A Companion to the Ancient Near East

A Companion to the Ancient Near East offers students and general readers a comprehensive overview of Near Eastern civilization from the Bronze Age to the conquests of Alexander the Great. Written by leading experts, the book examines all the major civilizations of the region, including the Sumerians, Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Israelites, and Persians. The Companion provides a survey of both the history of the Ancient Near East and the sources for studying the period. It places special emphasis on social and cultural history and also covers the legacy of the Ancient Near East in the medieval and modern worlds.

List of Figures. List of Maps. Notes on Contributors. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Part I: The Shape of the Ancient Near East. 1. Historical Overview: Mario Liverani (University of Rome). 2. From Sedentism to States, 10,000 to 3000 BCE: Augusta McMahon (University of Cambridge). 3. The Age of Empires, 3100–900 BCE: Mark Chavalas (University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse). 4 World Hegemony, 900–300 BCE: Paul–Alain Beaulieu (Harvard University). Part II: Discourses on Methods. 5. Archaeology and the Ancient Near East: Marie–Henriette Gates (Bilkent University, Ankara). 6. The Languages of the Ancient Near East: Gonzalo Rubio (Pennsylvania State University). 7. The Historian’s Task: Daniel C. Snell (University of Oklahoma). Part III: Economy and Society. 8. The Degradation of the Ancient Near Eastern Environment: Carlos E. Cordova (Oklahoma State University, Stillwater). 9. Nomadism Through the Ages: Jorge Silva Castillo (Centro de Estudias de Asia y África in the Colegio de México). 10. Mesopotamian Cities and Countryside: Elizabeth C. Stone (State University of New York, Stoney Brook). 11. Money and Trade: Christopher M. Monroe (Pierpont Morgan Library, New York). 12. Working: David A. Warburton (Aarhus University, Denmark). 13. Law and Practice: Bruce Wells (Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota). 14. Social Tensions in the Ancient Near East: John F. Robertson (Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant). 15. Gender Roles in Ancient Egypt: Ann Macy Roth (Howard University, Washington, DC). 16. Royal Women and the Exercise of Power in the Ancient Near East: Sarah C. Melville (Clarkson University). 17. Warfare in Ancient Egypt: Anthony J. Spalinger (University of Auckland). Part IV: Culture. 18. The Transmission of Knowledge: Benjamin R. Foster (Yale Babylonian Collection). 19. Literature: Tawny L. Holm (Indiana University of Pennsylvania). 20. Ancient Near Eastern Architecture: Sally Dunham (Yale University). 21. Mesopotamian Art: Marian Feldman (University of California, Berkeley). 22. Ancient Mesopotamian Medicine: JoAnn Scurlock (Elmhurst College). 23. Mesopotamian Cosmology: Francesca Rochberg (University of California, Riverside). 24. Divine and Non–Divine Kingship: Philip Jones (Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary project). 25. How Religion Was Done: Gary Beckman (University of Michigan). Part V: Heritage of the Ancient Near East. 26. The Invention of the Individual: Daniel C. Snell (University of Oklahoma). 27. Ethnicity: Henri Limet (University of Liège, Belgium). 28. Public versus Private in the Ancient Near East: Steven J. Garfinkle (Western Washington University). 29. Democracy and Freedom: Matthew Martin III and Daniel C. Snell (University of Tulsa, Oklahoma and University of Oklahoma). 30. Monotheism and Ancient Israelite Religion: S. David Sperling (Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, New York). 31. The Decipherment of the Ancient Near East: Peter T. Daniels (independent scholar, New York). 32. Legacies of the Ancient Near East: Daniel C. Snell (University of Oklahoma). References. Index

Daniel C. Snell is L. J. Semrod Presidential Professor of History at the University of Oklahoma. His books include Life in the Ancient Near East (1997), A Workbook of Cuneiform Signs (1979), The E.A. Hoffman Collection and Other American Collections (1979), Ledgers and Prices (1982), Twice Told Proverbs (1993) and Flight and Freedom in the Ancient Near East (2001).

“This is a welcome companion volume intended to be used with an introductory text to the history of the ancient Near East. There are unexpected topics and insightful inclusions … .In addition to serving successfully as a companion for teaching, this volume also serves as a useful short reference because of the sixty–eight page bibliography.” ( Religious Studies Review , September 2008) "Many will find specific chapters of interest, both for insights into their own specialities and for challenging overviews of related fields. Students will find stimulating introductions to a wide range of subjects, not treated in encyclopaedias or dryer standard works ... on which to hone their own critical faculties." ( Bryn Mawr Classical Review ) "The chapters are written by some of the world′s leading scholars, like the veterans Liverani and Limet ... Some of the articles are highly relevant, even dealing with contemporary issues such as the individual, ethnicity ... democracy, and freedom." ( Scholia ) "As is usual for the Blackwell Companions the essays making up this volume have all been written by leading experts and as such the coverage is inclusive... The introduction, written by the editor, is excellent and clearly explains what the book is setting out to achieve, aims which are met. A Companion to the Ancient Near East is an excellent book and is one that should, without doubt, be read by those with a keen interest in this historical period." ( Reference Reviews ) A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year