Alphabet Scribes in the Land of Cuneiform : Sēpiru Professionals in Mesopotamia in the Neo-Babylonian and Achaemenid Periods

This book treats the alphabet scribes in Mesopotamia in the Late Babylonian period (6th-5th centuries BCE). Bloch defends the understanding of the term sēpiru as a designation of alphabet scribes, discusses the functions of sēpiru professionals in Babylonia, and discusses their ethnic origins, with special attention to the participation of Judeans in Babylonia in this profession. The monograph includes translations of over 100 Late Babylonian economic, legal, and administrative documents. Table of Contents Acknowledgments Babylonian Metrical Units Bibliographical Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1. Sēpiru: Specialists in Alphabetic Writing, and in Cuneiform, Too? Chapter 2. Sēpiru in Babylonian Temples Chapter 3. Sēpiru in the State Administration Chapter 4. Sēpiru Active in Private Business Chapter 5. The Ethnic Background of the Sēpiru Professionals Concluding Observations Appendix: Transliteration of Previously Unedited Tablets Copies of Previously Unpublished Cuneiform Tablets Bibliography Index