The Correspondence of Edward Hincks

Man sagt nicht zu viel, wenn man ihn [Hincks] den eigentlichen Entzifferer der dritten Keilschriftgattung nennt. [translation] One is not saying too much, if one calls Hincks the true decipherer of Assyrian-Babylonian cuneiform. Julius Wellhausen 1876 Hincks was a scholar of international significance in the nineteenth century. He was an expert on ancient Assyria and deciphered the Mesopotamian cuneiform script ... an assiduous letter writer and in this volume of letters from his youth he corresponded with friends and colleagues on ancient Egypt and his other concerns ... The clean, classical typography is equalled in the overall design and quality of binding. Books Ireland Nov 2007 The correspondence of an Irish Assyriologist and scholar covering the period in which he completed the main steps in the decipherment of Akkadian and discovered the name of the biblical king, Jehu, on the Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king, Shalmeneser III, and then went on to translate inscriptions found at Nimrud, Nineveh and Babylon. Among his correspondents were A. H. Layard, a noted archaeologist, and Henry Fox Talbot, the pioneer of photography. What is remarkable is that Hincks did all this while he was the Church of Ireland rector at Killyleagh, county Down, and that most of his work was done through letters which is why we have this important record of his work today. As usual, UCDP's typography and presswork are superb. Books Ireland Dec 2008 The letters in this volume date largely from his years in Killyleagh and it was from his rural fastness that Hincks developed his international reputation as an oriental scholar. Letters were sent to and received from scholars in Ireland, England and continental Europe ... The editor of this collection who is Emeritus Professor of Near Eastern Languages in University College Dublin, has gathered these letters from libraries and archives in Belfast, Berlin, Dublin, London, Oxford, Paris and Yale, has carefully edited them and has added interesting illustrations to accompany some of the more unusual texts. Most of the letters are concerned with Hincks's studies of the ancient Egyptian language and his discoveries in the decipherment of Akkadian, the language of Babylonia and Assyria. ... But it is mostly the academic letters which catch the imagination for they emphasis - of such emphasis is needed - that in the 19th century, it was the letter which was the principal mode of communication. In an age when travel was difficult and electronic communication all but unknown, correspondence provided the vehicle for working out ideas among likeminded people and academic journals the medium for subsequently publishing them. It is reassuring in an age when digitisation has reached almost cult status in archives, that there are still scholars who are able and willing to prepare printed editions of manuscript material and publishers who will take on such projects. This book exemplifies all the virtues of a printed edition: text which has been transcribed and is therefore easy to read; a succinct introduction which sets the scene; careful notes which explain and amplify the text; an index which opens up access to the contents and a bibliography to stimulate further reading. What more could anyone want? Dr Raymond Refausse Department Church Body Library Irish Archives Winter 2008 That Edward Hincks was a man of true genius to whom the basic decipherment of Akkadian cuneiform script and language should now be credited, is no longer in doubt. From much of his correspondence, deposited in the Griffith Institute in Oxford by his grandson, together with other letters tracked down in various institutions in London, Dublin, Paris and Berlin, a picture emerges of extraordinary mental energy and dedication in this Irish clergyman, with no lessening of drive and application as he grew older, a man who not only engaged with Egyptian hieroglyphs, Old Persian, Urartian and Akkadian cuneiform scripts and the languages they conveyed, but also found time for his parish duties - It still astonishes Assyriologists that he was able to work out both the polyphonic and the logographic nature of Akkadian cuneiform script as well as making great strides in understanding the language. We must hope that Cathcart's painstaking work, worthy of its admirable subject, will be used by future scholars who look into those exciting days of discovery, the struggles of decipherment, and the race for recognition. Stephanie Dalley, University of Oxford Journal of Semitic Studies 54 (2) 2009 Hincks was a rector of the Church of Ireland for most of his life (1792-1866). His avocation and passion, however, was the decipherment of ancient texts - Cathcart covers Hincks's discoveries in cuneiform and his frustration in not being allowed access to materials, being constantly thwarted by a rival. The letters between Hincks and scholars in England and France detail both the joy of shared enthusiasms and the superficially polite ways in which ambitious scholars could back stab. The fine points of translation will be fascinating for Egyptian and Near Eastern scholars, although the politics will be distressingly familiar. Book News Inc August 2009