The Royal City of Susa

The Royal City of Susa PDF

Author: Musée du Louvre

Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 0870996517

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A rich production followed of objects for daily use, ritual, and luxury living, finely carved in various materials or fashioned of clay. Monumental sculpture was made in stone or bronze, and dramatic friezes were composed of brilliantly glazed bricks. Among the discoveries are tiny, intricately carved cylinder seals and splendid jewelry. Clay balls marked with symbols offer fascinating testimony to the very beginnings of writing; clay tablets from later periods bearing inscriptions in cuneiform record political history, literature, business transactions, and mathematical calculations. A very important group of finds from Susa is made up of objects brought back as booty from conquests in Mesopotamia. These works, many of them the royal monuments of Akkadian and Babylonian monarchs - for instance, the great stele of Naram-Sin - are among the best known of all objects from the ancient Near East.

The Royal City of Susa

The Royal City of Susa PDF

Author: Musée du Louvre

Publisher:

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 9780870996528

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The ancient city of Susa (biblical Shushan) lay at the edge of the Iranian plateau, not far from the great cities of Mesopotamia. A strategically located and vital center, Susa absorbed diverse influences and underwent great political fluctuations during the several thousand years of its history. When French archaeologists began to excavate its site in the nineteenth century, the astonishing abundance of finds greatly expanded our understanding of the ancient Near East. The artifacts were taken to Paris through diplomatic agreement and became a centerpiece of the Louvre's great collection of Near Eastern antiquities. These works are rarely loaned, but a remarkable selection that includes many undisputed masterpieces, brought to The Metropolitan Museum of Art for exhibition, is presented in this comprehensive publication. Susa was settled about 4000 B.C. and has yielded striking pottery finds from that prehistoric period. A rich production followed of objects for daily use, ritual, and luxury living, finely carved in various materials or fashioned of clay. Monumental sculpture was made in stone or bronze, and dramatic friezes were composed of brilliantly glazed bricks. Among the discoveries are tiny, intricately carved cylinder seals and splendid jewelry. Clay balls marked with symbols offer fascinating testimony to the very beginnings of writing; clay tablets from later periods bearing inscriptions in cuneiform record political history, literature, business transactions, and mathematical calculations. A very important group of finds from Susa is made up of objects brought back as booty from conquests in Mesopotamia. These works, many of them the royal monuments of Akkadian and Babylonian monarchs - for instance, the great stele of Naram-Sin - are among the best known of all objects from the ancient Near East. Altogether, the exhibition presents more than two hundred objects found at Susa, produced over a period of about 3500 years. They come from all periods of the site's settlement, from it earliest history to its adornment as a major city of the opulent Achaemenid Persian empire. Eighteen French and American scholars have contributed essays to this volume on subjects that include the history of art in ancient Iran from prehistoric settlement through the Achaemenid period; the history of the excavations at Susa; the development of writing; seals and sealings; royal and religious structures at Susa; objects brought from Mesopotamia; brick decoration; popular art; and cuneiform texts. Recent results of ongoing research into the archaeology of Susa are discussed. Analyses of specific techniques are included as well as reports on the conservation of objects. Each work in the exhibition is illustrated and fully described, with references to relevant publications.

The Laws of Hammurabi

The Laws of Hammurabi PDF

Author: Pamela Barmash

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2020-09-24

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0197525423

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Among the best-known and most esteemed people known from antiquity is the Babylonian king Hammurabi. His fame and reputation are due to the collection of laws written under his patronage. This book offers an innovative interpretation of the Laws of Hammurabi. Ancient scribes would demonstrate their legal flair by composing statutes on a set of traditional cases, articulating what they deemed just and fair. The scribe of the Laws of Hammurabi advanced beyond earlier scribes in composing statutes that manifest systematization and implicit legal principles, and inserted the Laws of Hammurabi into the form of a royal inscription, shrewdly reshaping the genre. This tradition of scribal improvisation on a set of traditional cases continued outside of Mesopotamia. It influenced biblical law and the law of the Hittite empire significantly. The Laws of Hammurabi was also witness to the start of another stream of intellectual tradition. It became the subject of formal commentaries, marking a profound cultural shift. Scribes related to it in ways that diverged from prior attitudes; it became an object of study and of commentary, a genre that names itself as dependent on another text. The famous Laws of Hammurabi is here given the extensive attention it continues to merit.

