ISIN Journal

This research examines metal jewellery in Mesopotamia by tracing its origins and historical development, with a focus on bracelets, earrings, and pins as representative examples of adornment and functional objects. The study reviews the early use of these items from prehistoric times and their transition from natural materials to metal as manufacturing techniques advanced. It also highlights the formal, artistic, and symbolic aspects of metal jewellery and its role in expressing aesthetic values and social status, considering these objects as material evidence that contributes to understanding the development of metallurgy and social life in ancient Mesopotamia.

Cylinder seals are among the most prominent artistic evidence in Mesopotamian civilization, as they depict scenes reflecting the religious, political, and social dimensions of each era. Scenes of submission stand out as an important theme reflecting the relationship between humanity and supreme authority, whether represented by a deity or a king. These scenes gain their significance from not only expressing an event but also revealing intellectual implications and artistic qualities. Submission is linked to physical action (standing and being present), while compliance is linked to behavioral action (obedience and submission). This is reflected in tracing the development of artistic style across eras, including the Akkadian and Old Babylonian periods, in terms of the organization of elements, balance, volumetric gradation, and the use of artistic poses that aim to highlight status and function within the seal scene. The research presents an artistic description and interpretation of the content of these seals and compares them. The study is further supported by tables, images, tablets, and drawings.

The Seleucid period (312–63 BCE) is considered one of the most prominent historical phases that witnessed extensive cultural and civilizational interaction, as it represented an important link between the civilizations of the ancient Near East and Hellenistic influences. This interaction was clearly reflected in the arts, particularly in Seleucid figurines, which combined Mesopotamian characteristics with Seleucid artistic elements.
The concept of the Mother Goddess is regarded as one of the ideas with authentic Mesopotamian roots; however, it continued and developed during the Seleucid period, where it was incorporated into figurines with the addition of new artistic touches. These figurines appeared wearing garments of a Seleucid character, such as loose, folded robes, as well as caps and head coverings, reflecting an artistic blend that combines local traditions with Seleucid influences.

Tepe Gawra is considered one of the important archaeological sites in northern Mesopotamia, owing to the chronological and cultural significance it holds within the framework of the settlement sequence extending from the Neolithic period to the first millennium BC and the phases that followed. Excavations carried out by foreign expeditions have revealed important architectural and material evidence that has contributed to clarifying this cultural sequence. Within the scope of this research, selected examples of the temples discovered at the site were studied, their architectural characteristics analyzed, and they were compared with other contemporary sites in order to identify similarities and differences.

The Arabic translations of the New Testament -which are many- vary in their accuracy and linguistic correctness, according to the competence of their translators and their mastery of the Arabic language on the one hand and the Syriac language on the other hand; therefore, it is difficult to translate the Syriac religious text into Arabic or other languages with the same accuracy as it came in the original text; This is because its words carry linguistic and rhetorical characteristics, connotations and meanings that express the beliefs, worship, morals and values contained in the Christian religion. In addition, this difficulty lies in the fact that this religious text relates to human awareness, daily practices and beliefs that are difficult to transfer to another language.
Due to the large number of Arabic translations of the New Testament texts, and the differences between them in style and formulation, we chose the translation of (Smith & Van Dyke), which is one of the famous Arabic translations that is relied upon in most scientific studies.
Our study was based on two methods:
First: Analysis, through studying the style of (Smith and Van Dyke) Arabic translation of the Syriac text of the Gospel of Matthew, and reviewing their translation's dealing with this text, and how it was translated.
Second: Statistics, through counting the most important linguistic notes that the Arabic translation (Smith and Van Dyke) made when translating the Syriac text of the Gospel of Matthew, and trying to correct them by referring to the original Syriac text.

The Third Dynasty of Ur (2112-2004 BC) rose to power following the collapse of the Akkadian Empire. It lasted nearly a century, during which the region experienced significant cultural and economic growth. Evidence of this economic boom is seen in the tens of thousands of surviving clay tablets, most of which are cuneiform texts that mainly focus on economic matters. These texts offer valuable insights into the economic and accounting systems of the time. Used to ensure contractors met their obligations to the state, including those involving institutions, workers, and merchants, they also helped in planning and preparation. Accurate accounting demanded expert calculation skills, particularly in assessing the prices of goods or their worth in barley and silver, eventually becoming a fundamental part of scribal education.

