Epistolary communication played a major role in numerous ancient societies in the Near East, the Mediterranean region, and the Far East. The convention of creating, disseminating, and preserving letters differs among civilisations and time periods. However, irrespective of the circumstances, it has fulfilled a diverse range of purposes: a method of conveying information of different kinds; a tool for governing and managing land and communities; a literary and rhetorical medium essential for establishing and validating knowledge; and so forth.