Summary
Published in 1992, William L. Moran's definitive English translation, The Amarna Letters, raised as many questions as it answered. How did Pharaoh run his empire? Why did the god-king consent to deal with his fellow, mortal monarchs as equals? Indeed, why did kings engage in diplomacy at all? How did the great powers maintain international peace and order? In Amarna Diplomacy, Raymond Cohen and Raymond Westbrook have brought together a team of specialists, both social scientists and ancient historians, to explore the world of ancient Near Eastern statecraft portrayed in the letters. Subjects discussed include Egyptian imperial and foreign policy, international law and trade, geopolitics and decision making, intelligence, and diplomacy. This book will be of interest to scholars not only of the ancient Near East and the Bible but also of international relations and diplomatic studies. Contributors are Pinhas Artzi, Kevin Avruch, Geoffrey Berridge, Betsy M. Bryan, Raymond Cohen, Steven R. David, Daniel Druckman, Serdar Guner, Alan James, Christer Jonsson, Mario Liverani, Samuel A. Meier, William J. Murnane, Nadav Na'aman, Rodolfo Ragionieri, Raymond Westbrook, and Carlo Zaccagnini.
Author Biography
Raymond Cohen is a professor of international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Raymond Westbrook is a professor of ancient Near Eastern languages and literature at the Johns Hopkins University.
Table of Contents
Preface |
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ix | |
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xi | |
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xiii | |
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Introduction: The Amarna System |
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1 | (14) |
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I. The International System |
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15 | (13) |
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International Law in the Amarna Age |
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28 | (14) |
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The Amarna Age: An International Society in the Making |
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42 | (12) |
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Realism, Constructivism, and the Amarna Letters |
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54 | (17) |
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II. Foreign Policy |
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The Egyptian Perspective on Mittani |
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71 | (14) |
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Intelligence in the Amarna Letters |
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85 | (16) |
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III. Imperial Policy |
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Imperial Egypt and the Limits of Power |
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101 | (11) |
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Egypt and Her Vassals: The Geopolitical Dimension |
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112 | (13) |
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The Egyptian-Canaanite Correspondence |
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125 | (16) |
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IV. International Transactions |
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The Interdependence of the Great Powers |
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141 | (13) |
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Reciprocity, Equality, and Status-Anxiety in the Amarna Letters |
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154 | (11) |
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Diplomacy and International Marriages |
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165 | (9) |
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A Social-Psychological Analysis of Amarna Diplomacy |
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174 | (17) |
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V. Diplomacy |
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Diplomatic Signaling in the Amarna Letters |
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191 | (14) |
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The Diplomatic Service in Action: The Mittani File |
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205 | (7) |
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Amarna Diplomacy: A Full-fledged Diplomatic System? |
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212 | (13) |
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Conclusion: The Beginnings of International Relations |
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225 | (12) |
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Notes |
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237 | (32) |
Bibliography |
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269 | (18) |
Contributors |
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287 | (4) |
Index of Terms and Proper Names |
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291 | (2) |
Index of Sources |
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293 | (6) |
General Index |
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299 | |