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Few compositions provide as much insight into the structure of the Hittite state and the nature of Hittite society as the so-called Instructions. While these texts may strike the modern reader as didactic, the Hittites, who categorized them together with state treaties, understood them as “contracts” or “obligations,” consisting of the king’s instructions to officials such as priests and temple personnel, mayors, military officers, border garrison commanders, and palace servants. They detail how and in what spirit the officials are to carry out their duties and what consequences they are to suffer for failure. Also included are several examples of closely related oath impositions and oaths. Collecting for the first time the entire corpus of Hittite Instructions, this accessible volume presents these works in transliteration of the original texts and translation, with clear and readable introductory essays, references to primary and secondary sources, and thorough indices.

Tenney takes readers to Esther's pre-Islamic Persia to uncover the secrets that helped her win the heart and gain the ear of the king and save her people from destruction. A Jewish girl of no royal heritage was chosen to become the Queen of Persia. Was it her beauty alone, or did she know an important and mysterious truth? Tenney challenges his readers to move beyond formal petitions or even "storming the gates of heaven" to that intimate embrace of worship where the bride's petitions move the King's heart and where kingdoms, people, and situations begin to shift like pawns on a divine chessboard.

President Obama’s former United States chief of protocol looks at why diplomacy and etiquette matter—and how they can help you in everyday life. In her roles as chief of protocol for President Barack Obama and social secretary to President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton, Capricia Penavic Marshall not only bore witness to history, but she also facilitated it. From curating rooms to have an intended impact to knowing which cultural gestures earned trust, her detailed measures were superpower influences that laid the groundwork for successful diplomacy between leaders and tilted the advantage, always, in her team’s favor. Sharing unvarnished anecdotes of harrowing near misses and exhilarating triumphs, Marshall offers the master class in soft power. Praise for Protocol “A trusted friend and a trusted colleague. I can’t imagine anyone who has been a greater public servant.” —Hillary Clinton “Working with Capricia during the Obama administration was nothing short of wonderful! Her guiding hand and innovative methods laid the foundation for our successful diplomacy on the world stage.” —Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to Barack Obama and author of Finding My Voice “Fascinating. . . . An informative and often charming primer on a little-known—but vital—government post.” —Kirkus Reviews

Covers the major languages, language families, and writing systems attested in the Ancient Near East Filled with enlightening chapters by noted experts in the field, this book introduces Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) languages and language families used during the time period of roughly 3200 BCE to the second century CE in the areas of Egypt, the Levant, eastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Iran. In addition to providing grammatical sketches of the respective languages, the book focuses on socio-linguistic questions such as language contact, diglossia, the development of literary standard languages, and the development of diplomatic languages or “linguae francae.” It also addresses the interaction of Ancient Near Eastern languages with each other and their roles within the political and cultural systems of ANE societies. Presented in five parts, The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages provides readers with in-depth chapter coverage of the writing systems of ANE, starting with their decipherment. It looks at the emergence of cuneiform writing; the development of Egyptian writing in the fourth and early third millennium BCI; and the emergence of alphabetic scripts. The book also covers many of the individual languages themselves, including Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Hittite, Pre- and Post-Exilic Hebrew, Phoenician, Ancient South Arabian, and more. Provides an overview of all major language families and writing systems used in the Ancient Near East during the time period from the beginning of writing (approximately 3200 BCE) to the second century CE (end of cuneiform writing) Addresses how the individual languages interacted with each other and how they functioned in the societies that used them Written by leading experts on the languages and topics The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages is an ideal book for undergraduate students and scholars interested in Ancient Near Eastern cultures and languages or certain aspects of these languages.

Trust makes everything better. It's the glue that binds people together. From our families and friendships to our companies and communities, we know that trust is the fuel that drives long-term success and impact. But we also know what betrayal feels like. We know that trust is a fragile, vulnerable gift that can be abused, broken, and exploited with devastating consequences. In The Trust Protocol, Mac Richard challenges conventional wisdom with biblical insights, humor, and passion as he explains how to · process the pain of betrayal · prioritize relationships and work · discern who to trust · decide when and how to move on · deploy trust in even the harshest environments · develop active integrity The Trust Protocol provides a clear path not just to manage these tensions but to embrace them in order to experience the genuine connectedness and effectiveness we're created for.

The Protocol of the Gods is a pioneering study of the history of relations between Japanese native institutions (Shinto shrines) and imported Buddhist institutions (Buddhist temples). Using the Kasuga Shinto shrine and the Kofukuji Buddhist temple, one of the oldest and largest of the shrine-temple complexes, Allan Grapard characterizes what he calls the combinatory character of pre-modern Japanese religiosity. He argues that Shintoism and Buddhism should not be studied in isolation, as hitherto supposed. Rather, a study of the individual and shared characteristics of their respective origins, evolutions, structures, and practices can serve as a model for understanding the pre-modern Japanese religious experience. Spanning the years from a period before historical records to the forcible separation of the Kasuga-Kofukuji complex by the Meiji government in 1868, Grapard presents a wealth of little-known material. He includes translations of rare texts and provides new, accessible translations of familiar documents.