The Tablets Of Ebla

When the ancient city of Ebla was unearthed, archaeologists discovered the well-preserved royal library containing more than 15,000 clay tablets and fragments. At digs in modern-day Syria, the Ebla tablets provide unique insight into the culture and and history of ancient Mesopotamia.

The roughly 5,000 cuneiform tablets from Ebla (3rd millennium BC) attest to the oldest Semitic language and provide insight into a period in the history of Syria that was previously unknown. Their restoration, interpretation, and classification has taken more than thirty years. The essays collected in this volume offer important insight into the history and culture of this ancient Near Eastern city-state.

The story of the discovery of a lost 4,500 year-old city and empire and its sensational impact on Biblical history.

Following on from Treasures From Bible Times and Discoveries from the Time of Jesus, this book provides a comprehensive survey of biblical archaeology.

In Ebla , Paolo Matthiae presents the results of 47 years of excavations at this fascinating site, providing a detailed account of Ebla’s history and archaeology. Ebla grew from a small Early Bronze Age settlement into an important trading and political centre, which endured until its final destruction in c. 1600 BC . The destruction of its royal palace c. 2300 BC was particularly significant as it preserved the city’s rich archives, offering a wealth of information on its history, economy, religion, administration, and daily life. The discovery of Ebla is a pivotal moment in the history of archaeological investigations of the twentieth century, and this book is the result of all the excavation campaigns at Tell Mardikh- Ebla from 1964 until 2010, when field operations stopped due to the war in Syria. Available for the first time in English, Ebla offers a complete account of one of the largest pre-classical urban centres by its discoverer, making it an essential resource for students of Ancient Near Eastern archaeology and history.