Charity (Tzedaqah) as a Late Antique Rabbinic Religious Idea
Charity is a key means of demonstrating righteousness before God. But for different generations of rabbis the core elements of charity – and their underlying meanings – were qu
Epidemics in Mesopotamia
Epidemics have been with us since long before the dawn of history. Three collections of documents record some of the ways ancient Near Eastern societies suffered and coped.
Are Monuments History? (Neo-) Hittite Meditations on Two Memes
Many societies express power by building monuments to commemorate people or events. Tearing down monuments are also expressions of power, but of a different sort.
The First Archeological and Ethnoarcheological Survey Project in the Sefidkuh Makran Mountains of Baluchistan
The Sefidkuh region of southern Baluchistan is a huge and nearly impassable mountain range. A new project has explored both archaeological sites and modern villages.
Fire Beacons and Message Relays: Staying in Touch in the Ancient Near East
In the ancient world, people were able to communicate messages at the speed of light. That light was provided by fire signals, part of sophisticated communications networks created
From “An” to “The”: The OI at 100
The history of ancient Near Eastern Studies in the United States is closely tied to the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. A new book tells the story of this unique i
What Actually Happened in Syria at the end of the Late Bronze Age?
The Sea Peoples have been accused of destroying sites across Syria at the end of Late Bronze Age. But what if the sites weren’t destroyed and the Sea Peoples weren’t even aroun
Women in Early Mesopotamian Royal Inscriptions
There are few references to women in early Mesopotamian inscriptions. But those that are preserved show that women – especially high status ones – had important social roles.
How Greek is Limestone Sculpture on Cyprus?
Iron Age sculpture from Cyprus is sometimes regarded as ‘debased Greek.’ But what does a closer look at sculpture from an island at the crossroads of empire tell us?
Pickles and Prehistory
Yeast is having a rare moment. Everyone knows about yeast and brewing, but have we been missing the revolutionary role of fermentation in food preservation?