On October 26, 2010, Dr Vladimir A. Jacobson, a chief researcher at the IOM RAS, celebrated his 80th Birthday.

For more than 50 years, the life of Dr V.Jacobson has been connected with our Institute. When he was a student at the Law Faculty, Leningrad University (1948-53), he was interested in the history of the state and law in the East and learnt the cuneiform writing by himself. In 1961, he started his doctoral studies at the Leningrad Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies (now the IOM RAS) and was trained by Dr I.Diakonoff. In 1965, he started to work at the Group of Ancient Eastern Philology at the Department of Ancient Eastern Studies. In 1967, he defended his PhD Dissertation, The Neo-Assyrian Law and State [Новоассирийское право и общество], in 1989, the Habilitation Dissertation, The Code of Hammurabi as a Source on the History of Ancient Mesopotamia [Законы Хаммурапи как источник по истории древней Месопотамии]. Dr V.Jacobson has published more than 150 papers, edited a number of important collective works. He organized and took part in many international and domestic conferences where delivered many interesting, actual presentations.

Dr V.Jacobson is a well-known expert in the area of socio-economic history and law of the Ancient East. He is the first and only historian of the cuneiforn law in our country, his papers always draw close attention of the scholars. His works on the early state formations in Ancient Mesopotamia, their genesis, and on the urban life of the Ancient East were highly appraised. Dr V.Jacobson is a successful translator of Akkadian poetry. Moreover, he edits the works of his teacher, Dr I.Diakonoff, and endeavors to prepare new generations of scholars.

The friends and colleagues of Dr V.Jacobson heartily congratulate him with his Jubilee and wish him good health and new academic acievements!

The IOM's Head, Dr Irina F. Popova