The ersemma is one of two (possibly three) genres of literature written in the Sumerian Emesal dialect. Texts exist in copies from the Old Babylonian period, although they were authored much earlier. They were preserved likely because they were part of a fixed liturgy recited on select days of the month. Mark E. Cohen discusses the characteristics of this genre and its evolution, the circumstances of its composition, and the cultic setting in which it was typically used. He also provides a catalog of examples as well as transliterations and translations of selected texts with commentary. Examples come from the British Museum, the Yale Babylonian Collection, the University Museum Collection, the Oriental Institute, the Staatliche Museen Berlin, and the Metropolitan Museum.

This book surveys within the various literary genres (cosmologies, personal archives and epics, hymns, and prayers) parallels between the Bible and Ancient Near Eastern literature.

This book presents new standard editions of all the hitherto known hymns of Urnamma, the founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur (fl. 2100 B.C.), and adds new perspectives to the composition and development of the genre of Sumerian royal hymns in general. The first chapter is introductory in nature. The second chapter presents a general survey of Urnamma's hymnic corpus. The third chapter deals with correlations of Urnamma's hymns with other textual sources pertaining to him. A fourth chapter is devoted to aspects of continuity and change in royal hymnography by analysing the Urnamma hymns in relation to other royal hymns and related genres. Chapter 5 presents editions of Urnamma hymns,

This work comprises new insights into two Biblical passages. The first study, titled 'The Anatomy of a Prohibition,' uses the TLG computer database to offer a new interpretation of I Timothy 2:12. The author provides insight that the TLG computer, with its data selections from 200 BC/BCE to 200 AD/CE, supports the interpretation of one of the key words 'authentein' as 'committing violent action,' not 'having authority.' It then explores the effect of this interpretation on exegesis, gender pronouncements, hermeneutics, tradition, theology, and relevance. As a supplement, it offers a history of traditional translations, mistranslations, and interpretations. The second insight study discusses seeing the 'suffering servant' of Isaiah 40-55 as the city of Jerusalem. This 'Servant City' study is based upon a comparison with the material outside the songs and with other ANE city descriptions that are also in the first millennium.

The present study seeks to call attention to a literary genre whose existence in the Hebrew Bible, has gone largely unnoticed or at least not fully appreciated. The city lament is a genre well-known fron ancient Mesopotomia. The laments that make up this genre vividly depict and mournfully lament the destruction of some of the most important cities in Mesopotamia and their chief shrines.

This collection of articles is the result of the second meeting of the Mesopotamian Literature Group (Groningen), held in Groningen from 12 till 14 July 1993. The topics treated by these scholars from six countries range from theoretical issues to specific analyses, from broad structures to linguistic textures, including metaphorical language as well as phonic features; also, various poetical techniques and strategies are studied. The interest is more in the questions that are raised than in the answers given, and the matter of legitimization of our theoretical bases runs throughout most contributions, this being the aim of the Group.

Babylonian Topographical Texts collects for the first time all Babylonian and Assyrian texts of the first millennium B.C. that belong to what is designated the topographical genre. Much of the material is not previously published. The book is largely concerned with Babylon. Seventeen texts on this city now allow its topography to be properly understood for the first time. Another seventeen texts concern the cities of Nippur, Assur, Kish and Uruk. Also included are thirty miscellaneous texts, mostly new, which bear upon topographical matters. The text editions and translations are supplemented by a philological and topical commentary. The work is concluded with full indices, and 57 plates of cuneiform copies.