Abstract
The expression " textes des repas du roi " is a historiographical construction based on a corpus of several hundred documents unearthed in the Palace of Mari (XVIIIᵉ century BC), frequently cited and partially studied. While the formula " for the king's meal " appears most often - without being systematic - in their form, the foodstuffs consigned correspond more to raw materials intended to be processed and cooked than to dishes ready to be served at the royal table. These texts mainly record various types of cereals, as well as pulses, oil, honey and dates. They therefore represent only one aspect of accounting for royal meals, as the management of meat, also consumed at the king's table, was the subject of a separate accounting system.
This paper aims to analyze these documents by questioning their status as " historical sources " : what information do they provide, not only in economic terms, but also from a social and political perspective ? It also intends to take a reflexive approach to them. In addition to the questions of " how ? " (how the texts are written) and " what ? " (the nature of the information recorded), the focus will be on " why ? ", i.e. the very purpose of this accounting.
