Many people have commented on the quality of research in Mythic Babylon, but lamented the fact that we didn't include a bibliography in the book. The reason we didn't was purely for space, and a bibliography is the kind of thing that can easily be published on a forum or a blog just like this one! So, for those who were asking - here's the Mythic Babylon Bibliography. I've broken this down by subject matter, and the books are listed title-first rather than author-first. The list is annotated with my commentary. If a book is listed without comment, it's because it didn't move me enough to remember what I like about it!
ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN VOICES
When writing Mythic Babylon, we distilled the historical and societal information into what we think is a neat package. We didn't have room to include very much in the way of the Babylonians own voices, though, and so the very first I think of when people say they like to further their reading - to the writings of the ancients themselves. The corpus of literature is rich. Really rich! Rabbit-hole Warning Rich!
But that's where I think you should go first. Here are some fine books that will take you back to the very distant past.
The Ancient Near East: Historical Sources in Translation
Edited by Mark W. Chavalas, 2006 Blackwell. 445pp.
This very fine volume introduces you to the voices of many eras. There are letters, decrees, hymns, and much more. This is real slice of life type stuff, and each piece is richly annotated and introduced.
The Literature of Ancient Sumer
Black, Cunningham, Robson, and Zolyomi, 2004 Oxford University Press. 372pp.
This book includes translations of key texts – a scribal curriculum, really – written in Sumerian. It probably the gold standard for Sumerian texts in English. The book deals with 'literature', which is spends some efforts to define. Letters and other more worldly correspondence are not included here.
Black, Cunningham, Robson, and Zolyomi, 2004 Oxford University Press. 372pp.
This book includes translations of key texts – a scribal curriculum, really – written in Sumerian. It probably the gold standard for Sumerian texts in English. The book deals with 'literature', which is spends some efforts to define. Letters and other more worldly correspondence are not included here.
Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature
Benjamin R. Foster, Third Edition 2005 CDL Press. 1044 pp.
This cinder block of a volume does for the Akkadian language what the above does for Sumerian, but it's divided up by period so you can see changes over time. Again, a gold standard.
Benjamin R. Foster, Third Edition 2005 CDL Press. 1044 pp.
This cinder block of a volume does for the Akkadian language what the above does for Sumerian, but it's divided up by period so you can see changes over time. Again, a gold standard.
From an Antique Land: An introduction to Ancient Near Eastern Literature
Edited by Carl S. Ehrlich, 2009 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 506 pp.
An entertaining volume with some fun commentary from the author. This book covers a spectrum of writings by different people in different languages, with sections on Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, Ugaritic, Canaanite, Aramaean, Hebrew, and Egyptian. It's not quite complete (no Hurrian or Elamite, for example) but a rewarding read all the same.
Mesopotamian Chronicles
Jean-Jacques Glassner, 2004, SBL, 365pp
Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East
Martti Nissinen, 2003 SBL, 296pp
These two books from the Society of Biblical Literature explore particular writings in some depth. The first explores the chronicles of Mesopotamian kings and reveals something about how they viewed their own history. The second explores records of actual incidents of ecstatic prophecy in various time periods and tells us a little about prophets in general. Both recommended if you'd like a deep dive into something specific, but maybe not for the casual reader. Both are reviewed in more depth elsewhere on this blog.
MYTHS
Also in the category of primary voices, we weren't able to include Mesopotamian myths in all their glory – there just wasn't room. And we figured that curious readers could easily look these up online or in books. Here's a collection of publications that feature translations of myths. Some are general, others specific to a particular cycle.
Myths from Mesopotamia
Stephanie Dalley, revised edition 2000, Oxford University Press. 342pp.
Sumerian Mythology
Samuel Noah Kramer, 1972, University of Pennsylvania Press, 130pp
Jealous Gods & Chosen People: The Mythology of the Middle East
David Leeming, 2004, Oxford University Press, 150pp
The above are general studies. The first is a good overall collection for the general reader. The second is an older work by a very important and influential author, now somewhat out of date. The third didn't make a huge impression on me.
A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology
Gwendolyn Leick, 1991 Routledge. 226pp.
Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia
Jeremy Black and Anthony Green, 1992 The British Museum Press. 192Pp
Both of the above are dictionary type books with various entries in alphabetical order. They don't always agree with one another. Each has entries that the other lacks, so I suppose you'll want them both.
Epics of the Sumerian Kings: The Matter of Aratta
Herman Vanstiphout, 2003 Society of Biblical Literature. 176pp.
