Unconventional Warfare in the Ancient Near East

Many early accounts of unconventional attacks remain unknown to the public, and they are reported inaccurately in modern publications. The result is misinformation, which contributes to misperception of threats and misplaced fear. Consequently, this paper aims to bring together knowledge about the ancient Near East with modern security studies. It examines uncertainty and instability in the context of indiscriminate assault and destruction, considering memories and mythmaking. Through discussing cuneiform texts, the paper highlights the value of any report – true, false, metaphor or exaggeration – to analysing events that have triggered high public concern. •Media inaccurately use the label ‘biological weapon’ to generate engagement.•Because history is contextual, the past is sometimes re-written to fit the present.•There is a lack of awareness of primary source materials describing historic unconventional attacks.•Past beliefs, memories and stories form part of the present-day threat landscape.