The Akkadian state is distinguished by its emergence through the creation of a single dynasty. The kings who ruled succeeded one another directly, from father to son, for a period of 1.5 centuries, providing clear evidence of the country’s internal stability. Moreover, the Akkadians reached the highest levels of cultural refinement and development, transforming from pastoralists into professional merchants during that period.

Other reasons the Akkadians abandoned their original homeland were changes in trade routes to places other than their original locations, in accordance with the shifting settlements of tribes along the route, which had served as commercial stations. This forced them to migrate to lands where the resources for livelihood—pasture and agriculture—were available. Consequently, the Akkadian state ruled for more than a century and a half, adopting a military system in its administration and economy, especially during the reigns of its kings from Sargon of Akkad and his grandson Naram-Sin to the last strong king, King Shar-Kali-Sharri.

The term “Erin2” is one of the important terms in the civilization of Mesopotamia, as it was associated with religious, social and administrative connotations that reflect an important aspect of the thought of the Mesopotamian man and his organization of daily life, Cuneiform texts, of various kinds, formed a basic source for understanding the nature of this term and the work that they did as an important class of society in Mesopotamia.
The importance of this study lies in its contribution to shedding light on one of the concepts that reflects an important aspect of intellectual and social life in Mesopotamia, which came under the title of Erin2 in the laws, literature and arts of Mesopotamia, the discussion here was not limited to the term Erin2itself, but rather to what this term means in terms of different connotations such as workers, soldiers, crowds of people, a group of men and other meanings associated with it, This research was divided into two sections, the first came under the title of Erin2 in the of literature Mesopotamia, while the second came under the title of Erin2 in the arts of Mesopotamia.

This study aims to examine the significance and various functions of cedar wood in ancient Mesopotamian civilisation through an analysis of cuneiform texts, including administrative, economic, religious, and literary sources. The research seeks to explore cedar as a rare economic resource and to highlight its symbolic and ritual dimensions within Mesopotamian thought.
The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach by collecting and analysing cuneiform references to cedar across its various contexts, supported by Arabic and foreign sources, as well as academic theses and dissertations. The research is structured around three main axes: cedar as an economic resource in administrative texts, its role in religious and ritual practices, and its symbolic representation in Mesopotamian literature, particularly in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
The study concludes that cedar wood was not merely a construction material but a strategic economic resource closely associated with long-distance trade networks, especially with Lebanon. Furthermore, religious texts demonstrate that cedar acquired a sacred character, as it was used in incense, aromatic oils, and purification rituals, reflecting its importance in religious practices.
In literary texts, cedar symbolises strength and immortality, particularly in the depiction of the Cedar Forest in the Epic of Gilgamesh as a sacred, divine space. This multiplicity of functions reveals the integrated nature of Mesopotamian thought, which did not separate material and symbolic meanings but combined them within a unified cosmological framework.
Accordingly, the study argues that examining cedar wood provides deeper insight into the interrelationships among economy, religion, and symbolism in ancient Mesopotamia and highlights the role of natural resources in shaping its intellectual and cultural structure.

The study of the phenomenon of plural gender nouns is an important linguistic phenomenon in comparative studies between the Akkadian languages in their Assyrian and Arabic texts. Arab and international researchers have not addressed this phenomenon in detail in the Akkadian language. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on them, especially since the Akkadian language resembles the Arabic language in many linguistic phenomena. The Akkadian language in general, and Assyrian texts in particular, include plural gender nouns in many linguistic terms. Therefore, the research addresses the plural and singular generic nouns in the Akkadian language technically, especially since international researchers have not distinguished between plural and broken plural nouns and between plural and singular gender nouns, nor have they provided a clear picture of them. This study then aims to compare the Akkadian language with the Arabic language. Linguistically and technically, this paper explains the linguistic terms that illustrate this linguistic phenomenon. It also applies them to selected examples of plural nouns found in various Assyrian texts, highlighting their similarities and differences with Arabic vocabulary.

