Altsumerische Wirtschaftstexte aus Lagasch by Josef BauerReview by: J. J. M. RobertsJournal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 95, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1975), p. 107Published by: American Oriental SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/599172 .

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A fuller set of indices, particularly of proper names, would have enhanced the value of the volume, since even many Assyriologists will have difficulty finding time to carefully work through all these texts. This is a weakness in the series, however, not in Sollberger's work. His

copies are clear, and his summary catalogue, while too brief, is more helpful than is ordinary in CT volumes. Even with this shortcoming, moreover, one is grateful to the British Museum for providing the scholarly public with another volume of cuneiform texts.

J. J. M. ROBERTS THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

Altsumerische Wirtschaftstexte aus Lagasch. By JOSEF BAUER. Pp. 673. Studia Pohl, 9. Rome: BIBLICAL INSTITUTE PRESS. 1972. Lit. 8,000.

This book offers the first complete treatment of the 195 Old Sumerian legal and adniinistrative documents

published as autographed copies by Wilhelm Fortsch almost sixty years ago in VS XIV. The tablets, which deal with a wide variety of economic concerns, come from Tello, and with the exception of a few pieces, all date to the reigns of the last three rulers of the dynasty founded

by Urnanshe I of Lagash, i.e. Enentarzid, Lugalanda, and Urukagina, or ca. 2374-2355 B.C. Thus they are important both for the economic history of Sumer and for the historical development of the Sumerian language and writing system.

Few scholars will be interested in carefully working through all these texts in order, but many will have occasion to consult them, and Bauer has thoughtfully organized his book for these readers' convenience. Fol- lowing a relatively brief but thorough introduction, a concordance to the tablets, and a preliminary remark on the transcription, he offers his edition of the tablets, grouped by content. His edition includes a translitera- tion, German translation, and a lexicographical com- mentary covering almost every expression in the texts. This is followed by four indexes: 1) personal names, 2) divine names, 3) geographic and topographic desig- nations, and 4) a Sumerian word index. Finally, there is a chronological arrangement of the tablets followed by three pages of supplemental notes and corrections.

The Sumerian word index will no doubt enjoy more use than any other part of the work. As a guide to Bauer's extensive lexicographical notes in the commentary, this index will be very helpful to those who must struggle with the abysmal lack of decent Sumerian lexicographical tools.

Bauer's lexicographical notes are open to criticism, however. He spends far too much space belaboring the obvious with unnecessary citations. One hardly needs

A fuller set of indices, particularly of proper names, would have enhanced the value of the volume, since even many Assyriologists will have difficulty finding time to carefully work through all these texts. This is a weakness in the series, however, not in Sollberger's work. His

copies are clear, and his summary catalogue, while too brief, is more helpful than is ordinary in CT volumes. Even with this shortcoming, moreover, one is grateful to the British Museum for providing the scholarly public with another volume of cuneiform texts.

J. J. M. ROBERTS THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

Altsumerische Wirtschaftstexte aus Lagasch. By JOSEF BAUER. Pp. 673. Studia Pohl, 9. Rome: BIBLICAL INSTITUTE PRESS. 1972. Lit. 8,000.

This book offers the first complete treatment of the 195 Old Sumerian legal and adniinistrative documents

published as autographed copies by Wilhelm Fortsch almost sixty years ago in VS XIV. The tablets, which deal with a wide variety of economic concerns, come from Tello, and with the exception of a few pieces, all date to the reigns of the last three rulers of the dynasty founded

by Urnanshe I of Lagash, i.e. Enentarzid, Lugalanda, and Urukagina, or ca. 2374-2355 B.C. Thus they are important both for the economic history of Sumer and for the historical development of the Sumerian language and writing system.

Few scholars will be interested in carefully working through all these texts in order, but many will have occasion to consult them, and Bauer has thoughtfully organized his book for these readers' convenience. Fol- lowing a relatively brief but thorough introduction, a concordance to the tablets, and a preliminary remark on the transcription, he offers his edition of the tablets, grouped by content. His edition includes a translitera- tion, German translation, and a lexicographical com- mentary covering almost every expression in the texts. This is followed by four indexes: 1) personal names, 2) divine names, 3) geographic and topographic desig- nations, and 4) a Sumerian word index. Finally, there is a chronological arrangement of the tablets followed by three pages of supplemental notes and corrections.

