Ancient Mesopotamia

The chapter addresses the subject of universal history in the cuneiform tradition of Ancient Mesopotamia. Given that certain essential prerequisites for the discourse on universal history are absent in cuneiform written sources and the term ‘universal history’ itself is not found in studies on the Ancient Near East, this chapter will focus on the formal aspects pertinent to a discussion of the topic within Mesopotamian traditions. It will present primary sources that aim to systematize rulers and events based on various principles and will examine terms and expressions that embody the concept of completeness from different perspectives. The sources, with a particular focus on the king lists, the so-called chronicles, and the royal inscriptions. The second part examines various expressions and concepts of totality in relation to space, time, ethnicity, and other subjects, employed in literature and royal inscriptions.