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and Writings

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and Writings PDF

Author: TREMPER LONGMAN III

Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press

Published: 2020-05-21

Total Pages: 1581

ISBN-13: 1789740495

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The Old Testament books of wisdom and poetry carry themselves differently from those of the Pentateuch, the histories or the prophets. The divine voice does not peal from Sinai, there are no narratives carried along by prophetic interpretation nor are oracles declaimed by a prophet. Here Scripture often speaks in the words of human response to God and God's world. The hymns, laments and thanksgivings of Israel, the dirge of Lamentations, the questionings of Qohelet, the love poetry of the Song of Songs, the bold drama of Job and the proverbial wisdom of Israel all offer their textures to this great body of biblical literature. Then too there are the finely crafted stories of Ruth and Esther that narrate the silent providence of God in the course of Israelite and Jewish lives. This third Old Testament volume in IVP's celebrated "Black Dictionary" series offers nearly 150 articles covering all the important aspects of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ruth and Esther. Over 90 contributors, many of them experts in this literature, have contributed to the 'Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and Writings'. This volume maintains the quality of scholarship that students, scholars and pastors have come to expect from this series. Coverage of each biblical book includes an introduction to the book itself as well as separate articles on their ancient Near Eastern background and their history of interpretation. Additional articles amply explore the literary dimensions of Hebrew poetry and prose, including acrostic, ellipsis, inclusio, intertextuality, parallelism and rhyme. And there are well-rounded treatments of Israelite wisdom and wisdom literature, including wisdom poems, sources and theology. In addition, a wide range of interpretive approaches is canvassed in articles on hermeneutics, feminist interpretation, form criticism, historical criticism, rhetorical criticism and social-scientific approaches. The 'Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and Writings' is sure to command shelf space within arm's reach of any student, teacher or preacher working in this portion of biblical literature.

Becoming Visible in Iran

Becoming Visible in Iran PDF

Author: Mehri Honarbin-Holliday

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2009-02-28

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 0857710761

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The state of women in Islamic societies is the subject of much interest and heated debate. Yet, these discussions and representations in the media and elsewhere rely on inadequate information and misperceptions, imagining Muslim women as oppressed victims in need of liberation by outside forces. 'Becoming Visible in Iran' disputes these widespread stereotypes, providing a vivid account of women in contemporary Iran as they go about their daily lives. Beginning at home, women are infusing dramatic change by challenging the patriarchal conceptions of their fathers, brothers, uncles and others within the intimate sphere of family and home. Empowered by education, they transport the power of their minds and being from the domestic to the public and political. Mehri Honarbin-Holliday presents the experiences of these young women who wield a key if indirect political influence on the seemingly male dominated politics of this society, as they achieve a new visibility. She shows us how women understand their place in contemporary Iranian society, and how they interrogate it, making demands for shifts in attitudes and behaviours, both at home in relation to male relatives and in the wider world. Women's daily existence weaves between the public and the private, from home to classrooms, parks, metros, cafes and taxis, negotiating socio-political limitations and the current regime's policies of female invisibility. Detailed interviews and striking narratives draw our attention to the women's reflexive and critical stance and their desires to be recognized as independent and active architects of their own personal lives, whilst also contributing to the discourses of change and a more just civil society. From this fieldwork, and focusing especially on young women, Honarbin-Holliday presents women's views on such key topics as public visibility, body presentation, and sexual curiosity, in addition to education, civil society and political and social change. Highlighting links and continuities with the history of women in Iran, from the early twentieth century to the present moment, she shows how Iranian women today strive: to be the author of one's fate, to resist narrow interpretations of religion, to conduct meaningful, rich and complex lives, to bring about change in the mindsets of male relatives, and to contribute to legal and political debates in the country. For its direct presentation of women's voices as well as its analysis and insight, this book is a vital contribution to our understanding of the lives of Muslim women and the possibilities before them today. 'Becoming Visible in Iran' is indispensable for those concerned with women in Islamic societies, gender studies, sociology, anthropology as well as Iran and the Middle East.

Of Crowns, Thorns, and Concubines

Of Crowns, Thorns, and Concubines PDF

Author: Drew Gallagher

Publisher: Balboa Press

Published: 2024-02-22

Total Pages: 553

ISBN-13: 1982288108

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A new terror stalks the realm... 495 BC. Loyal supporters of the Ur’gai Queen Illir’ya are targeted for death. The malevolent hand of the Gor’ba, a shadowy clique of organised criminals, reaches into the highest echelons of the Duchy, threatening the peace and security of the realm. In the City of Trakhtemirov, a recent arrival harbours a deadly secret, as a terrifying spectre stalks the Duchy in the guise of a ruthless child assassin. No-one is safe, not even the Queen herself. In the Royal City of Susa, an unforeseen tragedy unleashes a storm of vengeance, with devastating consequences for an entire network of enemy informants throughout Mesopotamia and Judea. As Persia gains the upper hand in Ionia, a mysterious merchant turns to a most unlikely ally. The stakes could not be higher. Treachery is everywhere; there are no rules of engagement...

