The opening of the work sets the stage by emphasizing the importance of studying ancient documents to better understand the complexities of modern civilization. Johns emphasizes that the records from Babylon and Assyria reveal much about fundamental human principles that continue to resonate today. He discusses the background of the legal inscriptions preserved from these ancient civilizations, highlighting the need for careful study due to the inherent challenges of transcription and interpretation. The introduction also outlines the approach the author will take, previewing the types of legal documents and letters that will be examined throughout the text, exemplifying the rich and formal structure of ancient communication. (This is an automatically generated summary.)