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.

• AcknowledgementsAbbreviationsList of TablesList of Figures1 Introduction1.1 An Exceptional Cuneiform Letter1.2 A Larger Phenomenon1.3 History of Research and Goals of This Study1.4 The Text Corpus1.5 Structure of This Study2 The Authenticity of Letters A5–A172.1 The Significance of the Authenticity Question2.2 Problems with the Authenticity Question2.3 Establishing Inauthenticity2.4 Weighing the Evidence: Subjective Assessments2.5 Analyses of A5–A13, A15–A17, Letter-by-Letter2.6 Summary and ConclusionEditionsA Note on the Text EditionsCategory A Letters with Identifiable Historical SettingsA1 Gilgamesh, “King of Ur” to an Unknown KingA2 A King of the Isin I Dynasty to a King of the Babylon I DynastyA3 Samsu-ilūna to Enlil-nādin-šumiA4 Kurigalzu to Unidentifiable RecipientsA5 Unidentifiable Sender to Nazi-MaruttašA6 Adad-šuma-uṣur to Aššur-nārārī III and Ilī-padâA7 A Middle Elamite King to “the Babylonians”(?)A8 “The Babylonians” (?) to a Middle Elamite KingA9 A King of the Isin II Dynasty to an Assyrian KingA10 Nebuchadnezzar I to “the Babylonians”A11 The “Obedient Borsippans” to AssurbanipalA12 Assurbanipal to “the Babylonians”A13 “The Citizens of Babylon” (?) to AssurbanipalA14 Šamaš-šuma-ukīn to AssurbanipalA15 A Late Assyrian King (Assurbanipal?) to ŠadûnuA16 Sîn-šarra-iškun to Nabopolassar, “His Lord”A17 Nabopolassar to Sîn-šarra-iškunCategory B Letters with Uncertain Historical SettingsB1 An Officer to a (Kassite?) King of BabylonB2 A (Middle?) Assyrian King to a (Middle?) Babylonian KingB3 Extracts from One or More Letters, including One from a Group to a SuperiorB4 Extracts from Letters with Different Correspondents, including One between KingsB5 Extracts from One or More Letters from a Foreign King(?) to the Babylonians(?)B6 A Travelling Official to His SuperiorB7 Extracts from One or More Letters including One from a Group to a SuperiorB8 A Subordinate to a Provincial Governor (and a King?)B9 Letter about Cultic MattersCategory C Possible LettersC1 A Fugitive from the Land of EdamaraṣC2 “Strengthen the Battle Equipment!”C3 “I Will Drag the Loot of the Assyrians to the Steppe!”C4 Nazi-Maruttaš and Šubši-mešrê-ŠakkanC5 “Let them Give One Chariot Fighter”C6 A King Addresses Another about Tribute from the WestC7 The Assyro-Babylonian Border Dispute in the Eighth CenturyC8 Mukīn-zēri, a King of Elam, and Consistent BehaviourC9 An Official to a King of the Land of Akkad (?)C10 Assurbanipal to “the Babylonians” (?)C11 The Cuneiform Elite 1C12 The Cuneiform Elite 2C13 “I Shall Listen to You”C14 A Successful Military CampaignAppendix 1: A5–A17 as Potential Sources for Political HistoryAppendix 2: The Hypothetical Transmissions of Letters A5–A17BibliographyIndex