Smith (Sidney) Papers

Papers of Professor Sidney Smith on Ancient Near Eastern Chronology for the 'Cambridge Ancient History' (2nd edition), largely comprising typescript drafts with manuscript annotations, including the Middle Assyrian, Susan, Achaemenean, Iranian, Syrian, Hebrew and Babylonian Calendars; Egyptian, Syrian and Babylonian history; Babylonian, Hittite, Egyptian and other King-lists; the Hittites; Assyrian sources and regnal years; intercalation; and bibliography.

Born 1889; educated at the City of London School; Queen's College Cambridge (Scholar); Director of Antiquities, Iraq, 1929-1930; Keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities, British Museum; Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology, University of London, 1938-1946; Professor of Ancient Semitic Languages, University of London; Honorary Fellow, Queen's College Cambridge, 1935; Fellow of the British Academy, 1941; Professor Emeritus, University of London; Honorary Fellow, School of Oriental and African Studies; Foreign Member, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium; LittD; died, 1979. Publications include: 'The First Campaign of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, BC 705-681. The Assyrian text' (London, 1921); assisted with Sir E A T W Budge's 'The Babylonian Legends of the Creation, and the fight between Bel and the Dragon, as told by Assyrian tablets' (London, 1921); with D J Wiseman, 'Cuneiform Texts from Cappadocian Tablets in the British Museum' (London, 1921-1956); 'Babylonian Historical Texts relating to the capture and downfall of Babylon' (Methuen & Co, London, 1924); 'The Chronology of Philip Arrhidaeus, Antigonus and Alexander IV' (Paris, 1925); 'The Foundation of the Assyrian Empire', 'The Supremacy of Assyria', 'Sennacherib and Esarhaddon', 'The Age of Ashurbanipal', 'Ashurbanipal and the Fall of Assyria', in John B Bury, 'The Cambridge Ancient History' (from 1925); 'Early History of Assyria to 1000 BC' (1928); contributed to 'Royal inscriptions', by C J Gadd, L Legrain, and E R Burrows, in 'Ur Excavations. Ur Excavations. Texts', vol i (1928); 'Bible Illustrations selected and described by H R H Hall, Sidney Smith and S R K Glanville' [1934]; with I E S Edwards, 'Temporary Exhibition. Ancient Egyptian Sculpture lent by C S Gulbenkian' (London, 1937); 'Alalakh and Chronology' (Luzac & Co, London, 1940); 'Sir Flinders Petrie, 1853-1942' (Humphrey Milford, London [1943]); 'Isaiah, Chapters XL-LV. Literary criticism and history' (Oxford University Press, London, 1944); 'The Statue of Idri-mi' (London, 1949); 'Events in Arabia in the 6th Century AD', in 'Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London', vol xvi, pt 3, pp 425-68 (1954); 'The Practice of Kingship in Early Semitic Kingdoms', in Samuel H Hooke, 'Myth, Ritual, and Kingship', pp 22-73 (1958).

Chapters and sections as drafted by Smith.

Permission Required

Please contact Special Collections regarding access to this collection.

Received from Professor Sidney Smith's son, Professor Harry S Smith of the Department of Egyptology at University College London, in 1991.

Draft handlist available on request at University College London Special Collections.

Researchers should seek permission for photocopying from Professor Kuhrt.