Theft is a complex and multidimensional social phenomenon. In this paper, we have sought to identify the principal reflections of theft and thieves in the literature of Mesopotamia, through a careful examination of published cuneiform texts for all references and indications related to theft within the civilization of ancient Mesopotamia. This study addresses, in separate sections, the representation of theft and banditry in literary sources. The thief is portrayed as a violator of the divine covenant and a disruptor of the established moral and cosmic order. The research examines the image of the thief in wisdom literature and other literary compositions, references to theft in omen texts, and the presence of the thief and the act of theft in disputation texts. Furthermore, both the thief and theft appear in similes, proverbs, wisdom literature, reflective texts, as well as in compositions expressing complaint, resentment, and lamentation. Finally, the study highlights instances in which the provision of security and the suppression of theft are invoked as themes of pride and royal self-representation.
Mesopotamian literature addressed a wide range of themes, including life and death, the creation of the universe and humankind, the duality of good and evil, and the concept of punishment—an indication of the depth of thought and the richness of its intellectual production. Many writers in regions neighboring Mesopotamia drew their literary themes from its corpus, translating them into their own languages, which contributed to the wide dissemination of Mesopotamian literature among the literatures of the ancient world. Mesopotamian literature constitutes a faithful mirror reflecting various aspects of people’s lives at that time, particularly in their religious and social dimensions, as well as its close connection to its geographical environment. Despite the predominantly mythological character of its texts, this literature preserved a considerable degree of realism in its depiction of daily life and prevailing beliefs. Among its most prominent features was the frequent copying of well-known literary texts and their broad circulation both within Mesopotamia and beyond its borders.

The need for food is one of the most important human characteristics, as food is essential for biological and social life. Cuisine culture is a vital cultural heritage that gives clues about identity, lifestyle, eating habits and the authenticity of societies. Food ways shape society, from production and trade to the construction of jobs across ages and genders. Food and banquets contribute to the process of human interaction, from the table of the common people to the table of the king. Cooking, as a technology and craft of preparing food for consumption, is as old as human existence and is common to every culture on Earth, but cooking techniques and ingredients vary greatly.
The research presents methods of preparing food, its types, and eating habits among the ancient inhabitants of Mesopotamia

The Third Dynasty of Ur represents a crucial phase of the Late Sumerian period in Mesopotamian history, marking the final stage of Sumerian political dominance alongside a peak in administrative, economic, and urban development. During the reigns of the dynasty’s first four kings, the state achieved a high degree of centralization and economic organization. Among these rulers, King Amar-Sin, the third king of the dynasty, continued the administrative and economic policies established under his predecessor Šulgi and played a significant role in maintaining and expanding the prosperity of the Ur III state
A key aspect of Amar-Sin’s reign was the execution of major infrastructural projects, most notably the construction of a canal bearing his name. This canal served as an essential component of the irrigation and water-management system, ensuring the regulated flow of water to cities located along the western branch of the Euphrates, including Bad-tibira, Umma, and Ur. Beyond its agricultural function, the canal also facilitated riverine transport and trade, providing a navigable route with associated provisioning and resting stations.

The Mesopotamian civilization is considered one of the oldest civilizations in human history and played a pivotal role in shaping medical and intellectual heritage throughout the ages. The inhabitants of Iraq were deeply invested in medicinal plants and herbs, using them for therapeutic, nutritional, and preventative purposes. They relied on accumulated empirical knowledge of the properties of diverse products, contributing to the development of medical practices from the simplest to the most sophisticated and precise.
We also possess ancient scientific texts and medical records that demonstrate a remarkable level of medical and health awareness. These texts were crucial for subsequent civilizations and continue to significantly influence many traditional treatments and herbal remedies practiced to this day.

The Syriac text (the Peshitta) is a cornerstone in the study of the textual traditions of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament. The textual traditions include: the Masoretic Text, the Greek text (the Septuagint), the Dead Sea Scrolls, and other primary sources or ancient translations of the Bible. Therefore, the Peshitta is considered an early witness to the development of the Hebrew (Masoretic) text. However, it cannot be considered a direct translation of the Hebrew text for several reasons, including the fact that the Syriac text shows differences from the Hebrew text and also demonstrates its familiarity with other textual traditions. This study focuses on an analytical comparison of the Syriac text of the visions in the Book of Zechariah (chapters 1-6) with the Hebrew and Greek texts. The study observes a marked variation in the Peshitta, ranging from stylistic and linguistic differences to Syriac lexical variations in its treatment of the Hebrew and Greek texts. The study reveals that the Syriac text was based on the Hebrew text, but was also partially influenced by the Greek Septuagint in specific verses. However, it does not show complete dependence on either text. The Syriac version may sometimes have been a combination of the Hebrew and Greek texts, or perhaps there was a source for the Peshitta that we do not possess today. The differences revealed by the Syriac text may stem from the difficulty in understanding the Hebrew text or its ambiguity in some verses. Nevertheless, these differences affect the overall meaning of the text. Therefore, the core of the research lies in examining the Syriac lexical and linguistic vocabulary that does not perfectly correspond to its Hebrew or Greek counterparts, highlighting the impact of this on the general meaning of the visions in the Book of Zechariah.

