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Description
The people of ancient Mesopotamia, who settled in the 'fertile crescent' between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers before the fourth millennium BC, laid the foundations of Western civilization. Some of the earliest experiments in agriculture and irrigation, the invention of writing, the birth of mathematics and the development of urban life began there. Many fundamental developments in human society--from hunter-gatherer to farmer, from village to city-state--first occurred in this area. show more Biblical associations also are numerous, from Nineveh to the Tower of Babel and the Flood. Professor H.W.F. Saggs describes the ebb and flow in the successive fortunes of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Amorites and Babylonians. Using evidence from pottery, cuneiform tablets, cylinder seals, early architecture and metallurgy, he illuminates the myths, religion, languages, trade, politics and warfare, as well as the legacy, of the Babylonians and their predecessors. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
First, let's start with the fact that this is a Folio Society edition. That equates to one simple fact...if public transit is crowded and there's only one seat left, I get the seat. Because my book is superior to those flimsy paperbacks and Mc-eBooks. Bow down to my book. No, don't even look at it. The paper is real. The spine is real. The cover is real. It's real. Kneel!
We have given you kingship over everything
Mesopotamia comes alive in this classic history of the people who built those cool ziggurats. The myths, the literature, the wars, the gardens, the religions...they're all brought to life with knowledge (and opinions) by Saggs. That seat is mine.
Book Season = Summer (feel the heat)
We have given you kingship over everything
Mesopotamia comes alive in this classic history of the people who built those cool ziggurats. The myths, the literature, the wars, the gardens, the religions...they're all brought to life with knowledge (and opinions) by Saggs. That seat is mine.
Book Season = Summer (feel the heat)
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The Emergence of the Modern Middle East
289 works; 13 members
Folio Society
831 works; 53 members
Author Information
10+ Works 1,461 Members
Some Editions
Series
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Greatness that was Babylon
- Original title
- The Greatness that was Babylon
- Alternate titles
- The Babylonians [Folio Society title]
- Original publication date
- 1962 (First Edition) (First Edition); 1988 (Second Edition) (Second Edition); 1999 (1st Folio Society Edition) (1st Folio Society Edition)
- People/Characters
- Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria; Belshazzar son of Nabonidas; Enlil; Hammurabi; Marduk; Nebuchadnezzar II (show all 9); Nergal-Sharezer; Shamash; Tiglath-Pileser III
- Important places
- Babylon; Erech; Mesopotamia; Eridu; Babylonia; Lagash (show all 10); Mari; Nineveh; Nippur; Ur
- Dedication
- One of the difficulties in discussing the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia lies in the geographical terminology.
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, Anthropology, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 935 — History & geography History of ancient world (to ca. 499) Mesopotamia to 637 and Iranian Plateau to 637
- LCC
- DS70.7 .S27 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Asia History of Asia Iraq (Assyria, Babylonia, Mesopotamia)
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 508
- Popularity
- 59,294
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.69)
- Languages
- English, Finnish, French, German
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 24
