A Man of Both Assur and Kanesh: The Case of the Merchant á¸ªabdu-mÄlik

Nancy Highcock

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8 A Man of Both Assur and Kanesh: The Case of the Merchant á¸ªabdu-mÄlik

In: âA Community of Peoplesâ

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Nancy Highcock

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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 123â138

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004511538_009

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Abstract

In a letter dating to the reign of Zimri-Lim, the merchant á¸ªabdu-mÄlik writes to the Mariote âChief of the Merchantsâ Iddin-Numushda in order to enter a business agreement that he proposes they solidify through the marriage of their children. This letter has previously been discussed in relation to trading partnerships between Mari and Assur, both as evidence for trade in luxury items and for what it can tell us about the dynamics of long-distance trade in the late Old Assyrian period. This contribution, however, focuses on the particular way in which á¸ªabdu-mÄlik describes himselfâas a man of great renown in both Assur and Kaneshâto explore how the merchants of Assur understood the sociopolitical and geographical boundaries of their own community. By analyzing the Old Assyrian evidence through the lens of identity as performed across distance, we can understand early second-millennium Assur not as a city-state with satellite populations, or as a diaspora in which members of the society are cut off from one another, but as a cohesive community defined by people rather than place. As a member of a unified community across distance that existed in multiple places, the case of á¸ªabdu-mÄlik demonstrates that Assyrian identity could be tied to both a civic membership and a membership in a profession that was defined by its ability to travel. These are not competing categories, but rather complementary parts of a unified way of life, illustrating the intricacies of identity in complex mercantile societies.

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âA Community of Peoplesâ

Studies on Society and Politics in the Bible and Ancient Near East in Honor of Daniel E. Fleming

Series:Â Harvard Semitic Studies, Volume: 69

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004511538

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 28 Apr 2022

Subjects
- Ancient Near East and Egypt
  - Religion
- Biblical Studies
  - Biblical Interpretations

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8 A Man of Both Assur and Kanesh: The Case of the Merchant á¸ªabdu-mÄlik

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âA Community of Peoplesâ

Studies on Society and Politics in the Bible and Ancient Near East in Honor of Daniel E. Fleming

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8 A Man of Both Assur and Kanesh: The Case of the Merchant á¸ªabdu-mÄlik

âA Community of Peoplesâ