# Dear Judah, This is Not a Bill, Except It Really Is, Signed, Assyria; or, The Iron Age Tax Man Cometh

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-week-in-the-ancient-near-east-3467259/dear-judah-this-is-not-a-bill-except-it-really-is-signed-assyria-or-the-iron-age-tax-man-cometh
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-week-in-the-ancient-near-east-3467259/dear-judah-this-is-not-a-bill-except-it-really-is-signed-assyria-or-the-iron-age-tax-man-cometh.md
Podcast: [This Week in the Ancient Near East](https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-week-in-the-ancient-near-east-3467259)
Published: 2026-01-12T12:52:34+00:00
Episode link: https://thisweekintheancientneareast.podbean.com/e/dear-judah-this-is-not-a-bill-except-it-really-is-signed-assyria-or-the-iron-age-tax-man-cometh/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/sqykfbbhumw37jie/podcast_131_-_1_11_26_1005_AMb7346.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2291

## Resource

In Iron Age Jerusalem, finding a tiny bit of a cuneiform tablet is a big deal, since in that town, they use the alphabet. But when the Neo-Assyrian authorities ask, hey, where’s our tax money, they can do it in any script and language they want. So you’d better read the email, otherwise -there- will be a meeting, and you won’t like it.

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## Transcript

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