The translation techniques that are employed by the Peshitta in translating Hebrew biblical texts into Syriac language have attracted the attention of scholars, with some even dedicating entire books to studying these techniques for specific biblical books. However, it must be said that the Peshitta remains a vast field of study in areas of translation technique. This is because many biblical books translated into Syriac language have not received sufficient scholarly attention. Therefore, this study attempts to examine the translation technique used by the Peshitta in translating the Book of Amos, one of the books of the Bible. More specifically, the study explores the technique of metaphor deconstruction in the Book of Amos, a technique used by the Syriac translator to address metaphor as a literary device. Because the prophet Amos uses metaphor extensively in the book, the verses selected for this study are those in which metaphor deconstruction is employed by the Peshitta as a translation technique. The verses under study are: Amos 1:3; 3:5; 7:7-9. 8: 1-3. The aim of this study is to examine how the Peshitta deals with the connections between the source and target domains, and to what extent the Peshitta can preserve the meaning of the original text through the techniques used in translation.

This study reviews women's representations in ancient Iranian thought, revealing a balance between theological sanctification and ritual restriction in Avestan texts. Regarding female divinity, Goddess Anahita models cosmic power and beauty, described as: "a wonderful girl, very strong, slender, mantle tightened at her high waist, breasts prominent and beautiful". Socially, women held legal rights ensuring financial independence and ownership of marital gifts after divorce, unless misconduct was proven. The Dinkard granted her scientific eligibility exceeding priests during religious exercise. Biologically, Avestan thought saw fertility as a cosmic trust, likening the unwed girl to: "arable land left fallow without tilling; thus the Earth remains extremely sad". Conversely, Vendidad texts mandated strict ritual isolation during menstruation and childbirth, protecting sacred fire and water from ritual pollution. These representations reflect an existential specificity where sanctity and purifying functions intersect to ensure lineage purity.

The city of Der (Tell al-Aqar) is one of the oldest cities that witnessed human settlement from prehistoric times to the Islamic era and the periods that followed until the Islamic era, which reflects its temporal extent and historical importance. The city of Der (Tell al-Aqar), which is located within the Badra district, north of the city of Kut, the center of Wasit district, is still surrounded by residential complexes. Which has not yet been subjected to any systematic excavations that would definitively reveal its civilizational sequence, and our research, which relied on aerial and field archaeological surveys, enabled us to identify some of its geographical features and determine some aspects of its civilizational development through the various archaeological finds that appeared on the site's surface.

Environmental factors are the primary determinants that have shaped the emergence and continuity of human settlements throughout the ages, due to the water resources, arable lands, and defensive and organizational advantages they provide. Archaeology has increasingly prioritized the study of the human-environment relationship, particularly in regions characterized by complex interactions between human activities and dynamic natural systems, The Kumait region, situated in Maysan Governorate, is distinguished by its alluvial plain environment, which has positioned it as a vital hub for human settlement across various historical periods. Hydrological and topographical transformations—specifically the shifting and abandonment of watercourses—have played a decisive role in reshaping the region's settlement landscape, a phenomenon clearly manifested in the spatial distribution of archaeological sites, With the evolution of modern technologies, notably Geographic Information Systems (GIS), it has become possible to analyze the spatial patterns of archaeological sites with enhanced precision and objectivity. This is achieved by linking site locations to their surrounding environmental variables and analyzing the spatial correlations between these sites, watercourses, and terrain features. The importance of this approach lies in its capacity to transition from traditional spatial description to quantitative and interpretative analysis, thereby fostering a deeper understanding of human settlement mechanisms, Accordingly, this research investigates the impact of watercourses and topography on the spatial distribution patterns of archaeological settlements in the Kumait region. Utilizing site data derived from archaeological survey results, the study employs a GIS environment to analyze the relationship between settlement distribution and environmental factors. The objective is to reveal the nature of the correlation between these environmental variables and site distribution, providing a scientific interpretation underpinned by spatial analysis.