The City of Rainbows: A Tale from Ancient Sumer
Karen Foster, 1999, University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, 28pp
The first of the above is a brilliant deep dive into the collection of myths that feature the distant, and perhaps imaginary, city of Aratta. The author provides translations and discussion. The second is a small picture book that tells one of these myths in story-time fashion. It's cute and a labour of love, but there isn't much there to excite the researcher.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC, Third Edition
Marc Van de Mieroop, 2015 Wiley Blackwell Publishing. 432 pp.
An excellent survey of Mesopotamian History from 3000 to 323 BC, now in it's third edition..
Mari and Karana: Two Old Babylonian Cities
Stephanie Dalley, 1984 Longman Group Ltd. 218pp.
This book looks at the relationship between the kings of these two cities who were joined by marriage. It's a bit old and possibly hard to find, but I thought it was an excellent little book for revealing some of the politics and events of Subartu.
Letters From the King of Mari
Wolfgane Heimpel, 2003, Esenbrauns, 657pp
This huge book provides a detailed look at the last 12 or so years of King Zimri-Lim's life. It tries to piece together a very complex sequence of events from (usually undated) letters from the Mari archive. It covers some of the same ground as Mari and Karana, but unlike that book, this one is not for casual readers.
The Age of Agade: Inventing Empire in Ancient Mesopotamia
Benjamin R. Foster, 2016 Routledge. 428pp.
This book deals specifically with the Akkadian period of history and with the legacy of that city. If you'd like to use Mythic Babylon but shift the action to the Akkadian period, then I definitely recommend this book.
WEAPONS AND WARFARE
Of the books below, the only two I really recommend are the ones by Hamblin and Howard. The Hamblin book is really comprehensive and covers our period, but stops at the end of the middle bronze age. The book by Howard looks a weapons in detail, from the eye of a re-enactor and re-creator. It's rather dry and has some odd bugaboos, but has information you won't find elsewhere. Both of the Osprey books tend to skirt our period, and the Wise book is now somewhat out of date.
Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC
William J. Hamblin, 2006 Routledge 517pp.
Bronze Age Military Equipment
Dan Howard, 2011 Pen & Sword Books. 169pp.
Bronze Age Warfare
Richard Osgood, Sarah Monks, and Judith Toms, 2000 Sutton Publishing Ltd., 165pp
Bronze Age War Chariots
Nic Fields, 2006 Osprey Publishing, 48pp
Ancient Armies of the Middle East
Terence Wise, 1981, Osprey Publishing, 40pp
BOOKS ABOUT CITIES
Mesopotamia: The Invention of the City
Gwendolyn Leick, 2001, Penguin Books, 384pp
The Ancient Mesopotamian City
Marc Van de Mieroop, 2004, Oxford University Press, 269pp
The two books above are generally about Mesopotamian cities and look at them very differently. The book by Leick is one of my favourite history books ever – it gives a detailed look at 7 cities that were prominent at different times in the history of the culture and explains what as unique about them. This gives the effect of one of those 'history of the world in 100 objects' books, where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Quite a remarkable piece of writing, really. I'd love to see a sequel with 7 more cities!
The Van de Mieroop book is more a tradition survey of city life, organized by topic.
All of the books below are about specific cities. They vary in scope and some are pretty cursory (Erbil) while others more detailed (Ebla), but they all have something to contribute. Three have been reviewed elsewhere on this blog
Ur: The City of the Moon God
Harriet Crawford, 2015, Bloomsbury, 146pp
A City from the Dawn of History: Erbil in the Cuneiform Sources
John MacGinnis, 2014, Oxbow Books, 128pp
Ebla: An Empire Rediscovered
Paolo Matthiae, 1981, Doubleday & Company Inc., 237pp
Ugarit: Ras Shamra
Adrian Curtis, 1985, Lutterworth Press, 125pp
SPECIAL TOPICS
Philosophy Before the Greeks: The Pursuit of Truth in Ancient Babylonia
Marc Van de Mieroop, 2016, Princeton University Press, 312pp
A book about Babylonian systems of learning which I've reviewed elsewhere on this blog.
The Heavenly Writing: Divination, Horoscopy, and Astronomy in Mesopotamian Culture
Francesca Rochberg, 2004 Cambridge University Press, 331pp
This is mainly about astrology, and mainly about times after the OB period. I don't thin it's for the general reader.
Women in the Ancient Near East
Edited by Mark W. Chavalas, 2014, Routledge, 319pp
This one was a bit disappointing for a rather pedestrian treatment of a subject matter that deserved more.
The Horse, The Wheel, and Language
David W. Anthony, 2007, Princeton University Press, 553pp
A lengthy and detailed look at the cultures of the Pontic steppe and the origins of chariotry.
