Lindenberger James M. Ancient Aramaic and Hebrew Letters

Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2003. — 208 p. — ISBN: 1-58983-036-9.Writings from the Ancient World is designed to provide up-to-date, readable English translations of writings recovered from the ancient Near East. The series is intended to serve the interests of general readers, students, and educators who wish to explore the ancient Near Eastern roots of Western civilization or to compare these earliest written expressions of human thought and activity with writings from other parts of the world. It should also be useful to scholars in the humanities or social sciences who need clear, reliable translations of ancient Near Eastern materials for comparative purposes. Specialists in particular areas of the ancient Near East who need access to texts in the scripts and languages of other areas will also find these translations helpful. Given the wide range of materials translated in the series, different volumes will appeal to different interests. However, these translations make available to all readers of English the world’s earliest traditions as well as valuable sources of information on daily life, history, religion, and the like in the preclassical world.The present volume includes texts in the original languages, transcribed into unvocalized square script. This should not deter readers who lack knowledge of Hebrew or Aramaic. Neither the translations nor the notes presuppose an ability to read the originals. But the originals are there for the large numbers of readers able to use them.The seventy-nine letters gathered here come primarily from two historical settings: Syria-Palestine just before and during the Babylonian invasions prior to the fall of Judah and Philistia half a century later, and Egypt in the earlier part of the Persian period, approximately 500–400 B.C.E. A small number of texts belong to two other historical settings: Assyria in the midst of the civil war that broke out around 650 B.C.E., and southern Palestine toward the end of the Persian period.In general, the Aramaic letters appear first, then the Hebrew. The final chapter is more eclectic, including the three Canaanite letters along with a few additional Hebrew fragments and two late texts in Aramaic. Within these groupings, the arrangement is roughly chronological.Aramaic Diplomatic-Military Correspondence.
Business and Family Letters.
Ostraca from Elephantine.
Archives of the Jewish Community at Elephantine.
Letters from Persian Officials.
Two Hebrew Petitions and a Royal Order.
Judean Military-Administrative Letters from Arad and Lachish.
Fragmentary and Miscellaneous.
Sources.
Concordance of Texts.Indexes.