Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #731248 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 346 pages

Review
Utilizing a generation of new scholarship, Karen Nemet-Nejat has given us a lively, up-to-date account of daily life in ancient Mesopotamia" from the foods that were eaten, the games that were played, the gods who were served, to methods of surveying and fortune-telling" in short, the whole gamut of life over two thousand years in one of the great literate civilizations of the ancient world.
" Robert D. Biggs, Professor of Assyriology, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago

The author has here distilled the essence of a vast number of studies and translations to craft a synthesis that is at once authoritative and eminently readable.
" William W. Hallo, The William M. Laffan Professor of Assyriolgy and Babylonian Literature, Yale University

Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia is a welcome addition for those who teach introductory courses on Mesopotamian (or Near Eastern) civilization and have searched in vain for a useful supplemental text.
" Journal of Near Eastern Studies

Synopsis
This account brings the ancient world of Mesopotamia to life with details taken from primary texts such as economic records, scientific and mathematical texts, legal documents, official and personal correspondence, and magic and religious texts, drawing on the most recent discoveries of new excavation sites and artifacts. The focus is on historical

Customer Reviews

Fascinating glimpse into an ancient civilisation
If you want an impressive, colourful volume to put on your coffee table to impress your guests, this book is not for you! If, however, you are seriously interested in the Ancient Mesopotamian civilisation and want facts rather than simply pretty pictures, it is excellent. I bought this book to research a historical novel set in Babylon, and it has become my "Mesopotamian bible". I found I needed more detail in places - for example, it would have been helpful to have a list of the names of the ancient Babylonian months in addition to the fascinating fact that they were named after important events - and for this reason I'd give the book four, rather than five, stars. Also, a few more illustrations might have helped to explain the text. On the whole, though, this is a wonderfully up to date account of the Ancient Mesopotamian civilisation, and the list of further reading included at the back of the book shows where to find that essential extra detail. Thanks, Karen!