The Aramaic 'Fugitive' Decree: A New Interpretation

AbstractThis paper presents a new interpretation of the so-called 'Fugitive' Decree, suggesting that it is concerned with setting migrants to work rather than apprehending a miscreant. It is based on an attempt to take into account the underlying Akkadian (Neo-Assyrian) terminology, to app...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aramaic studies 2008, Vol.6 (1), p.1-15
Main Author: Bhayro, Siam
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AKKADIAN
EPIGRAPHY
LABOUR
MIGRATION
NEO-ASSYRIAN
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:AbstractThis paper presents a new interpretation of the so-called 'Fugitive' Decree, suggesting that it is concerned with setting migrants to work rather than apprehending a miscreant. It is based on an attempt to take into account the underlying Akkadian (Neo-Assyrian) terminology, to appreciate the overall structure and syntax of the text and to reflect the socio-political situation in Babylonia during the Neo-Assyrian period. It also makes a tentative claim that the text's terminology reflects the different settlement patterns of the agriculturalist Chaldeans and pastoralist Aramaeans.
ISSN:1477-8351
1745-5227
1477-8351
DOI:10.1163/147783508X371268