Pelio Fronzaroli, in "Les Combats des Hadda dans les texts d'Ebla" (MARI Vol. 8, 1997) argues that the earliest attested "storm god vs serpent" myth so prominent in IE & ANE mythology is from Mari around 2200 BC. If he is correct (and that's a big if), the next question is: how did it get transmitted to the Indo-European world?

This sub is p dead but thank you for any help you can give!

What else does the field know about Astarte, other than that she’s a rough analogue to Inanna/Ishtar?

Is there anything unique to her that sets her apart from Inanna/Ishtar?

Was she really the origin of the Greek Aphrodite?

Is there a connection between her and the Punic Tannit, or is she more related to Asherah/Athirat?

If possible, looking to narrow down to Phoenician and Eastern Mediterranean cultures contemporary with the Classic and Hellenistic Greeks? Otherwise open to more theories, hypotheses, information, even speculation.

Looking for an all-in-one guide to ancient Phoenician religion, if that even is possible with what has been known.

Alternatively, any good books or articles to point me to the right direction?

(Note: I have looked at the bibliography and citations for relevant Wikipedia articles. Trying to be more thorough)

I have heard of different creation stories and flood myths, but what about events that were more current to the writers?

I've been wondering this for years. It's it just a transliteration variation? Are they the same goddess? Or are they different? And how are they different, aside from the one vowel spelling difference?

Sources would be appreciated.

Hello,

I am interested in learning more about the material culture, history and religion of the Jewish populations in Babylonia and surrounding areas between the time of Cyrus and the early years of the Abbasid Caliphate.

It seems that there is a wealth of good historical resources for the Jewish populations of Judea / Galilee and Eygpt during this time, but I am struggling to identify good books on modern day Iraq and Persia. This is despite its importance for modern day Judaism as the home of the Talmud, Karaite heresy, Gaonim etc.

If anyone can recommend any books that cover this period or parts of this period I would be grateful. Ideally it would be some sort of magisterial overview of the period, but otherwise any good books on particular areas, periods or topics (e.g., Jews in Parthia, Jews in Arabia at the time of Mohammad, the culture of the Babylonian Talmud, etc.).

I am looking for more scholarly works, rather than popular history or religious guides.

Thank you in advance!

Does anyone know where I can find an English translation of this? It is supposedly extant but I can not find one.

Edit: apologies, that should be Tukilti-Ninurta Epic

A few days ago I saw this van parked in my suburb: https://i.imgur.com/LKz7PQv.jpg

I don't know any cuneiform myself but it looks at least potentially authentic. Might anyone here be able to shed light on whether it's at all meaningful, and if so, what language it is and what it means?

Hi, everyone! If you indeed do not have access to some academic articles, I can do you a favor. I will try my best to help you to find the papers you require, though I cannot guarantee that I can obtain every required article. Just make a paper list (doi) and send it to my email: kimi_henry@hotmail.com Good Luck!

Hi all,

I'm new here, so please forgive me for any hiccups in decorum. I'm currently an undergraduate study of ancient history, with a particular interest in the ancient Near East. Ideally, I would love to pursue a graduate degree and teach ancient Near Eastern history. However, I've spent the past few years of my education doing a sort of cost-benefit analysis of being a professor of Near Eastern history, and it just doesn't seem feasible for me, given the extensive training and the limited job market.

However, a professor recently suggested that I could potentially do Near Eastern antiquities law. She pointed out that this would likely be a fruitful career, given that various groups in the Middle East are unlawfully trading Near Eastern antiquities to fund their war/political efforts. I was wondering, then, if you all had any advice on this topic. Is Near Eastern antiquities law really a fruitful legal field? What are the requirements to practice this kind of law? My professor guessed that an MA in Near Eastern studies combined with a JD might be necessary, but neither of us are particularly sure. Any advice you guys can give would be extremely helpful!

I am interested in figuring out how MZH is pronounced. I can't find paleo-Hebrew or Aramaic letterings anywhere to verify the exact consonents used. My guess is that this tiny deity / demon in ANE mythology (Punic/ West Semitic mythos) is pronounced Mezah. Can anyone help me dig this up?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arslan_Tash_amulets

I'm sure there is a lot, but I'm about to begin a major research project, and I'd like to know if there are any areas that have been researched but not extensively.

In the Mari Prophetic Texts, to what does, "my hem and my hair" refer? It's a repeated phrase that is some kind of token of integrity.