Teacher-Student Relationships: Two Case Studies

This article presents two case studies concerning teacher-student relationships in ancient Mesopotamia. The first case introduces the teachers and students of a scribal school at the city of Emar in ancient Syria which show the conditions under which schooling was conducted, who the students and teachers were, and what the relationship between them was. The second case presents a varied group of Neo-and Late Babylonian apprenticeship contracts that provide a better understanding of the apprentice's gender and age, social background, the length of his tuition, the salary of his master, and the trade being learned.