“Your envoys are speaking to you untruths!” (ea 1:82) : lies in the international El-Amarna correspondence

Abstract: Lying constitutes the malicious provision of false information or the intentional hiding of correct information. Modern research identifies various types: beneficial (i.e., stated for the benefit of the liar), defensive, offensive, etc. Both the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern lit...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Breier, Idan
Formato: Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Universidad Católica Argentina. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Departamento de Historia. Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente 2020
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Acceso en línea:https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/handle/123456789/10310
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Sumario:Abstract: Lying constitutes the malicious provision of false information or the intentional hiding of correct information. Modern research identifies various types: beneficial (i.e., stated for the benefit of the liar), defensive, offensive, etc. Both the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern literature present lying as a moral affront. This article examines the phenomenon as it appears in the 44 international letters in the El-Amarna archive. This period witnessed intensive diplomatic activity between the great powers, during which each king was seeking to gain prestige and increase his kingdom’s power on the international stage. An analysis of the documents reveals that lying was commonly practiced in this arena.