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings PDF

Author: Tremper Longman

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2010-05-11

Total Pages: 1000

ISBN-13: 0830867384

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Christianity Today Merit Award winner ECPA Gold Medallion The Old Testament books of wisdom and poetry carry themselves differently from those of the Pentateuch, the histories or the prophets. The divine voice does not peal from Sinai, there are no narratives carried along by prophetic interpretation nor are oracles declaimed by a prophet. Here Scripture often speaks in the words of human response to God and God's world. The hymns, laments and thanksgivings of Israel, the dirge of Lamentations, the questionings of Qohelet, the love poetry of the Song of Songs, the bold drama of Job and the proverbial wisdom of Israel all offer their textures to this great body of biblical literature. Then too there are the finely crafted stories of Ruth and Esther that narrate the silent providence of God in the course of Israelite and Jewish lives. This third Old Testament volume in InterVarsity Press's celebrated "Black Dictionary" series offers nearly 150 articles covering all the important aspects of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ruth and Esther. Over ninety contributors, many of them experts in this literature, have contributed to the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry Writings. This volume maintains the quality of scholarship that students, scholars and pastors have come to expect from this series. Coverage of each biblical book includes an introduction to the book itself as well as separate articles on its ancient Near Eastern background and its history of interpretation. Additional articles amply explore the literary dimensions of Hebrew poetry and prose, including acrostic, ellipsis, inclusio, intertextuality, parallelism and rhyme. And there are well-rounded treatments of Israelite wisdom and wisdom literature, including wisdom poems, sources and theology. In addition, a wide range of interpretive approaches is canvassed in articles on hermeneutics, feminist interpretation, form criticism, historical criticism, rhetorical criticism and social-scientific approaches. The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry Writings is sure to command shelf space within arm's reach of any student, teacher or preacher working in this portion of biblical literature. Tremper Longman III and Peter E. Enns edit this collection of 148 articles by 90 contributors on Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ruth and Esther. Reference volumes in the IVP Bible Dictionary Series provide in-depth treatment of biblical and theological topics in an accessible, encyclopedia format, including cross-sectional themes, methods of interpretation, significant historical or cultural background, and each Old and New Testament book as a whole.

Civilizations of Ancient Iraq

Civilizations of Ancient Iraq PDF

Author: Benjamin R. Foster

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2021-06-08

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 140083287X

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In Civilizations of Ancient Iraq, Benjamin and Karen Foster tell the fascinating story of ancient Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements ten thousand years ago to the Arab conquest in the seventh century. Accessible and concise, this is the most up-to-date and authoritative book on the subject. With illustrations of important works of art and architecture in every chapter, the narrative traces the rise and fall of successive civilizations and peoples in Iraq over the course of millennia--from the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians to the Persians, Seleucids, Parthians, and Sassanians. Ancient Iraq was home to remarkable achievements. One of the birthplaces of civilization, it saw the world's earliest cities and empires, writing and literature, science and mathematics, monumental art, and innumerable other innovations. Civilizations of Ancient Iraq gives special attention to these milestones, as well as to political, social, and economic history. And because archaeology is the source of almost everything we know about ancient Iraq, the book includes an epilogue on the discovery and fate of its antiquities. Compelling and timely, Civilizations of Ancient Iraq is an essential guide to understanding Mesopotamia's central role in the development of human culture.

Rose Then and Now Bible Map Atlas

Rose Then and Now Bible Map Atlas PDF

Author: Dr Paul H. Wright

Publisher: Rose Publishing Inc

Published: 2013-03-25

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 159636534X

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Learn about the Holy Land from the man who trains Israeli tour guides! This best-selling Bible atlas was authored by Dr. Paul H. Wright, president of Jerusalem University College (Institute of Holy Land Studies). Over the years Dr. Wright has led thousands of university students and adults on field studies throughout Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Egypt and the Sinai, many to out-of-the-way places not normally seen by students of the Bible. Rose Then and Now Bible Map Atlas is the only Bible atlas with a combination of-- 120 stunning detailed Bible maps Overlays of modern cities and countries so you know where Bible places are today. Incredible insights into the lives of 30 important Bible characters. This Bible atlas focuses on people--not regions--and how the Middle East geography affected their lives and decisions. Paul Wright gives you amazing insights into Bible geography and culture. Know how David's clever understanding of geography and politics led to his marriage with Ahinoam of Jezreel. Discover why Naomi, in the Book of Ruth, couldn't just move back to Bethlehem after her husband's death and use his land again. Find out why Moses and the Children of Israel took the long southern trek from Egypt to the Promised Land, rather than the direct route. More than just an atlas, this work gives you incredible insights into your favorite Bible stories. About the author, Dr. Paul H. Wright of Jerusalem University College: Dr. Paul H. Wright is President of Jerusalem University College (the Institute of Holy Land Studies) located on historic Mt. Zion adjacent to the old walled city of Jerusalem. He also teaches courses on the culture, history and geography of the lands of the Bible. Over the years Dr. Wright has led thousands of Christian college and university students, as well as adults, on field studies throughout Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Egypt and the Sinai, many to out-of-the-way places not normally seen by students of the Bible. He is also an instructor in an advanced educational program for licensed Israeli tour guides at the Yad Ben-Zvi Institute in Jerusalem, and at Tantur, a Christian research center between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Dr. Wright holds the BA degree in anthropology from Bethel College (now Bethel University), an MA degree in the history of ancient Israel from the Institute of Holy Land Studies, an MA degree in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and the M Phil and PhD degrees in Bible and Ancient Near East from Hebrew Union College. He is also an ordained minister and has, over the years, been an effective teacher in both adult and children's church ministries. He and his wife Diane have lived in Jerusalem for fifteen years, and raised their two children there. They are active members of East Jerusalem Baptist Church, a small congregation that represents an active mix of dedicated people from all over the world who live and minister in Jerusalem and the surrounding area.