ATLASES AND GAZETEERS
The Routledge Handbook of The Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia
Trevor Bryce, 2009, Routledge, 887pp
This massive tome lists hundreds of Ancient Near Eastern cities with encyclopedic entries, telling where they were, when they were inhabited, and often offering some anecdotes and other information. The book is alphabetical, and there is no chronological index, so if you just want Kassite cities, you have to scan all the entries to find them. It was a hugely useful book for me, and yet despite it's scope, still missed a few rather obvious cities.
Several atlases are listed below. The two best are Roaf and Hunt, probably in that order. Both are large, picture-book type affairs that will have broad appeal. The atlas by Bryce is meant to be a companion to the Handbook mentioned above, but it makes some errors and I found the treatment to be too cursory. The Haywood atlas is a broad survey and lighter than the Roaf and Hunt books.
Atlas of the Ancient Near East from Prehistorical Times to the Roman Imperial Period
Trevor Bryce and Jessie Birkett-Rees, 2016 Routledge. 318pp.
The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Civilizations
John Haywood, 2005, Penguin Books, 144pp
Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East
Michael Roaf, 1990, Andromeda Books, 238pp
Historical Atlas of Ancient Mesopotamia
Norman Bancroft Hunt, 2004, Thalamus Publishing, 190pp
SURVEYS AND COMPENDIA
The Babylonian World
Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization
Paul Kriwaczek, 2010, Thomas Dunne Books. 310 pp.
The Rise and Fall of Babylon: Gateway of the Gods
Anton Gill, 2008 Metro Books. 192pp.
Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History
J.N. Postgate 1992, Routledge, 367pp
Civilizations of Ancient Iraq
Benjamin R. And Karen Polinger Foster, 2009, Princeton University Press, 297pp
Babylon, John Oates, 1979
Thames & Hudson Ltd., 215pp
The Babylonians: an introduction
Gwendolyn Leick, 2003, Routledge, 182pp
Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians
Enrico Ascalone, University of California Press, 2007, 368pp
Ancient Mesopotamia
Susan Pollock, 1999, Cambridge University Press, 259pp
Sumer and the Sumerians, Second Ed.
Harriet Crawford, 2004, Cambridge University Press, 252pp
Civliization Before Greece and Rome
The Ancient Orient: An Introduction to the Study of the Ancient Near East
Edited by Carl S. Ehrlich, 2009 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 506 pp.
An entertaining volume with some fun commentary from the author. This book covers a spectrum of writings by different people in different languages, with sections on Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, Ugaritic, Canaanite, Aramaean, Hebrew, and Egyptian. It's not quite complete (no Hurrian or Elamite, for example) but a rewarding read all the same.
Mesopotamian Chronicles
Jean-Jacques Glassner, 2004, SBL, 365pp
Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East
Martti Nissinen, 2003 SBL, 296pp
These two books from the Society of Biblical Literature explore particular writings in some depth. The first explores the chronicles of Mesopotamian kings and reveals something about how they viewed their own history. The second explores records of actual incidents of ecstatic prophecy in various time periods and tells us a little about prophets in general. Both recommended if you'd like a deep dive into something specific, but maybe not for the casual reader. Both are reviewed in more depth elsewhere on this blog.
MYTHS
Also in the category of primary voices, we weren't able to include Mesopotamian myths in all their glory – there just wasn't room. And we figured that curious readers could easily look these up online or in books. Here's a collection of publications that feature translations of myths. Some are general, others specific to a particular cycle.
Myths from Mesopotamia
Stephanie Dalley, revised edition 2000, Oxford University Press. 342pp.
Sumerian Mythology
Samuel Noah Kramer, 1972, University of Pennsylvania Press, 130pp
Jealous Gods & Chosen People: The Mythology of the Middle East
David Leeming, 2004, Oxford University Press, 150pp
The above are general studies. The first is a good overall collection for the general reader. The second is an older work by a very important and influential author, now somewhat out of date. The third didn't make a huge impression on me.
A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology
Gwendolyn Leick, 1991 Routledge. 226pp.
Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia
Jeremy Black and Anthony Green, 1992 The British Museum Press. 192Pp
Both of the above are dictionary type books with various entries in alphabetical order. They don't always agree with one another. Each has entries that the other lacks, so I suppose you'll want them both.
Epics of the Sumerian Kings: The Matter of Aratta
Herman Vanstiphout, 2003 Society of Biblical Literature. 176pp.
