Jennifer Finn MUCH ADO ABOUT MARDUK Questioning Discourses of Royalty in First Millennium Mesopotamian Literature Scholars often assume that the nature of Mesopotamian kingship was such that questioning royal authority was impossible. This volume challenges that general assumption, by presenting an analysis of the motivations,methods, and motifs behind a scholarly discourse about kingship that arose in the final stages of the last Mesopotamian empires. The focus of the volume is the proliferation of a literature that problematizes authority in the Neo-Assyrian period, when texts first begin to specifically explore various modalities for critique of royalty. This development is symptomatic of a larger discourse about the limits of power that emerges after the repatriation of Marduk's statue to Babylon during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar I in the 12th century BCE. From this point onwards, public attitudes toward Marduk provide a framework for the definition of proper royal behavior, and become a point of contention between Assyria and Babylonia. It is in this historical and political context that several important Akkadian compositions are placed. The texts are analyzed from a new perspective that sheds light on their original milieux and intended functions. Studies in Ancient Near Eastern Records (SANER) 16 x, 241 pages Hardcover: RRP *€ [D] 99.95 / *US$ 114.99 / *GBP 91.00 ISBN 978-1-5015-1385-5 eBook: RRP *€ [D] 99.95 / *US$ 114.99 / *GBP 91.00 PDF ISBN 978-1-5015-0496-9 EPUB ISBN 978-1-5015-0498-3 Date of Publication: May 2017 Language of Publication: English Subjects: Ancient Near Eastern Studies Old Testament / Ancient Near East  Ancient Near East Of interest to: All those interested in Assyriology and Ancient History. *Prices in US$ apply to orders placed in the Americas only. Prices in GBP apply to orders placed in Great Britain only. Prices in € represent the retail prices valid in Germany (unless otherwise indicated). Prices are subject to change without notice. Prices do not include postage and handling if applicable. Free shipping for non-business customers when ordering books at De Gruyter Online. RRP: Recommended Retail Price. Order now! orders@degruyter.com degruyter.com