Daily Life In Ancient Mesopotamia

The ancient world of Mesopotamia (from Sumer to the subsequent division into Babylonia and Assyria) vividly comes alive in this portrayal of the time period from 3100 bce to the fall of Assyria (612 bce) and Babylon (539 bce). Students, teachers, and interested readers will discover fascinating details about the lives of these people taken from the ancients' own quotations and descriptions. These detailed anecdotes from the people themselves easily convey factual material. A wealth of information is provided on such varied topics as: education; literature; mathematics and science; city vs. country life; family life; and religion, as well as many other subjects.

The excavation of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the recovery of their cuneiform archives and libraries have combined to open a unique window on 'the first half of history.' 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 Professor of Assyriology and Babylonian Literature Yale University

[a] readable and comprehensive overview of daily-life aspects of Mesopotamian civilization.Religious Studies Review

Nemet-Nejat should be congratulated for her attempts to make ancient Mesopotamia civilization accessible to the public, an effort that has been accomplished without an excessive reliance on biblical parallels that appeal to religious sensibilities. Thus, her work will contribute to the establishment of the idea of Mesopotamia's cultural autonomy and its importance to the study of world history.Journal of Near Eastern Studies

There is something to interest everyone in this book.The Historian

The book is well illustrated by black-and-white photographs and drawings. It is written at a level that an educated layperson will find it accessible and fascinating, and scholars will find it a good textbook for classes in ancient Near Eastern civilization. Church, public, college and seminary libraries should have this volume on their shelves.Ashland Theological Journal

A fascinating tour through the highways and byways of a lost world. Dr. Nemet-Nejat's survey covers every stratum of society, from courtier to slave, and every sphere of human activity, sacred and profane.Raymond Westbrook Professor of Near Eastern Studies Johns Hopkins University

"The excavation of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the recovery of their cuneiform archives and libraries have combined to open a unique window on 'the first half of history.' 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 Professor of Assyriology and Babylonian Literature Yale University

Utilizing a generation of new scholarship, Karen Nemet-Nejat has givenus 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 Biggs Professor of Assyriology, Oriental Institute University of Chicago

This is an introduction, for the general reader and student, to the world of ancient Mesopotamia. It offers an unusually comprehensive survey of the range of Mesopotamian culture, society, and everyday activities, and does so in an easily accessible style.Peter Machinist Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages Harvard University

Nemet-Nejat's lively account of daily life in ancient Mesopotamia fills an important gap in the literature....This is a fascinating and authortative synthesis of an extensive body of material pertaining to life in ancient Mesopotamia, and it will be a frequently consulted reference by those with an interest in this subject. This work is highly recommended.ARBA

A lively and engaging description of the everyday lives of ordinary people who lived in Ancient Mesopotamia.

Time Line

Preface

Map

Introduction

General Information

Historical Overview

Writing, Education and Literature

The Sciences

Society, Part I: City Life, Country Life, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Life

Society, Part II: Private Life

Recreation

Religion

Government

Economy

The Legacy of Ancient Mesopotamia

Glossary

Selected Bibliography

Index