This volume is dedicated to Olof Pedersen, professor emeritus in Assyriology at Uppsala University and primarily known for his studies on the archives and libraries of the cities of Assur and Babylon. The main title of the book, The Rod and Measuring Rope, alludes to the honoree's architectural background and to his characteristic great attention to details and exactness in teaching and research, and the contributors to his Festschrift are colleagues, friends, and former students.