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Document Details : Title: On Spies and Informers in the Old Babylonian Period Subtitle: Considerations on Zimri-Lim's Intelligence Services Author(s): ALIVERNINI, Sergio Journal: Ancient Near Eastern Studies Volume: 60 Date: 2023 Pages: 357-373 DOI: 10.2143/ANES.60.0.3292578 Abstract : The historical origin of the intelligence services is undoubtedly to be found in the area of the ancient Near East, where the use of spies is already attested in the third millennium BC. However, in the Old Babylonian period the documentation on espionage activities becomes richer and provides a broader and more detailed picture. The purpose of this article is to describe the organisation of intelligence services in the kingdom of Mari under Zimri-Lim. The abundant epistolary documentation of this period sheds light on the terminology used to define spies/informers, the organisation of intelligence activities, and the management of the flow of information that Zimri-Lim received from intelligence activities. |
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