Dictionary of ancient language completed
The University of Chicago has recently finished a 90-year project: the creation of a 21-volume dictionary of the language of ancient Mesopotamia. This is the language that was used to write the oldest known laws, the Code of Hammurabi, and the oldest masterpiece of world literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh.
We are motivated to give dictionaries to students everywhere because we know that people need a broad vocabulary and good language skills to be engaged, effective members of their culture and community. The amazing time and effort taken by scholars at the University of Chicago to preserve this ancient language, which has not been spoken for 2,000 years, reminds us of another of the gifts of language: the ability to preserve our culture for future generations and the opportunity to learn from the past.
Read more about the Assyrian Dictionary here and here.