September 2022
Vol. 10, No. 9
Breaking the Code: Ancient Iran’s Linear Elamite Script Deciphered
By François Desset, Kambiz Tabibzadeh, Matthieu Kervran, Gian Pietro Basello, and Gianni Marchesi
There are few remaining Near Eastern writing systems left to decode. But the Linear Elamite script has eluded scholars, until now. Previously known names of kings and deities were key. Read More
Medieval Sugar Production in the Southern Levant: A Sweet Story
By Richard Jones
In the medieval Southern Levant sugar was an important cash crop. Texts and archaeological remains of sugar manufacturing allow for the process to be reconstructed. Read More
Camels in the Biblical World of the Ancient Near East
By Martin Heide and Joris Peters
One hump or two, the camel was known in Mesopotamia from the third millennium BCE onward as the “elephant of the caravan” or “elephant of the mountain.” “Camel” came later. Read More
The Biblical Scale of Gustave Doré
By Sarah C. Schaefer
The mid-19th century French illustrator Gustave Doré was especially well-known for his rich and dynamic Biblical scenes, which were copied widely. So why is he forgotten today? Read More
The Babylonian Akītu Festival and the Ritual Humiliation of the King
By Sam Mirelman
Many Mesopotamian festivals are known, but only one involved the high priest striking the king. What was the purpose of this temporary reversal of the king’s status? Read More
