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The house of prisoners

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This book deals with the house of prisoners (bit asiri ) at the city of Uruk during the revolt against king Samsu-iluna of Babylon, Hammurabi’s son. The political history of this brief period (ca. 1741–1739 BC) is not widely known and until now there has been no comprehensive treatment of the bit asiri. This book includes autograph copies, transliterations, and translations of 42 unpublished cuneiform tablets from various collections, collations, and detailed tables and catalogues. The analysis comprises some 410 documents dated or attributable to king Rim-Anum, one of the insurgents who attained relative independence as the ruler of Uruk. The study of this corpus reveals details about diplomatic dealings between the central power and rebel rulers, about the functioning of the house of prisoners of war, and about the individuals who participated in different echelons of the local administration. This monograph investigates what kind of organization “the house of prisoners” was, how it worked, how it interacted with other institutions, the composition of its labor force, and state management of captive and enslaved individuals.

Title The house of prisoners : slavery and state in Uruk during the revolt against Samsu-iluna / by Andrea Seri.
Publisher Boston : De Gruyter
Creation Date [2013]
Notes Description based upon print version of record.
Issued also in print.
Includes bibliographies and index.
English
Content Front matter -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- List of tables -- Plans and maps -- List of abbreviations -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. The archive of the house of prisoners and political history -- Chapter 2. Allocation of flour -- Chapter 3. Prisoners and slaves -- Chapter 4. The organization of Uruk under Rīm- Anum Part I: “Houses” and institutions -- Chapter 5. The organization of Uruk under Rīm- Anum Part II: Professions and individuals -- Chapter 6. The military, messengers and foreign officials -- Conclusion. The House of Prisoners: State and slavery in Uruk during the revolt against Samsu-iluna -- Appendix 1: Autographs and text editions -- Appendix 2: Collations -- Appendix 3: Chronological catalogue of texts from Uruk dated to Samsu-iluna and Rīm-Anum -- Appendix 4: Catalogue of texts from Uruk dated to Samsu-iluna and Rīm-Anum -- Appendix 5: Glossary -- Bibliography -- Indexes
Series Studies in ancient Near Eastern records
vol. 2
Extent 1 online resource (464 p.)
Language English
Copyright Date ©2013
National Library system number 997010700750405171
MARC RECORDS
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The house of prisoners : slavery and state in Uruk during the revolt against Samsu-iluna / by Andrea Seri.

Andrea Seri

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