A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

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1.6 Administrative Documents

Administrative documents from Assyrian, Babylonian and Achaemenid

imperial archives contain much useful information on the treatment

of foreign nationals (exiles, deportees, ambassadors). Such texts are

available from the whole span of the millennium.

1.7 Historiographic Texts

Chronicles, king lists, diaries, and the like, though available from all

sub-periods of the millennium, are generally of limited value to the

study of international law. An exception is the so-called Synchronistic

History, which surveys the relations between Assyria and Babylonia

from the fifteenth through the early eighth century and contains

many references to treaties concluded between the two states.^11

1.8 Political Declarations

The only available example is a declaration of war styled like a lit-

erary letter, dating to the fall of the Assyrian Empire.^12

1.9 Oracle Queries

Queries addressed to the sun god, available from the Neo-Assyrian

period only, contain many references to plans of war and treaties in

the making,^13 as well as miscellaneous information relating to for-

eigners at the Assyrian court.

1.10 Miscellanea

Valuable information is occasionally provided by sundry texts not

falling into any of the above categories, such as the so-called Sin of

Sargon, which illustrates aspects of Assyria’s controversial policy

towards Babylonia,^14 and a mid-eighth-century text referring to a

pact between the Neo-Babylonian king Nabu-shuma-ishkun (ca.

(^11) Edited and discussed by Grayson, Chronicles, no. 21 (pp. 51–56 and 157–70).
(^12) See Gerardi, “Declaring War.. .” Note that although the text is not dated,
the ductus indicates that it is not the original but a copy made in the late
Achaemenid/Seleucid period.
(^13) See SAA 4 nos. 12, 20, 21, 43, and 56.
(^14) Tadmor, Parpola, and Landsberger, “Sin of Sargon...”
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