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We should have an article on every pyramid and every nome in Ancient Egypt. I'm sure the rest of us can think of other articles we should have.
Cleanup.
To start with, most of the general history articles badly need attention. And I'm told that at least some of the dynasty articles need work. Any other candidates?
Standardize the Chronology.
A boring task, but the benefit of doing it is that you can set the dates !(e.g., why say Khufu lived 2589-2566? As long as you keep the length of his reign correct, or cite a respected source, you can date it 2590-2567 or 2585-2563)
Stub sorting
Anyone? I consider this probably the most unimportant of tasks on Wikipedia, but if you believe it needs to be done . . .
Data sorting.
This is a project I'd like to take on some day, & could be applied to more of Wikipedia than just Ancient Egypt. Take one of the standard authorities of history or culture -- Herotodus, the Elder Pliny, the writings of Breasted or Kenneth Kitchen, & see if you can't smoothly merge quotations or information into relevant articles. Probably a good exercise for someone who owns one of those impressive texts, yet can't get access to a research library.
Of note, the beginning of King Aššur-uballit I's name is the name for "Assyria". Though Wikipedia has shortened his name to begin with 'Ashur', and as the article states, this is the beginning of the nascent, emerging Assyrian empire, this is an important time for the region. Mitanni falls, and is coalesced into other kingdoms. The Hittites end up being a player, then retreating partially from disease because of the Battle of Kadesh, etc.
At any rate, the William L. Moran Amarna letters work, states his name means: "Aššur has given life", (Index, p. 380 (sub Index: Index of Proper Names)).[1]
Using the wonderful 35 page dictionary/glossary from Parpola's Epic of Gilgamesh, with a great, abbreviated, yet full dictionary of the Akkadian words, the core words still used today, in Arabic, Hebrew, etc. ---here is what I think the words are that make up his name.
First, take note that in his first letter EA 15, (his reply to pharaoh is letter EA 16), he uses some great writing conventions: A single vertical stroke signify's "1", an individual. He begins his name with "Stroke", ...next the Akkadian, (cuneiform script) word: "god", the "an", (confer with An, (= to An (mythology), sky-god, god of heaven)), then he finishes his name: "1"-'An(mythology)'-A-šur-(the rest is not easy to discern)
The original analysts say it says "1", 'god-(mythology)'-..A-šur-"ti-la-?"; looking at a photo of the clay tablet, I cannot say, what characters follow; (the end of his name starts a lacuna (manuscript) of "King-Land-"Assyria", (with the last of the 'Assyria' visible. (There are few lacunas in this letter EA 15-(5 minor, 1 major).)
"Aššur has given life": Anyhow, using, with the dictionary of the Epic of Gilgamesh, one can get a-šur, abālu, lītu:
the words: Assur bring, carry victory, triumph—"Assur, has brought, Victory
((SIDE Note))...The original letter from Aššur-uballit I is short, 1-paragraph, about 8 sentences, and compact or concise. After the Pharaohs reply, Letter reply back to pharaoh, Letter EA 16, is 3 1/2 times longer, but is completely different: It is a dialogue reply, contains 12 Mini-paragraphs, covers 6-9 topics, and stresses the extreme distance to Egypt from Assyria and the dangers for Messengers, and the goods they are carrying. (Gold, (the plentiful gold of Egypt, like sand), is one of the EA 16 subjects, supposedly for the deceased fathers mausoleum-(a common statement).) Here is Moran's version of Letter EA 15:
(1-6)Say to the king of E[gypt]-(see Mizraim): Thus Aššur-ubal[lit, the king of As]syria. For you, your household, for your[coun]try, for your chariots, and your troops, may all go well. (7-15) I send my messenger to you to visit you and to visit your country. Up to now, my predecessors have not written; today I write to you. [I] send you a beautiful chariot, 2 horses, [and] 1 date–stone of genuine lapis lazuli, as your greeting-gifts. (16-22) Do [no]t delay the messenger whom I send to you for a visit. He should visit and then leave for here. He should see what you are like and what your country is like, and then leave for here. -(complete, lines 1-22, with some lacunas)[2]
Parpola, Simo, with Mikko Luuko, and Kalle Fabritius (1997). The Standard Babylonian, Epic of Gilgamesh (Volume 1) in the original Akkadian cuneiform and transliteration; commentary and glossary are in English. The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project. ISBN951-45-7760-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
The second sentence might be wrong; could someone verify it, please? The Mitanni king whom Ashur-uballit defeated was likely not Shuttarna II but a later king. SamEV (talk) 22:55, 23 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
