“This Will Kill That”—But Not Yet!: The Triumphs of the Visual Over the Verbal and of Akkadian Over Aramaic in Neo-Assyrian Elite Display Inscriptions

Abstract: This discussion considers the uses of writing in elite display inscriptions whose purposes are to glorify the king and the dynastic history of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Considering the limited accessibility of the text of these inscriptions due to both low literacy in Akkadian as well as their locations in non-Akkadian regions, it is likely that the writing was more used for its visual nature. Moreover, because writing is used as abstract visual to represent the commands and power of the king, it is naturally always Akkadian, even if the inscription is set in Cyprus or Anatolia.