The Amorites and the Bronze Age Near East

By Aaron A. Burke In this book, Aaron A. Burke explores the evolution of Amorite identity inthe Near East from ca. 2500–1500 BC. He sets the emergence of a collective identityfor the Amorites, one of the most famous groups in Ancient Near Eastern history,against the backdrop of both Akkadian imperial intervention and decliningenvironmental conditions during this period. Tracing the migration of Amoriterefugees from agropastoral communities into nearby regions, he shows howmercenarism in both Mesopotamia and Egypt played a central role in theacquisition of economic and political power between 2100 and 1900 BC. Burke alsoexamines how the establishment of Amorite kingdoms throughout the Near Eastrelied on traditional means of legitimation, and how trade, warfare, and theexchange of personnel contributed to the establishment of an Amorite koiné.Offering a fresh approach to identity at different levels of social hierarchy over timeand space, this volume contributes to broader questions rela