The Sumerian word index will no doubt enjoy more use than any other part of the work. As a guide to Bauer's extensive lexicographical notes in the commentary, this index will be very helpful to those who must struggle with the abysmal lack of decent Sumerian lexicographical tools.

Bauer's lexicographical notes are open to criticism, however. He spends far too much space belaboring the obvious with unnecessary citations. One hardly needs

A fuller set of indices, particularly of proper names, would have enhanced the value of the volume, since even many Assyriologists will have difficulty finding time to carefully work through all these texts. This is a weakness in the series, however, not in Sollberger's work. His

copies are clear, and his summary catalogue, while too brief, is more helpful than is ordinary in CT volumes. Even with this shortcoming, moreover, one is grateful to the British Museum for providing the scholarly public with another volume of cuneiform texts.

J. J. M. ROBERTS THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

Altsumerische Wirtschaftstexte aus Lagasch. By JOSEF BAUER. Pp. 673. Studia Pohl, 9. Rome: BIBLICAL INSTITUTE PRESS. 1972. Lit. 8,000.

This book offers the first complete treatment of the 195 Old Sumerian legal and adniinistrative documents

published as autographed copies by Wilhelm Fortsch almost sixty years ago in VS XIV. The tablets, which deal with a wide variety of economic concerns, come from Tello, and with the exception of a few pieces, all date to the reigns of the last three rulers of the dynasty founded

by Urnanshe I of Lagash, i.e. Enentarzid, Lugalanda, and Urukagina, or ca. 2374-2355 B.C. Thus they are important both for the economic history of Sumer and for the historical development of the Sumerian language and writing system.

Few scholars will be interested in carefully working through all these texts in order, but many will have occasion to consult them, and Bauer has thoughtfully organized his book for these readers' convenience. Fol- lowing a relatively brief but thorough introduction, a concordance to the tablets, and a preliminary remark on the transcription, he offers his edition of the tablets, grouped by content. His edition includes a translitera- tion, German translation, and a lexicographical com- mentary covering almost every expression in the texts. This is followed by four indexes: 1) personal names, 2) divine names, 3) geographic and topographic desig- nations, and 4) a Sumerian word index. Finally, there is a chronological arrangement of the tablets followed by three pages of supplemental notes and corrections.

The Sumerian word index will no doubt enjoy more use than any other part of the work. As a guide to Bauer's extensive lexicographical notes in the commentary, this index will be very helpful to those who must struggle with the abysmal lack of decent Sumerian lexicographical tools.

Bauer's lexicographical notes are open to criticism, however. He spends far too much space belaboring the obvious with unnecessary citations. One hardly needs

A fuller set of indices, particularly of proper names, would have enhanced the value of the volume, since even many Assyriologists will have difficulty finding time to carefully work through all these texts. This is a weakness in the series, however, not in Sollberger's work. His

copies are clear, and his summary catalogue, while too brief, is more helpful than is ordinary in CT volumes. Even with this shortcoming, moreover, one is grateful to the British Museum for providing the scholarly public with another volume of cuneiform texts.

J. J. M. ROBERTS THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

Altsumerische Wirtschaftstexte aus Lagasch. By JOSEF BAUER. Pp. 673. Studia Pohl, 9. Rome: BIBLICAL INSTITUTE PRESS. 1972. Lit. 8,000.

This book offers the first complete treatment of the 195 Old Sumerian legal and adniinistrative documents

published as autographed copies by Wilhelm Fortsch almost sixty years ago in VS XIV. The tablets, which deal with a wide variety of economic concerns, come from Tello, and with the exception of a few pieces, all date to the reigns of the last three rulers of the dynasty founded

by Urnanshe I of Lagash, i.e. Enentarzid, Lugalanda, and Urukagina, or ca. 2374-2355 B.C. Thus they are important both for the economic history of Sumer and for the historical development of the Sumerian language and writing system.

Few scholars will be interested in carefully working through all these texts in order, but many will have occasion to consult them, and Bauer has thoughtfully organized his book for these readers' convenience. Fol- lowing a relatively brief but thorough introduction, a concordance to the tablets, and a preliminary remark on the transcription, he offers his edition of the tablets, grouped by content. His edition includes a translitera- tion, German translation, and a lexicographical com- mentary covering almost every expression in the texts. This is followed by four indexes: 1) personal names, 2) divine names, 3) geographic and topographic desig- nations, and 4) a Sumerian word index. Finally, there is a chronological arrangement of the tablets followed by three pages of supplemental notes and corrections.