The City of Rainbows: A Tale from Ancient Sumer
Karen Foster, 1999, University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, 28pp
The first of the above is a brilliant deep dive into the collection of myths that feature the distant, and perhaps imaginary, city of Aratta. The author provides translations and discussion. The second is a small picture book that tells one of these myths in story-time fashion. It's cute and a labour of love, but there isn't much there to excite the researcher.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Andrew George, 1999, Penguin Books, 228pp
Gilgamesh: A New English Version
Gilgamesh: A New English Version
Stephen Mitchell, 2004, Free Press, 290pp
There are many translations of Gilgamesh on the market. The translation by Andrew George is very highly regarded. The retelling by Mitchell is well written and accessible, but not as scholarly.
Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth
Diana Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer, 1983, Harper & Row Publishers, 227pp
This collection by the esteemed Sumerologist Samuel Noah Kramer and foklorist Diana Wolkstein deals with the cycle of Inanna myths. It's somewhat dated, but still very enjoyable and worth a read.
RELIGION
Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide
Sarah Iles Johnson, general editor, 2004, The Bellknap Press, 697pp
This is a huge tome of comparative religion, dealing with a wide variety of specific topics and comparing the Sumerians, Akkadians, Hittites, Canaanites, and many more.
Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia
by Jean Bottero, 2001 The University of Chicago Press. 246pp.
A very good overview of the subject.
Ancient Goddesses
Lucy Goodison and Christine Morris eds., 1998, The University of Wisconsin Press, 224pp
More specific to goddesses, with some nice juicy bits for the historical detective.
The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion
There are many translations of Gilgamesh on the market. The translation by Andrew George is very highly regarded. The retelling by Mitchell is well written and accessible, but not as scholarly.
Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth
Diana Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer, 1983, Harper & Row Publishers, 227pp
This collection by the esteemed Sumerologist Samuel Noah Kramer and foklorist Diana Wolkstein deals with the cycle of Inanna myths. It's somewhat dated, but still very enjoyable and worth a read.
RELIGION
Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide
Sarah Iles Johnson, general editor, 2004, The Bellknap Press, 697pp
This is a huge tome of comparative religion, dealing with a wide variety of specific topics and comparing the Sumerians, Akkadians, Hittites, Canaanites, and many more.
Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia
by Jean Bottero, 2001 The University of Chicago Press. 246pp.
A very good overview of the subject.
Ancient Goddesses
Lucy Goodison and Christine Morris eds., 1998, The University of Wisconsin Press, 224pp
More specific to goddesses, with some nice juicy bits for the historical detective.
The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion
Thorkild Jacobsen, 1976, Yale University Press, 273pp
A very interesting and influential work, though perhaps a bid dated now. This offers a more theoretical framework for the religion, rather than a look at the practice. The author has some interesting and compelling ideas.
Gods in the Desert: Religion of the Ancient Near East
Glenn S. Holland, 2009, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc., 309pp
Religions of the Ancient Near East
Daniel C. Snell, 2011, University of Cambridge Press, 179pp
Penguin Handbook of Ancient Religions
Edited by John R. Hinnells, 2007, Penguin Books, 610pp
Three more generalist books to round out the list, all of which have something to offer.
DAILY LIFE
Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
Karen Rhea Nemet-Nejat, 1998 Hendrickson Publishers. 346pp.
This is my favourite 'daily life' book for the Old Babylonian period, and the one I usually recommend.
Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
A very interesting and influential work, though perhaps a bid dated now. This offers a more theoretical framework for the religion, rather than a look at the practice. The author has some interesting and compelling ideas.
Gods in the Desert: Religion of the Ancient Near East
Glenn S. Holland, 2009, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc., 309pp
Religions of the Ancient Near East
Daniel C. Snell, 2011, University of Cambridge Press, 179pp
Penguin Handbook of Ancient Religions
Edited by John R. Hinnells, 2007, Penguin Books, 610pp
Three more generalist books to round out the list, all of which have something to offer.
DAILY LIFE
Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
Karen Rhea Nemet-Nejat, 1998 Hendrickson Publishers. 346pp.
This is my favourite 'daily life' book for the Old Babylonian period, and the one I usually recommend.
Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
Stephen Bertman, 2003 Oxford University Press. 396pp
Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
Jean Bottero, 2001 Johns Hopkins University Press. 276Pp
Both of the above are good. The first is broken out by topic, which makes browsing it easier. Unfortunately, it doesn't separate the time periods, so one gets the idea that life never changed over the 4000 year history of the culture. This makes it less useful for research. The second book is a more conventional read and is fine, but not as good as the Nemet-Nejat book.
Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian & Persian Costume
by Mary G. Houston, 2002 Dover Books, 190pp.
(essentially a reprint of the original second edition from 1954)
Somewhat dated now, but still has some use for this very specific topic.
Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor
Martha T. Roth, 1997, SBL, 283pp
Probably the gold standard book on Ancient Near Eastern laws in English. It covers the known Mesopotamian collections, as well as that of the Hittites. The excerpts of Hammurabi's code in Mythic Babylon do not come from this book, though. For those we turned to The Oldest Code of Laws in the World by C.H.W. Johns, 1903, available on Project Gutenberg.
The Marsh Arabs
Both of the above are good. The first is broken out by topic, which makes browsing it easier. Unfortunately, it doesn't separate the time periods, so one gets the idea that life never changed over the 4000 year history of the culture. This makes it less useful for research. The second book is a more conventional read and is fine, but not as good as the Nemet-Nejat book.
Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian & Persian Costume
by Mary G. Houston, 2002 Dover Books, 190pp.
(essentially a reprint of the original second edition from 1954)
Somewhat dated now, but still has some use for this very specific topic.
Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor
Martha T. Roth, 1997, SBL, 283pp
Probably the gold standard book on Ancient Near Eastern laws in English. It covers the known Mesopotamian collections, as well as that of the Hittites. The excerpts of Hammurabi's code in Mythic Babylon do not come from this book, though. For those we turned to The Oldest Code of Laws in the World by C.H.W. Johns, 1903, available on Project Gutenberg.
The Marsh Arabs
Wilfred Thesiger, 1967 Penguin. 233pp.
This is a wonderful travelogue about Thesiger's time living in the southern marshes of the Sealand. It's all to easy to imagine that not much changed between the times of Lugalzagesi and Thesiger.
HISTORIES
King Hammurabi of Babylon
Marc van de Mieroop, 2005 Blackwell Publishing. 171pp.
One of two biographies of Hammurabi that I'm aware of, and the only one I've so far been able to lay my hands on. The other is by Domenic Charpin, and affordable copies have finally come to the market – I anxiously await mine.
This is a wonderful travelogue about Thesiger's time living in the southern marshes of the Sealand. It's all to easy to imagine that not much changed between the times of Lugalzagesi and Thesiger.
HISTORIES
King Hammurabi of Babylon
Marc van de Mieroop, 2005 Blackwell Publishing. 171pp.
One of two biographies of Hammurabi that I'm aware of, and the only one I've so far been able to lay my hands on. The other is by Domenic Charpin, and affordable copies have finally come to the market – I anxiously await mine.
A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC, Third Edition
Marc Van de Mieroop, 2015 Wiley Blackwell Publishing. 432 pp.
An excellent survey of Mesopotamian History from 3000 to 323 BC, now in it's third edition..
Mari and Karana: Two Old Babylonian Cities
Stephanie Dalley, 1984 Longman Group Ltd. 218pp.
This book looks at the relationship between the kings of these two cities who were joined by marriage. It's a bit old and possibly hard to find, but I thought it was an excellent little book for revealing some of the politics and events of Subartu.
Letters From the King of Mari
Wolfgane Heimpel, 2003, Esenbrauns, 657pp
This huge book provides a detailed look at the last 12 or so years of King Zimri-Lim's life. It tries to piece together a very complex sequence of events from (usually undated) letters from the Mari archive. It covers some of the same ground as Mari and Karana, but unlike that book, this one is not for casual readers.
The Age of Agade: Inventing Empire in Ancient Mesopotamia
Benjamin R. Foster, 2016 Routledge. 428pp.
This book deals specifically with the Akkadian period of history and with the legacy of that city. If you'd like to use Mythic Babylon but shift the action to the Akkadian period, then I definitely recommend this book.
WEAPONS AND WARFARE
Of the books below, the only two I really recommend are the ones by Hamblin and Howard. The Hamblin book is really comprehensive and covers our period, but stops at the end of the middle bronze age. The book by Howard looks a weapons in detail, from the eye of a re-enactor and re-creator. It's rather dry and has some odd bugaboos, but has information you won't find elsewhere. Both of the Osprey books tend to skirt our period, and the Wise book is now somewhat out of date.
Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC
William J. Hamblin, 2006 Routledge 517pp.
Bronze Age Military Equipment
Dan Howard, 2011 Pen & Sword Books. 169pp.
