Contains 189 essays that provide a variety of perspectives on topics and themes related to the development of the diverse cultures of the ancient Near East, focusing primarily on the areas of Egypt, Syro-Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia, and covering a period ranging from the Early Bronze Age to 325 BCE.
"This book introduces readers to the epic legends and myths of Mesopotamia's ancient civilizations. One such story tells of the rage of the goddess Ishtar. Spurned by the warrior-king Gilgamesh and seeking to wreak her revenge, Ishtar persuaded her father, Anu, to release the Bull of Heaven. When the Bull snorted, huge chasms opened in the ground, sending hundreds of young men tumbling to their deaths. Gilgamesh slew the Bull and took the beast's horns as a trophy. This is only one of the many fantastic tales vividly retold in this fascinating book"--Provided by publisher.
Traces the history of the Fertile Crescent, the area stretching between the Persian Gulf and central Israel, from the New Stone Age to the Roman conquest.
Photographs and text document life in Biblical times, surveying the clothing, food, and civilizations of a wide variety of cultures, including the Israelites, Babylonians, Persians, and Romans.
Profiles the ancient civilizations of the Near East and the Mediterranean, focusing on the civilizations of the ancient regions of southwest Asia and Egypt, as well as Greece and Rome.
