The Harsh Life of Diplomatic Messengers in Egypt in the Late Bronze Age
September 2023 | Vol. 11.9 By Mohy-Eldin E. Abo-Eleaz International relations in Egypt during the Late Bronze Age (~1500 BCE – 1200 BCE) depended mainly on diplomatic envoys; the
“The Egyptian,” King of Moab
March 2023 | Vol. 11.3 By Mattias Karlsson The royal inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian kings Esarhaddon (680–669 BCE) and Ashurbanipal (668–631 BCE) mention a king of Moab named
How Did the Kings of the Late Bronze Age Deal with Rumors?
january 2023 | Vol. 11.1 By Mohy-Eldin Elnady Abo-Eleaz In the Late Bronze Age, a so-called Club of Great Powers arose and divided the control of the Ancient Near East among themse
The Babylonian Akītu Festival and the Ritual Humiliation of the King
September 2022 | Vol. 10.9 By Sam Mirelman Many Mesopotamian festivals are known, but only one involved a priest striking the king. The akītu was one of the most importa
Decision Making and Leadership in Egyptian Warfare
july 2022 | Vol. 10.7 By Anthony Spalinger Anyone studying foreign relations faces clear-cut obstacles, the sharpest being the antithesis between routine conduct and extraordinary
Did Kings Meet Each Other Face-to-Face During the Late Bronze Age?
march 2022 | Vol. 10.3 By Mohy-Eldin E. Abo-Eleaz During the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1550–1200 BCE) five great powers – Egypt, Mitanni, Babylon, Ḫatti, and Assyria – arose and
Violence of Gender and Gender of Violence in Ancient Egypt
February 2022 | Vol. 10.2 By Uroš Matić Violence and gender were closely related in ancient Egypt, just as they have been in other past and contemporary societies. Gender systems
The Exceptional Career of a Mesopotamian Ruler without a Crown: Kudur-Mabuk and the Kingship of Larsa
January 2022 | Vol. 10.1 By Baptiste Fiette Where did Mesopotamian kings come from? In the second third of the 19th century BCE, the kingdom of Larsa in southern Mesopotamia went t
The Art of Conservative Rebellion: A Short Introduction to the First Sealand Dynasty
Until recently, almost nothing was known of the “kings of Urukug” – better known as the Sealand. New tablets and excavations are now revealing this small southern Babylonian