Bronze Age Warfare
Richard Osgood, Sarah Monks, and Judith Toms, 2000 Sutton Publishing Ltd., 165pp
Bronze Age War Chariots
Nic Fields, 2006 Osprey Publishing, 48pp
Ancient Armies of the Middle East
Terence Wise, 1981, Osprey Publishing, 40pp
BOOKS ABOUT CITIES
Mesopotamia: The Invention of the City
Gwendolyn Leick, 2001, Penguin Books, 384pp
The Ancient Mesopotamian City
Marc Van de Mieroop, 2004, Oxford University Press, 269pp
The two books above are generally about Mesopotamian cities and look at them very differently. The book by Leick is one of my favourite history books ever – it gives a detailed look at 7 cities that were prominent at different times in the history of the culture and explains what as unique about them. This gives the effect of one of those 'history of the world in 100 objects' books, where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Quite a remarkable piece of writing, really. I'd love to see a sequel with 7 more cities!
The Van de Mieroop book is more a tradition survey of city life, organized by topic.
All of the books below are about specific cities. They vary in scope and some are pretty cursory (Erbil) while others more detailed (Ebla), but they all have something to contribute. Three have been reviewed elsewhere on this blog
Ur: The City of the Moon God
Harriet Crawford, 2015, Bloomsbury, 146pp
A City from the Dawn of History: Erbil in the Cuneiform Sources
John MacGinnis, 2014, Oxbow Books, 128pp
Ebla: An Empire Rediscovered
Paolo Matthiae, 1981, Doubleday & Company Inc., 237pp
Ugarit: Ras Shamra
Adrian Curtis, 1985, Lutterworth Press, 125pp
SPECIAL TOPICS
Philosophy Before the Greeks: The Pursuit of Truth in Ancient Babylonia
Marc Van de Mieroop, 2016, Princeton University Press, 312pp
A book about Babylonian systems of learning which I've reviewed elsewhere on this blog.
The Heavenly Writing: Divination, Horoscopy, and Astronomy in Mesopotamian Culture
Francesca Rochberg, 2004 Cambridge University Press, 331pp
This is mainly about astrology, and mainly about times after the OB period. I don't thin it's for the general reader.
Women in the Ancient Near East
Edited by Mark W. Chavalas, 2014, Routledge, 319pp
This one was a bit disappointing for a rather pedestrian treatment of a subject matter that deserved more.
The Horse, The Wheel, and Language
David W. Anthony, 2007, Princeton University Press, 553pp
A lengthy and detailed look at the cultures of the Pontic steppe and the origins of chariotry.
ATLASES AND GAZETEERS
The Routledge Handbook of The Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia
Trevor Bryce, 2009, Routledge, 887pp
This massive tome lists hundreds of Ancient Near Eastern cities with encyclopedic entries, telling where they were, when they were inhabited, and often offering some anecdotes and other information. The book is alphabetical, and there is no chronological index, so if you just want Kassite cities, you have to scan all the entries to find them. It was a hugely useful book for me, and yet despite it's scope, still missed a few rather obvious cities.
Several atlases are listed below. The two best are Roaf and Hunt, probably in that order. Both are large, picture-book type affairs that will have broad appeal. The atlas by Bryce is meant to be a companion to the Handbook mentioned above, but it makes some errors and I found the treatment to be too cursory. The Haywood atlas is a broad survey and lighter than the Roaf and Hunt books.
Atlas of the Ancient Near East from Prehistorical Times to the Roman Imperial Period
Trevor Bryce and Jessie Birkett-Rees, 2016 Routledge. 318pp.
The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Civilizations
John Haywood, 2005, Penguin Books, 144pp
Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East
Michael Roaf, 1990, Andromeda Books, 238pp
Historical Atlas of Ancient Mesopotamia
Norman Bancroft Hunt, 2004, Thalamus Publishing, 190pp
SURVEYS AND COMPENDIA
The Babylonian World
Edited by Gwendolyn Leick, 2007, Routledge, 590pp
A Companion to the Ancient Near East
A Companion to the Ancient Near East
Edited by Daniel C. Snell, 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 538pp
The Sumerian World
The Sumerian World
Harriet Crawford, 2013, Routledge, 659pp
This category is for broad spectrum histories where the author covers the whole shebang in a single book. The three listed above are compendia, collecting a variety of articles on specific subjects and by different authors, then organizing them in a cohesive fashion. These types of books are better for filling in the corners than as a starting point because the big picture often isn't complete, but each article can give a deep dive into something specific. The effect is rather like what you get when you try to use a pellet gun to cut out the shape of a red star at a carnival midway.
The books below generally make better introductions. I think the first three are the best. The Kriwaczek book surprised me for its quality as it's written by a journalist instead of a historian. These books are listed more or less in order of their utility to a general reader. The ones closer to the bottom cover more specific topics. The Ascalone book is largely a picture book, which some people might find useful.
