A new history of Assyria, the ancient civilization that set the model for future empires At its height in 660 BCE, the kingdom of Assyria stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. It was the first empire the world had ever seen. Here, historian Eckart Frahm tells the epic story of Assyria and its formative role in global history. Assyria’s wide-ranging conquests have long been known from the Hebrew Bible and later Greek accounts. But nearly two centuries of research now permit a rich picture of the Assyrians and their empire beyond the battlefield: their vast libraries and monumental sculptures, their elaborate trade and information networks, and the crucial role played by royal women. Although Assyria was crushed by rising powers in the late seventh century BCE, its legacy endured from the Babylonian and Persian empires to Rome and beyond. Assyria is a stunning and authoritative account of a civilization essential to understanding the ancient world and our own.

Situated in an area roughly corresponding to present-day Iraq, Mesopotamia is one of the great, ancient civilizations, though it is still relatively unknown. Yet, over 7000 years ago in Mesopotamia, the very first cities were created. This book reveals how life was lived in ten Mesopotamian cities: from Eridu, the Mesopotamian Eden, to that potent symbol of decadence, Babylon - the first true metropolis: multicultural, multi-ethnic, the last centre of a dying civilization.

For over 40 years, Jack M. Sasson has been studying and commenting on the cuneiform archives from Mari on the Euphrates River, especially those from the age of Hammurabi of Babylon. Among Mari’s wealth of documents, some of the most interesting are letters from and to kings, their advisers and functionaries, their wives and daughters, their scribes and messengers, and a variety of military personnel. The letters are revealing and often poignant. Sasson selects more than 700 letters as well as several excerpts from administrative documents, translating them and providing them with illuminating comments. In distilling a lifetime of study and interpretation, Sasson hopes to welcome readers into a fuller appreciation of a remarkable period in Mesopotamian civilization. Sasson’s presentation is organized around major institutions in an ancient culture: (1) Kingship, treating accumulation of wealth, control of vassals, dynastic marriages, treaty-obligations, as well as illustrating the hazards and vexation of ruling a large territory; (2) Administration, from palaces that teem with bureaucrats, musicians, and cooks, to the management of provinces and vassal kingdoms; (3) Warfare, military establishment and martial practices; (4) Society, including organs of justice (and shortcuts to it), crime, punishment, and civil transactions; (5) Religion, including notices on diverse pantheons, rituals, priesthood, cultic paraphernalia, vows, ordeals, and channels to the gods (divination, dreams, and prophecy); and (6) Culture, including ethnic distinctions, class structure, and moments in the life cycle (birth, childhood, family life, health matters, death, and commemoration). Sasson’s presentation of the material brings to life a world entombed for four millennia, concretizes the realities of ancient life, and gives it a human perspective that is at once instructive and entertaining. The book is accompanied by extensive concordances and indexes (including to biblical passages) that will be useful to those who wish to study the letters more intensively.

Innovative study of the early state and urban societies in Mesopotamia, c. 5000 to 2100 BC.

How much do you know about the "cradle of civilization?" Come explore the legacy of the brilliant ancient Mesopotamians who transformed the world. Ancient Mesopotamia's legacy was truly revolutionary. Childlike pictures scratched into wet clay evolved into the first written language. The Mesopotamians wrote the first epic poems, the first hymns, the first histories, and the first law codes. They developed the first wheel for transportation; simple carts that hauled bricks or produce morphed into chariots racing along at thirty-five miles per hour. They gazed at the sky and mapped it, observing the planets' retrograde motions and predicting lunar and solar eclipses. They developed the concept of time, measurements, basic counting, higher math, and hydraulic engineering. Mesopotamia gave birth to the world's first great empires-the Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Achaemenids-which stretched over three continents. A glimpse at the questions this overview unpacks includes: How old is the world's first city? How did the Eridu Genesis compare to Noah and the ark? How fast was the world's first postal system? How many times did Babylon's patron god Marduk get stolen? How did Hammurabi's law code compare to the Law of Moses? Who calculated pi (π) to the value of 3.125 and understood the Pythagorean theorem twelve centuries before Pythagoras was born? Did Xerxes really have a million men in his army? Which empire encompassed 44 percent of the world's population? What eunuch poisoned most of the Persian royal family? And much, much more! Scroll up and click the "add to cart" button to learn the stories of incredible ancient Mesopotamia!

Around 2,300 BC Enheduanna was high priestess to the moon god Nanna at his temple in Ur, a position she held for almost forty years. This volume translates Enheduanna's three devotional poems to the goddess Inanna accompanied by an extensive commentary and discussion which places these highly personal and unique expressions within the context of Sumerian culture and religion. The author highlights the importance of the poems and the princess for our understanding of the place of women in Near Eastern society and religion.

Embark on a captivating journey through time with "Mesopotamia: Cradle of Civilization," a beautifully woven children's book that brings the awe-inspiring Mesopotamian civilization to life. In this engaging and vibrant narrative, children will journey through ancient cities like Uruk, Akkad, and Babylon, discovering towering ziggurats, bustling markets, and impressive palaces. They'll learn about the invention of the wheel, the pioneering cuneiform script, and the creation of one of the world's earliest codes of law by Hammurabi. With its lyrical prose and captivating storyline, "Mesopotamia: Cradle of Civilization" introduces young readers to the significant contributions of this ancient civilization, often called the birthplace of writing, urban living, and organized government. Every page unfolds with exciting discoveries, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the revolutionary advancements in astronomy. Designed for children aged 4-8, this book is a perfect educational resource for parents, teachers, and history enthusiasts. Its unique approach to storytelling makes learning about history a joyous and memorable experience. And when you order this book, you'll also receive a FREE audiobook - a $20 value, absolutely free! Just scan the QR code found on the first page, and your children can enjoy this fantastic story anytime, anywhere, read by a captivating storyteller who brings Mesopotamia to life through their voice! Immerse your child in the wonders of the past with "Mesopotamia: Cradle of Civilization." Discover the legacy of a civilization that shaped our world and still inspires awe and admiration today. Dive into an enthralling journey through time, unlocking the mysteries and marvels of the Mesopotamian civilization - a cradle of human innovation and imagination.

"This sweeping history of the ancient Near East (Mesopotamia, Syria, Anatolia, Iran) takes readers on a journey from the creation of the world's first cities to the conquest of Alexander the Great. The book is built around the life stories of many ancient men and women, from kings, priestesses, and merchants to bricklayers, musicians, and weavers. Their habits of daily life, beliefs, triumphs, and crises, and the changes that they faced over time are explored through their written words and the archaeological remains of the buildings, cities, and empires in which they lived. Rather than chronicling three thousand years of kingdoms, the book instead creates a tapestry of life stories through which readers come to know specific individuals from many walks of life, and to understand their places within the broad history of events and institutions in the ancient Near East. These life stories are preserved on ancient cuneiform tablets, which allow us to trace, for example, the career of a weaver as she advanced to became a supervisor of a workshop, listen to a king trying to persuade his generals to prepare for a siege, and feel the pain of a starving young couple who were driven to sell all four of their young children into slavery during a famine. What might seem at first glance to be a remote and inaccessible ancient culture proves to be a comprehensible world, one that bequeathed to us many of our institutions and beliefs, a truly fascinating place to visit"--