Book contents
- The Cambridge History of International Law
- The Cambridge History of International Law
- Frontispiece
- The Cambridge History of International Law
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Plates
- Figures
- Contributors
- Preface
- A Note on the Text
- Part I International Law in the Ancient Near East (Third Millennium–500 bc)
- 1 The Ancient Near East and International Law
- 2 Territory and Jurisdiction in West Asia
- 3 War and Peace in the Ancient Near East
- 4 Trade and Communication in the Ancient Near East
- 5 Diplomacy in the Ancient Near East
- 6 Dispute Settlement in the Ancient Near East
- Part II International law in the Greek and Roman world (600 bc–ad 650)
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
2 - Territory and Jurisdiction in West Asia
from Part I - International Law in the Ancient Near East (Third Millennium–500 bc)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: aN Invalid Date NaN
General editor
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of International Law
- The Cambridge History of International Law
- Frontispiece
- The Cambridge History of International Law
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Plates
- Figures
- Contributors
- Preface
- A Note on the Text
- Part I International Law in the Ancient Near East (Third Millennium–500 bc)
- 1 The Ancient Near East and International Law
- 2 Territory and Jurisdiction in West Asia
- 3 War and Peace in the Ancient Near East
- 4 Trade and Communication in the Ancient Near East
- 5 Diplomacy in the Ancient Near East
- 6 Dispute Settlement in the Ancient Near East
- Part II International law in the Greek and Roman world (600 bc–ad 650)
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
Summary
This chapter explores the development of territorial jurisdiction and border concepts in ancient West Asia from the third to the first millennium BC. Drawing on treaties, letters, edicts and legal documents, it examines how borders were defined, contested and maintained among major powers, such as the Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians and Egyptians. The study distinguishes between borders, boundaries and frontiers, and highlights the role of natural features, divine authority and political agreements in shaping territorial claims. It discusses the principle of status quo in resolving disputes, the use of demilitarized zones, and the material marking of borders through stelae. The chapter also addresses maritime control, land grants and the exchange or purchase of territories, emphasizing the fluid and pragmatic nature of ancient territorial governance. Through detailed case studies, it reveals how power dynamics, diplomacy, and strategic interests influenced the legal and practical management of space in the ancient Near East.
Keywords
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- Information
- The Cambridge History of International Law , pp. 40 - 61Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
References
Further Reading
Crawford, James, The Edge of the Plain. How Borders Make and Break Our World (London: W.W. Norton & Company 2023).Google Scholar
D’Alfonso, Lorenzo, and Rubinson, Karen S (eds.), Borders in Archaeology. Anatolia and the South Caucasus ca. 3500–500 (Leuven, Paris and Bristol, CT: Peeters 2021).Google Scholar
Feuer, Bryan, Boundaries, Borders and Frontiers in Archaeology. A Study of Spatial Relationship (Jefferson: McFarland & Co. 2016)Google Scholar
Frangipane, Marcella (ed.), The ‘City’ across Time. Emergence, Developments, and Social, Economic, Political, Cultural and Health Impact (Rome: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei 2023).Google Scholar
Langer, Christian, and Fernández-Götz, Manuel, ‘Boundaries, borders and frontiers: Contemporary and past perspectives’, eTopoi Journal for Ancient Studies, 7 (2020) 33–47.Google Scholar
Milano, , Lucio, Stefano de Martino, Fales, Frederick Mario and Lanfranchi, Giovanni Battista (eds.), Landscapes, Frontiers and Horizons in the Ancient Near East (Padova: Sargon srl 1999).Google Scholar
Mullin, David (ed.), Places in Between. The Archaeology of Social, Cultural and Geographical Borders and Borderlands (Oxford: Oxbow Books 2011).Google Scholar
Parker, Bradley, and Rodseth, Lars (eds.), Untaming the Frontier in Anthropology, Archaeology, and History (Tucson: University of Arizona Press 2005).Google Scholar
Smith, Adam T., The Political Landscape (Berkeley, Los Angeles and London: University of California Press 2003).10.1525/9780520936997CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turchin, Peter, War and Peace and War. The Rise and Fall of Empires (New York: Penguin 2007).Google Scholar
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