The Sumerian word index will no doubt enjoy more use than any other part of the work. As a guide to Bauer's extensive lexicographical notes in the commentary, this index will be very helpful to those who must struggle with the abysmal lack of decent Sumerian lexicographical tools.

Bauer's lexicographical notes are open to criticism, however. He spends far too much space belaboring the obvious with unnecessary citations. One hardly needs

to bolster the ordinary translation of the very common Su-ti with three lines of references to other discussions. That would not be a major flaw in and of itself-one could even regard the giving of lexicographical references for every word as a virtue--but it produces two rather unfortunate results. It takes space and energy from the discussion of genuine problems, and it raises the price of the book beyond the means of many students.

While the latter problem is certainly not a minor quibble, the former is more important. Bauer's commen-

tary with its almost exclusive concentration on lexico-

graphical details, much of it unnecessary, has largely ignored the overall meaning of the texts. The lexico-

graphical notes are important, especially when they add to our knowledge, but one could have hoped for some more substantial attempt to interpret each text as a text, rather than as a series of lexicographical entries.

J. J. M. ROBERTS

TIE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

New and Full Moons 1001 B.C. to A.D. 1651. By HERMAN H. GOLDSTINE. Memoirs of the American Philosoph- ical Society, vol. 94. Pp. vIII + 221. Philadelphia: AMIERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 1973. $ 5.00

These tables give the time and the longitudes of the lunar syzygies to be used for historical research on astronomical documents which have to be dated on the basis of internal criteria. These tables are meant to be a

supplement to Tuckerman's tables on planetary, lunar and solar positions; they therefore use the same basic data for computation. The tables have been produced with the help of a computer. They prove to be a useful tool for all philologists and historians concerned with astronomical texts.

HERMANN HUNGER

UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA

Archives in the Ancient World. By ERNST POSNER.

Pp. IX + 283; 43 figures; 1 map. Cambridge, Mass.: HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS. 1972. $10.00

Mr. Posner's volume, Archives in the Ancient World, addresses a learned but not necessarily a scholarly public. It purports to be a "testimony to the immeasurable value of records." The author, Professor Emeritus of History and Archives Administration at the American

University, divides his work into somewhat unequal chapters which study "Clay Tablet Archives," "Pharaonic Egypt," "Greece," "Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Seleucid Empire," "Ptolemaic Egypt," "Republican Rome," and "Imperial Rome." A "Postlude" of a few pages carries the survey of record keeping in antiquity

to bolster the ordinary translation of the very common Su-ti with three lines of references to other discussions. That would not be a major flaw in and of itself-one could even regard the giving of lexicographical references for every word as a virtue--but it produces two rather unfortunate results. It takes space and energy from the discussion of genuine problems, and it raises the price of the book beyond the means of many students.

While the latter problem is certainly not a minor quibble, the former is more important. Bauer's commen-

tary with its almost exclusive concentration on lexico-

graphical details, much of it unnecessary, has largely ignored the overall meaning of the texts. The lexico-

graphical notes are important, especially when they add to our knowledge, but one could have hoped for some more substantial attempt to interpret each text as a text, rather than as a series of lexicographical entries.

J. J. M. ROBERTS

TIE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

New and Full Moons 1001 B.C. to A.D. 1651. By HERMAN H. GOLDSTINE. Memoirs of the American Philosoph- ical Society, vol. 94. Pp. vIII + 221. Philadelphia: AMIERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 1973. $ 5.00

These tables give the time and the longitudes of the lunar syzygies to be used for historical research on astronomical documents which have to be dated on the basis of internal criteria. These tables are meant to be a

supplement to Tuckerman's tables on planetary, lunar and solar positions; they therefore use the same basic data for computation. The tables have been produced with the help of a computer. They prove to be a useful tool for all philologists and historians concerned with astronomical texts.

HERMANN HUNGER

UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA

Archives in the Ancient World. By ERNST POSNER.

