Ancient Letters Revealed

US is proud to recognize Dr. Tyler Yoder, Upper School History teacher, on the publication of The Amarna Letters: The Syro-Levantine Correspondence, a landmark scholarly work co-authored with Dr. Jacob Lauinger, Professor of Assyriology at Johns Hopkins University.

 

The result of nearly ten years of meticulous research, this first volume (two more are planned!) presents translations and in-depth analyses of approximately 300 diplomatic letters written to the Egyptian Pharaoh by rulers in the Syro-Levantine region—modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Palestine—during the Late Bronze Age. These correspondences offer rare and vital insights into a pivotal era in ancient Egypt’s foreign policy and regional dynamics.

While digital translations have already been made available through an open-access platform, this print edition includes an extensive scholarly introduction that contextualizes the historical and linguistic significance of the texts. Dr. Yoder and Dr. Lauinger are planning the work of the next two volumes, which will complete the edition of all approximately 380 Amarna Letters.

Dr. Yoder’s achievement exemplifies the dedication to rigorous scholarship and the pursuit of historical understanding that enriches both the academic community and classroom learning.