The Ḫupšu: Their Nature and Role in the Lands of the Ancient Near East

This paper deals with the ḫupšu, one of the societal groups that spread across many countries in the Ancient Near East from the 19th century BC to around the 7th century BC. The importance of the study lies in the fact that the ḫupšu group has not received scholarly focus, despite the existence of a significant number of researchers interested in studying such societal categories, particularly those living in rural and remote land-based regions who can leave their lands and homes at any time and relocate to new settlements to improve their living conditions and economic stability. This phenomenon was common among Ancient Near East societies, particularly in Assyria, as well as in Syria and Palestine. The paper aims to shed light on the nature of this group and its role within societies in the regions where it appeared during the period covered by the study, present all available ancient textual sources in which the word ḫupšu occurs, and analyse the transformations that affected the function of this group and its societal role. Furthermore, it seeks to explain the transformation of this group from a low-level, laboring class that relied on senior statesmen for its economic stability to a class whose members secured official positions affiliated with the ruling authority.