The "Property of Anu". Exploring the Make-up of the Temple Property and Its Managment in Hellenistic Uruk

The paper explores the role of the temple in the textual record from Hellenistic Uruk, with a focus on the characteristics and degree of interation between the temple as an institution and the individuals who played a part in its everyday life. Special attention is devoted to the reconstruction of the make-up of the temple property, and to the social location of three groups of professionals in particular (namely, the alphabetic scribes, the gatekeepers and the herdsmen) who revolved around it. The analysis also takes into account the mechanisms enacted by the temple to manage its business.