“Sin”: The Hidden History
September 2023 | Vol. 11.9 By David Konstan Sin is a religious concept. In civil law, one is accused of committing a crime, not a sin. But sin is often still more narrowly understo
The Egyptian Conceptualization of the Otherworld
August 2023 | Vol. 11.8 By Silvia Zago The belief in life after death is one of the most defining aspects of Egyptian culture, which has fascinated the outside world for millennia.
Who Really Invented the Alphabet?
August 2023 | Vol. 11.8 By Seth Sanders Who really invented the alphabet? Despite its vast influence, we are still uncertain about precisely where the world’s most influential co
Local Communities and Archaeological Sites: A Case Study at Dougga in Tunisia
August 2023 | Vol. 11.8 By John Whitehouse and Sami Harize The site of Dougga (ancient Thugga), located approximately 110 km southwest of Tunis, has been occupied since the 6th ce
Ceremonial Standards in the Visual Culture of Early Mesopotamia
August 2023 | Vol. 11.8 By Renate van Dijk-Coombes Ceremonial standards feature prominently in the iconography of ancient Mesopotamia. Today when we think of standards, we usually
Before and After Babel
August 2023 | Vol. 11.8 By Marc Van De Mieroop “But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the sam
Heartbreak and the History of Distress in Ancient Mesopotamia
July 2023 | Vol. 11.7 By Moudhy Al-Rashid The concept of “heartbreak” appears multiple times in cuneiform texts as a metaphor to describe both mental and physical conditions. H
The Remarkable Rise of Assyria: A Reassessment
July 2023 | Vol. 11.7 By Bleda S. Düring Assyria is one of the most remarkable imperial states in global history, often celebrated as the first “world empire”. At its peak, du
A Letter from the Editor
July 2023 | Vol. 11.7 By Jessica Nitschke It is my great honor to have been selected as the new Editor of The Ancient Near East Today. I officially took over the reins in January
Digitizing Manuscripts from Southwest Asia: Access, Ethics, and Sustainability
July 2023 | Vol. 11.7 By Raha Rafii The expansion of digital humanities in the last decade has led to a widespread increase in manuscript digitization projects by libraries, univer