This category is for broad spectrum histories where the author covers the whole shebang in a single book. The three listed above are compendia, collecting a variety of articles on specific subjects and by different authors, then organizing them in a cohesive fashion. These types of books are better for filling in the corners than as a starting point because the big picture often isn't complete, but each article can give a deep dive into something specific. The effect is rather like what you get when you try to use a pellet gun to cut out the shape of a red star at a carnival midway.
The books below generally make better introductions. I think the first three are the best. The Kriwaczek book surprised me for its quality as it's written by a journalist instead of a historian. These books are listed more or less in order of their utility to a general reader. The ones closer to the bottom cover more specific topics. The Ascalone book is largely a picture book, which some people might find useful.
Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization
Paul Kriwaczek, 2010, Thomas Dunne Books. 310 pp.
The Rise and Fall of Babylon: Gateway of the Gods
Anton Gill, 2008 Metro Books. 192pp.
Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History
J.N. Postgate 1992, Routledge, 367pp
Civilizations of Ancient Iraq
Benjamin R. And Karen Polinger Foster, 2009, Princeton University Press, 297pp
Babylon, John Oates, 1979
Thames & Hudson Ltd., 215pp
The Babylonians: an introduction
Gwendolyn Leick, 2003, Routledge, 182pp
Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians
Enrico Ascalone, University of California Press, 2007, 368pp
Ancient Mesopotamia
Susan Pollock, 1999, Cambridge University Press, 259pp
Sumer and the Sumerians, Second Ed.
Harriet Crawford, 2004, Cambridge University Press, 252pp
Civliization Before Greece and Rome
H.W.F. Saggs, 1989, Yale University Press, 322pp
This was the first book I read on the subject - the one that started it all. A chance find pulled from my father's large shelf of much more modern history.
The Ancient Orient: An Introduction to the Study of the Ancient Near East
Wolfram von Soden, 1994, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 263pp
Early Urbanism on the Syrian Euphrates
Early Urbanism on the Syrian Euphrates
Lisa Cooper, 2006, Routledge, 313
Ancient Mesopotamia at the Dawn of Civilization: The Evolution of an Urban Landscape
Ancient Mesopotamia at the Dawn of Civilization: The Evolution of an Urban Landscape
Guillermo Algaze, 2008, The University of Chicago Press, 230pp
Dictionary of the Ancient Near East
Dictionary of the Ancient Near East
Edited by Piotr Bienkowski and Allan Millard, 2000, British Museum Press, 342pp
FURTHER AFIELD
These books cover places outside of our core area and really just scratch the surface.
Dilmun and its Neighbours
FURTHER AFIELD
These books cover places outside of our core area and really just scratch the surface.
Dilmun and its Neighbours
Harriet Crawford, 1998, Cambridge University Press, 170pp
The Hittites and their contemporaries in Asia Minor
The Hittites and their contemporaries in Asia Minor
J.G. Macqueen, 1986, Thames and Hudson Ltd., 176pp
Arabia and the Arabs From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam
Arabia and the Arabs From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam
Robert G. Hoyland, 2001, Routledge, 324pp
Ancient Canaan & Israel: An Introducton
Ancient Canaan & Israel: An Introducton
Jonathan M. Golden, 2004, Oxford University Press, 413pp
The Hyksos Period in Ancient Egypt
The Hyksos Period in Ancient Egypt
Charlotte Booth, 2005, Shire Publications Ltd., 56pp
The Lost World of Elam: Re-creation of a Vanished Civilization
Walther Hinz, 1972, Sidgwick & Jackson, 192pp
Ancient Cyprus
The Lost World of Elam: Re-creation of a Vanished Civilization
Walther Hinz, 1972, Sidgwick & Jackson, 192pp
Ancient Cyprus
Veronica Tatton-Brown, 1997, British Museum Press, 96pp
PAPERS
Rounding out our research, we consulted a number of papers, most of which can be found at Academia.Net or JSTOR. Others were brought to my attention by the Ancient World On Line blog (AWOL) or Ancient Near East Today (ANET). These are presented in no particular order.
