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A Supervisor's Advice to a Young Scribe
Article by Joshua J. Mark

A Supervisor's Advice to a Young Scribe

A Supervisor's Advice to a Young Scribe is a Sumerian composition relating a dialogue between an elder scribe and a young graduate from his school. The piece is dated to the Old Babylonian Period (c. 2000-1600 BCE) and, although originally...
Power Struggles in the Reign of Terror
Article by Harrison W. Mark

Power Struggles in the Reign of Terror

The autumn of 1793 saw the Jacobins consolidate their authority in France as the Reign of Terror intensified and the Jacobins' defeated rivals were executed by guillotine. Yet the dominant Jacobins disagreed over the direction the French...
Geme-Suen v Ur-Lugal's Wife - A Court Case in Ancient Mesopotamia
Article by Oxford University Press

Geme-Suen v Ur-Lugal's Wife - A Court Case in Ancient Mesopotamia

During the 21st century BCE, an era known as the Ur III period in Mesopotamia, many records of court hearings were drawn up in Umma, a city in what is now southern Iraq. One court record relates a dispute between two women. The name of one...
Hymn to Nisaba
Article by Joshua J. Mark

Hymn to Nisaba

The Hymn to Nisaba (c. 3rd millennium BCE) is a poem praising Nisaba, the Sumerian goddess of writing and accounts who also served as scribe of the gods. The poem is officially dedicated to Enki, the god of wisdom (sometimes given as her...
The Hymn to Ninkasi, Goddess of Beer
Article by Joshua J. Mark

The Hymn to Ninkasi, Goddess of Beer

The Hymn to Ninkasi is at once a song of praise to Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of beer, and an ancient recipe for brewing. Written down in c. 1800 BCE, the hymn is no doubt much older as evidenced by the techniques it details which scholars...
Pausanius' Guide To Ancient Athens
Article by Joshua J. Mark

Pausanius' Guide To Ancient Athens

Pausanius (l. 110-180 CE) was a geographer and historian who traveled extensively, taking notes on points of interest, then wrote on them in guide books which could be used by tourists visiting the sites described. His works have long been...
Psychological Intimidation at the Battle of Carrhae
Article by Patrick Scott Smith, M. A.

Psychological Intimidation at the Battle of Carrhae

Psychological intimidation in military conflict has been an art of war since ancient times. Employing misinformation, feigned movements, subtle messaging, and overt display of aggression, its employ is meant to unnerve the enemy before engagement...
Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East with Amanda H. Podany
Interview by Kelly Macquire

Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East with Amanda H. Podany

In this interview, World History Encyclopedia sits down with author and Assyriologist Amanda H. Podany to learn all about her new book Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East published by Oxford University Press...
Ghosts in Ancient Mesopotamia
Article by Joshua J. Mark

Ghosts in Ancient Mesopotamia

Ghosts in ancient Mesopotamia were understood as a reality of life just as they were in other civilizations of antiquity. Although the cultures of the various Mesopotamian civilizations differed between c. 5000 BCE-651 CE, the belief in ghosts...
Herodotus on Burial in Egypt
Article by Joshua J. Mark

Herodotus on Burial in Egypt

Herodotus’ section of his Histories on burial in ancient Egypt (Book II.85-90) is an accurate description of Egyptian mummification but he purposefully omits the spiritual significance of embalming in keeping with his commitment to refrain...
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