters including One from a Group to a Superior



B8 A Subordinate to a Provincial Governor (and a King?)



B9 Letter about Cultic Matters





Category C Possible Letters

C1 A Fugitive from the Land of Edamaraṣ



C2 “Strengthen the Battle Equipment!”



C3 “I Will Drag the Loot of the Assyrians to the Steppe!”



C4 Nazi-Maruttaš and Šubši-mešrê-Šakkan



C5 “Let them Give One Chariot Fighter”



C6 A King Addresses Another about Tribute from the West



C7 The Assyro-Babylonian Border Dispute in the Eighth Century



C8 Mukīn-zēri, a King of Elam, and Consistent Behaviour



C9 An Official to a King of the Land of Akkad (?)



C10 Assurbanipal to “the Babylonians” (?)



C11 The Cuneiform Elite 1



C12 The Cuneiform Elite 2



C13 “I Shall Listen to You”



C14 A Successful Military Campaign





Appendix 1: A5–A17 as Potential Sources for Political History

Appendix 2: The Hypothetical Transmissions of Letters A5–A17

Bibliography

Index