Gary Beckman, is a Professor of Hittite and Mesopotamian Studies at the University of Michigan. The essays were contributed by his colleagues, students, and friends, and their breadth-traversing ancient Anatolia, Syria, Mesopotamia, and beyond-are a measure of the range of his influence as a scholar, teacher and editor, and in recognition of his deep learning, broad intellectual interests, and his generous dedication to teaching. His interest in the reception and adaptation of Syro-Mesopotamian culture by the Hittites in particular inspired this tribute.