Old Babylonian Personal Names, Marten Stol, 1991
Hurrians and Hurrian Names in the Mari Texts, Jack M. Sasson, 1974
Thy name is slave?: The slave onomasticon of Old Babylonian Sippar, Lieselot Vandorpe 2010
Urbanisn and Society in the Third Millenium Upper Khabur Basin, Jason Alik Ur, 2004 Dissertation
The Architectural Defense: Fortified Settlements of the Levant During the Middle Bronze Age, Aaron Alexander Burke, 2004 Dissertation
The Other and the Enemy in the Mesopotamian Conception of the World, Beate Pongratz-Leisten, 2001
Growing in a Foreign World: For a History of the “Meluhha Villages” in Mesopotamia in the 3rd Millenium BC, Massimo Vidale, 2004
Back to the Cedar Forest: The Beginning and End of Tablet V of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, F.N.H. Al-Rawi and A. R. George, 2014 ASOR
Lists of Personal Names From The Temple School of Nippur, Edward Chiera 1916
Trade, Merchants, and the Lost Cities of the Bronze Age, Barjamovic, Chaney, Cosar, & Hotascsu 2017
Rebuilding Eden in the Land of Eridu, Marco Ramazzotti, 2017 ANEToday Vol 5 No9
Masculinities and Third Gender: Gendered Otherness in the Ancient Near East, Ilan Peled, 2017, ANEToday Vol 5 No2
The Mesopotamian Pandemonium: A Provisional Census, Frans A.M. Wiggerman, 2011
Lists of Personal Names from the Temple School of Nippur, Edward Chiera, 1916
The Ilkum Institution in the Provincial Administration of Larsa During the Reign of Hammurapi (1792-1750 B.C.), Miki Yokoyama Ishikida, 1999
Nuzi Personal Names, Ignace J. Gelb, Pierre M. Purves, and Allan A. MacRae, 1943, University of Chicago Press
Hurrians and Subarians, Ignace J. Gelb, 1944 University of Chicago Press
Storm Gods of the Ancient Near East, Parts I and II, Daniel Schwemer 2008
Transtigridian Snake Gods, F.A.M. Wiggerman, 1997
WEBSITES
In addition to the websites listed in the book, these also proved useful:
Iconography of Deities and Demons in the Ancient Near East, various electronic pre-publication entries.
The Ancient Near East Today offers a website and journal, quite good.
PAPERS
Rounding out our research, we consulted a number of papers, most of which can be found at Academia.Net or JSTOR. Others were brought to my attention by the Ancient World On Line blog (AWOL) or Ancient Near East Today (ANET). These are presented in no particular order.
Old Babylonian Personal Names, Marten Stol, 1991
Hurrians and Hurrian Names in the Mari Texts, Jack M. Sasson, 1974
Thy name is slave?: The slave onomasticon of Old Babylonian Sippar, Lieselot Vandorpe 2010
Urbanisn and Society in the Third Millenium Upper Khabur Basin, Jason Alik Ur, 2004 Dissertation
The Architectural Defense: Fortified Settlements of the Levant During the Middle Bronze Age, Aaron Alexander Burke, 2004 Dissertation
The Other and the Enemy in the Mesopotamian Conception of the World, Beate Pongratz-Leisten, 2001
Growing in a Foreign World: For a History of the “Meluhha Villages” in Mesopotamia in the 3rd Millenium BC, Massimo Vidale, 2004
Back to the Cedar Forest: The Beginning and End of Tablet V of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, F.N.H. Al-Rawi and A. R. George, 2014 ASOR
Lists of Personal Names From The Temple School of Nippur, Edward Chiera 1916
Trade, Merchants, and the Lost Cities of the Bronze Age, Barjamovic, Chaney, Cosar, & Hotascsu 2017
Rebuilding Eden in the Land of Eridu, Marco Ramazzotti, 2017 ANEToday Vol 5 No9
Masculinities and Third Gender: Gendered Otherness in the Ancient Near East, Ilan Peled, 2017, ANEToday Vol 5 No2
The Mesopotamian Pandemonium: A Provisional Census, Frans A.M. Wiggerman, 2011
Lists of Personal Names from the Temple School of Nippur, Edward Chiera, 1916
The Ilkum Institution in the Provincial Administration of Larsa During the Reign of Hammurapi (1792-1750 B.C.), Miki Yokoyama Ishikida, 1999
Nuzi Personal Names, Ignace J. Gelb, Pierre M. Purves, and Allan A. MacRae, 1943, University of Chicago Press
Hurrians and Subarians, Ignace J. Gelb, 1944 University of Chicago Press
Storm Gods of the Ancient Near East, Parts I and II, Daniel Schwemer 2008
Transtigridian Snake Gods, F.A.M. Wiggerman, 1997
WEBSITES
In addition to the websites listed in the book, these also proved useful:
Iconography of Deities and Demons in the Ancient Near East, various electronic pre-publication entries.
http://www.religionswissenschaft.uzh.ch/idd/prepublication.php
The Ancient Near East Today offers a website and journal, quite good.
If you don't already know about Mythic Babylon and would like to learn more, check out the Design Mechanism Forums. It can be found for purchase at these locations:
Design Mechanism Store / Lulu / DriveThru RPG / Aeon Games (UK)
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