Lesson 2: Letters

Lesson 2: Letters#

In this lesson, we will dive into the epistolary genre – the everyday correspondence of the Babylonians.

Core Texts to Read#

PLACEHOLDER: Please insert primary text reading here from a publication (e.g., Old Babylonian letters from Mari or Tell leilan, or Amarna letters). Suggested citation: Veenhof, K. R. 2005. Letters in the Louvre. Altbabylonische Briefe in Umschrift und Übersetzung 14. Brill. Focus on the greetings or standard blessing formulas (e.g., ana ... qibīma ...).

Grammatical Focus (Reference to Appendix)#

While reading letters, look out for:

  • Pronouns, Pronomial Suffixes (especially 1st and 2nd person)

  • Imperatives and Precatives

  • Temporal and Causal Clauses (e.g., inūma, aššum)

Digital Methods#

PLACEHOLDER: Provide a tutorial or method on mapping communication networks using metadata from the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI) or Archibab.

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