Preserving a society’s identity requires its cultural heritage and archaeological protection, especially amid rapid economic and cultural transformations in the world. In addition to examining different perspectives on cultural heritage management, this study concentrates on methods to manage and preserving monuments and culture according to the principles of three specific global models that are crucial globally as, Australian and New Zealand Environment Conservation Council (ANZECC), Heritage Risk Management as formed by Australian Heritage Commission (AHC), The Nordic World Heritage Fund (NWHF) - Heritage Site Development Model:
Each of the models that described in this study were intended to support heritage and culture management as well as conservation and developing all these management models were established to achieve their specific goals, which generally focused on local communities’ involvement in the conserving and management of archaeological sites as the first owners of archaeological sites. Conserving the archaeological sites contributes to the economic development of the local communities in the geographical areas’ sites are located. The results of this study demonstrate that, when compared to other models, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s archaeological site management is similar to or different from these methods. The level of importance and the goals of the region’s monument and cultural management and conservation will be explained.

In the world of Islamic art, there are rare treasures decorated with unique manuscripts that carry within them inspiring stories from the Islamic heritage, including the story of the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him). The manuscript under study is rich in artistic images that represent different aspects of that story. We tried to study those images through a precise description of their scenes and comparing them with what was mentioned in the verses of the Holy Quran and the books of commentators and historians in order to decode those images to understand what the artist wanted to convey through them.

This study examines the contributions of Eastern Christians, particularly Nestorians and Jacobites, to the transmission of Greek heritage into Arab-Islamic civilization during the first century AH (7th–8th centuries CE), based on an analytical reading of key works by British Orientalists (Hamilton Gibb, De Lacy O’Leary, Bernard Lewis, Montgomery Watt, and others). It traces the impact of this transmission across philosophy, theology, medicine, alchemy, astronomy, poetry, jurisprudence, and dialectical theology (kalām). The research demonstrates how Umayyad tolerance, alongside the geographical and intellectual proximity of Syriac Christians, positioned them as a cognitive bridge between Hellenism and Arab culture. It concludes that translation from Syriac and Greek was not a mere literal transfer but a process of interaction and re-production that helped shape early Islamic thought—a fact acknowledged by British Orientalists, despite their reservations about Arab primacy in innovation.

Structuralism, which emerged as a new theory in early twentieth-century Europe, particularly in France, had a significant impact on historical methodology, especially after World War II, when it developed. The roots of structuralism trace back to the linguistic theories of Ferdinand de Saussure, then evolved and reached their peak in the anthropological works of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Michel Foucault, and other thinkers. Structuralist historians believed that individuals, events, and factors, as a linear progression determining the course of history, are not the historical foundation. However, Society and culture are guided by underlying structures that frame people's knowledge and behavior, without people engaging in these behaviors consciously or intentionally. Thus, structuralist theory became a powerful obstacle to traditional and empirical historiography, refusing to allow history to revolve around a series of events. This study analyzes the views of the most prominent thinkers of this movement, such as Michel Foucault, Louis Althusser, Roland Barthes, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and Jacques Lacan, and how they employed structuralist theory in historical interpretation, and how structuralist historical writing opposed traditional and empirical historical writing. The concepts of long-term societies, symbolic systems, power-knowledge, and discourse led to a linguistic revolution and became a new lens for viewing history. The findings indicate that structuralist theory was critically important in reorganizing historical knowledge in the second half of the twentieth century.

The period from the Late Chalcolithic IV to the end of the Early Bronze Age (c. 3700-2000 BCE) in the ancient Levant was characterized by a series of significant human achievements that contributed to the advancement of civilization and the development of societies. These achievements brought about major changes in daily life, with the invention of writing, settlement in organized cities, and other developments marking a significant turning point that led to the end of prehistory and the beginning of historical times. It is worth noting that the use of the wheel and cart was one of the most important achievements of this period, as it revolutionized transportation, making it faster, easier, and more efficient. Furthermore, the use of carts gave their owners a significant advantage over their competitors. The development of this invention can be clearly traced in the ancient Levant, beginning in the Late Chalcolithic, which revealed the first material evidence of its use. The social and economic conditions in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Egypt at that time were conducive to its invention, development, and the domestication of the draft animals associated with it.

The jewelry and adornment industry in ancient Rome is considered one of the highly significant aspects of civilization, as it reflects the level of development on various fronts (artistic, economic, social, and religious). The manufacture of jewelry and adornments in Rome was not merely an artistic activity or a manifestation of luxury; rather, it was a mirror for expressing social and religious identity, in addition to its role in sustaining the momentum of commercial activity and cultural communication and interaction between Rome and the various civilizations of the ancient world.