Pp. IX + 283; 43 figures; 1 map. Cambridge, Mass.: HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS. 1972. $10.00

Mr. Posner's volume, Archives in the Ancient World, addresses a learned but not necessarily a scholarly public. It purports to be a "testimony to the immeasurable value of records." The author, Professor Emeritus of History and Archives Administration at the American

University, divides his work into somewhat unequal chapters which study "Clay Tablet Archives," "Pharaonic Egypt," "Greece," "Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Seleucid Empire," "Ptolemaic Egypt," "Republican Rome," and "Imperial Rome." A "Postlude" of a few pages carries the survey of record keeping in antiquity

to bolster the ordinary translation of the very common Su-ti with three lines of references to other discussions. That would not be a major flaw in and of itself-one could even regard the giving of lexicographical references for every word as a virtue--but it produces two rather unfortunate results. It takes space and energy from the discussion of genuine problems, and it raises the price of the book beyond the means of many students.

While the latter problem is certainly not a minor quibble, the former is more important. Bauer's commen-

tary with its almost exclusive concentration on lexico-

graphical details, much of it unnecessary, has largely ignored the overall meaning of the texts. The lexico-

graphical notes are important, especially when they add to our knowledge, but one could have hoped for some more substantial attempt to interpret each text as a text, rather than as a series of lexicographical entries.

J. J. M. ROBERTS

TIE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

New and Full Moons 1001 B.C. to A.D. 1651. By HERMAN H. GOLDSTINE. Memoirs of the American Philosoph- ical Society, vol. 94. Pp. vIII + 221. Philadelphia: AMIERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 1973. $ 5.00

These tables give the time and the longitudes of the lunar syzygies to be used for historical research on astronomical documents which have to be dated on the basis of internal criteria. These tables are meant to be a

supplement to Tuckerman's tables on planetary, lunar and solar positions; they therefore use the same basic data for computation. The tables have been produced with the help of a computer. They prove to be a useful tool for all philologists and historians concerned with astronomical texts.

HERMANN HUNGER

UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA

Archives in the Ancient World. By ERNST POSNER.

Pp. IX + 283; 43 figures; 1 map. Cambridge, Mass.: HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS. 1972. $10.00

Mr. Posner's volume, Archives in the Ancient World, addresses a learned but not necessarily a scholarly public. It purports to be a "testimony to the immeasurable value of records." The author, Professor Emeritus of History and Archives Administration at the American

University, divides his work into somewhat unequal chapters which study "Clay Tablet Archives," "Pharaonic Egypt," "Greece," "Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Seleucid Empire," "Ptolemaic Egypt," "Republican Rome," and "Imperial Rome." A "Postlude" of a few pages carries the survey of record keeping in antiquity

to bolster the ordinary translation of the very common Su-ti with three lines of references to other discussions. That would not be a major flaw in and of itself-one could even regard the giving of lexicographical references for every word as a virtue--but it produces two rather unfortunate results. It takes space and energy from the discussion of genuine problems, and it raises the price of the book beyond the means of many students.

While the latter problem is certainly not a minor quibble, the former is more important. Bauer's commen-

tary with its almost exclusive concentration on lexico-

graphical details, much of it unnecessary, has largely ignored the overall meaning of the texts. The lexico-

graphical notes are important, especially when they add to our knowledge, but one could have hoped for some more substantial attempt to interpret each text as a text, rather than as a series of lexicographical entries.

J. J. M. ROBERTS

TIE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

New and Full Moons 1001 B.C. to A.D. 1651. By HERMAN H. GOLDSTINE. Memoirs of the American Philosoph- ical Society, vol. 94. Pp. vIII + 221. Philadelphia: AMIERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 1973. $ 5.00

These tables give the time and the longitudes of the lunar syzygies to be used for historical research on astronomical documents which have to be dated on the basis of internal criteria. These tables are meant to be a

supplement to Tuckerman's tables on planetary, lunar and solar positions; they therefore use the same basic data for computation. The tables have been produced with the help of a computer. They prove to be a useful tool for all philologists and historians concerned with astronomical texts.

HERMANN HUNGER

UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA

Archives in the Ancient World. By ERNST POSNER.

Pp. IX + 283; 43 figures; 1 map. Cambridge, Mass.: HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS. 1972. $10.00

Mr. Posner's volume, Archives in the Ancient World, addresses a learned but not necessarily a scholarly public. It purports to be a "testimony to the immeasurable value of records." The author, Professor Emeritus of History and Archives Administration at the American

University, divides his work into somewhat unequal chapters which study "Clay Tablet Archives," "Pharaonic Egypt," "Greece," "Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Seleucid Empire," "Ptolemaic Egypt," "Republican Rome," and "Imperial Rome." A "Postlude" of a few pages carries the survey of record keeping in antiquity

107 107 107 107

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