3-Week SASA Reading Group: Power and Justice in the Ancient World

Previous participation and previous knowledge are not required.

This reading group will explore the relationship between power and justice in the ancient world, focusing on Egypt and Babylonia in the second millennium BCE. In the first week, we'll examine laws and wisdom texts to gain an understanding of the Egyptian and Mesopotamian views of justice and the behavioral expectations designed to prevent the wealthy and powerful from abusing their status.   

The following two weeks will explore power and justice through two narrative tales. The second week is devoted to the "Poor Man of Nippur," a Babylonian tale of a wronged man seeking revenge and justice against the mayor who wronged him. Participants will read the story as well as watch the performance of the tale produced by Assyriology students at the University of Cambridge. The third week centers on "The Eloquent Peasant," a tale from Middle Kingdom Egypt that…