Lachish "Letter" 2 (BM 125702): A Polite Letter, an Accreditation Pass, or a Text Used to Teach Letter Writing?

Lachish 2 is typically described as an enigmatic letter, one that consists mainly of the protocol language used in letter introductions. However, past studies have wrestled with Lines 5-6 of this letter, and noted the linguistic crux posed by the verb ybkr. The present study argues that while Lachis...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mandell, Alice (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: University of Chicago Press 2022
In: Bulletin of ASOR
Year: 2022, Volume: 388, Pages: 91-111
Further subjects:B Scribalism
B Lachish
B Northwest Semitic inscriptions
B Hebrew Letters
B Judah
B scribal education
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Lachish 2 is typically described as an enigmatic letter, one that consists mainly of the protocol language used in letter introductions. However, past studies have wrestled with Lines 5-6 of this letter, and noted the linguistic crux posed by the verb ybkr. The present study argues that while Lachish 2 looks like a letter, it plays a different role than letters are traditionally conceived to do (as written communication media that articulate the words of a sender to a recipient). This text’s form, organization, and focus on formulae, and its lack of clear message suggest that Lachish 2 was used as an instructional tool that outlines a letter’s organization and sample epistolary formulae, serving perhaps as a template. This ostracon offers insight into both the practice of letter writing as seen from the internal perspective of a writer, and into education in the process of letter writing in the later days of the Judean monarchy.
ISSN:2769-3589
Contains:Enthalten in: Bulletin of ASOR
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1086/720868