Postgate J.N. Taxation and Conscription in the Assyrian Empire

Biblical Institute Press, 1974. — 441 p.Abstract
Neo-Assyrian studies have lain so long becalmed that it is not necessary for me to defend my choice of subject, but a few words may not be out of place to define the objectives and limi tations of the study. In a sense, this is a second half to Studia Pohl, Series Maior 1, Neo-Assyrian royal grants and decrees, which contains much that makes it an essential preliminary to the present work. It was observed there that discussion of the nature of the taxes mentioned in the ‘taxation exemp tion clause^’ was ‘impossible without a full consideration of the abundant evidence which is to be found in the letters and legal and administrative documents’. This second volume is an attempt to meet this objective; as far as taxation is concerned I hope
to have used the sources and discussed the problems reasonably fully, but the lack of an adequate study of the Assyrian army has meant that the subject of conscription could be treated from one angle only.