What is the Digital Semitics Online Library?

Welcome to the Digital Semitics Online Library (DSOL)! Originally called the Semitic Studies Online Library (SSOL), this site was founded in November 2023 and is designed as an online archive and repository of information related to ancient Near Eastern studies, especially Semitic languages and epigraphy. I compile here a collection of external links of texts, talks, and videos that interest me as well as feature my own work. Of course, some external links will eventually expire, making this website simultaneously a “living” and (partially) “dead” archive of the present as well as the past. More importantly than an online repository of helpful resources, however, this website is ultimately a work in self-reflection on my academic journey as well as an outlet for me to learn more about the digital humanities. For more information about me, find me CV here.

On the DSOL site, you can find pages related to ancient Near Eastern (ANE) studies, a Catalogue of Semitic Inscriptions (CSI), and miscellaneous information about me and my lifestyle. I’m particularly interested in the following areas of ancient Near Eastern studies: comparative Semitic linguistics; Aramaic studies; Ugaritic studies; Northwest Semitic epigraphy and paleography; Akkadian dialectology; and digital applications in ANE studies. This site also consists of my personal reflections on the history of scholarship, particularly the greatest scholars of Semitic languages and linguistics who deserve a place in what I call the Magnum Concilium Semiticorum (or Great Council for Semitics) for their impact on the field and my personal academic journey. Additionally, I encourage you to check out the “Important Links & Research Tools,” “Journals & Monographs,” “Media,” and “Other Blogs” pages for quick access to an abundance of external information in the field.

Naturally, this website is a perpetual work in progress, so I encourage you to check back often for updates to DSOL. You can also subscribe to receive email notifications of new posts here. Happy researching!

About The Author

Matthew Saunders

Matthew Saunders is a PhD student in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He researches the languages and literatures of the ancient Near East, especially Aramaic Studies, Ugaritic Studies, and Comparative Semitics.

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