This volume presents a critical edition of 161 letters attributable to the reign of Assurbanipal (668-c. 630 bce). It includes 100 letters from the king himself, 51 letters mainly from northern and central Babylonia addressed to the king, and ten non-royal letters. The correspondence from southern Babylonia, consisting of 183 missives, will soon be published in another SAA volume, and thus will not be discussed here.
The purpose of this introduction is to briefly present and discuss the content and main characteristics of the royal correspondence edited here. These letters deal chiefly with the politics of Babylonia and Elam during the revolt of Šamaš-šumu-ukin (652-648) and its aftermath.
Sanae Ito
Sanae Ito, 'Introduction', The Correspondence of Assurbanipal, Part I: Letters from Assyria, Babylonia, and Vassal States, SAA 21. Original publication:Winona Laka, IN, Eisenbrauns, 2018; online contents: SAAo/SAA21 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2020 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa21/introduction/]