Over the course of the last decade, the field of Ancient Near Eastern Studies has seen an uptick in studies devoted to the research of identity building in various cuneiform cultures. Despite these contributions the construct network character of identities remains understudied for the Ancient Near East. The conference “The King as a Nodal Point of Neo-Assyrian Identity” sought to fill in some gaps by focussing on the pivotal role of the Assyrian monarch in identity constructs formative for the Neo-Assyrian empire and society. The conference’s goal was to develop a fresh look on the Assyrian ruler not as the all-defining pinnacle of societal identity, but as an important nodal point within a complex network of elite, yet delicate power relations. By following such a network approach, the role of the monarch becomes decentralized as it gets embedded into a web of power alliances that define both the monarchy as well as its elite carriers. Regrettably, we are lacking substantial sources that enable us to reliably tackle the identities prominent in the lower strata of societies beyond the economic sector. No written accounts pertaining to such matters are available to us, and it is highly doubtful that any will surface at all. We are thus forced to approach these questions by studying the qualities of elite power constructions which might enable us to draw cautious conclusions on identity effects on the middle and lower segments of Assyrian society.

Johannes Bach / Sebastian Fink: Introduction

Amar Annus: The King as the Source of Public Health: An Analysis of the Marduk-Ea Incantation Structure

Johannes Bach: Similes as a Literary Means of Narrative Identity Construction in Neo-Assyrian Royal Narrative Texts

Ellie Bennett: Beards as a Marker of Status during the Neo-Assyrian Period

Hannes D. Galter: Warrior Kings: The Changing Facets of Heroic Kingship in Assyria

Mattias Karlsson: The Assyrian King and His Enemies According to the Verb saḫāpu in Assyrian Royal Inscriptions

Raija Mattila: On the Family and Social Background of the Elite in Assyria

Natalie naomi May: מִפְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר ...: The Imitators of the King and the Empire

Simo Parpola: The King as Priest

Beate Pongratz-Leisten: The Epiphany of the King and the Configurational Impact of Architecture in Neo-Assyrian Palaces

Shigeo Yamada: To Be Assyrian Residents: A Reflection on the Integration of the Subjugated People into the Assyrian Empire

Index