It is, however, important that this ‘real’ or ‘true’ (rather than ‘imaginary’) narrative be understood culturally. For instance, the mentioning of a deity or deities may be the result of cultural or religious encoding, and should not, therefore, be taken as evidence per se that the narrative deals with ‘imaginary’ or fabricated events. One must allow for the possibility of cultural encoding of the narrative. This is especially true in ancient Near Eastern history writing. Two examples will perhaps