Opening the Tablet Box: Near Eastern Studies in Honor of Benjamin R. Foster

This volume dedicated to Benjamin R. Foster was conceived long ago in our graduate school days when we had the good fortune to study under his brilliant tutelage. Captivated by his elegant, witty, and some-times irreverent lectures, we were inspired daily to solve the mysteries of cuneiform and to explore the linguistic, literary, and historical impli-cations of the many and diverse texts we worked through together. We
promised ourselves then that someday we would find a way to express our appreciation. Ben’s th birthday proved a fitting occasion to collect contributions from students, colleagues, and friends in an honorary vol-ume.