The Nimrud Letters, 1952: Part VII

Abstract

Most of the Nimrud letters bearing important identifiable historical allusions have now been published. There still remain, however, about a hundred further documents, of which the letters of the present selection are amongst the best preserved. All the letters here published are from those which fell to the share of the British School of Archaeology at the division of the Nimrud tablets, and it has therefore been possible in every case to collate the copies (made in 1954) against the originals prior to publication.The letters in this group are connected by no common theme, though there are several which relate to similar situations. In the first two (LXXI and LXXII), and in one of the three letters in Babylonian dialect and script (LXXXI), the writer excuses himself for failure to perform the king's orders; though despite the similarity of subject-matter there is a very different tone in the different letters. Thus, whilst in LXXXI the writer is full of apology, blaming his apparent neglect to communicate with the king upon the shortcomings of his messenger, the attitude of the writer of LXXI shows a sturdy independence of spirit. He declines to do what is asked of him in connection with a horse train, and after quoting what appears to be a proverb — ‘he who answered the king back died’ or ‘he who turned against the king died’ — sums up with the words ‘Now after I have sent a message let the king my lord do what he will do’.

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