The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon: An
Elusive World Wonder by Stephanie Dalley
A story involving legends, ancient texts, and a vivid
description of a little-known civilization. One of the
Seven Wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Garden
remains a mystery steeped in shadow and myth. |
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The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the
Story of the Flood
by Irving Finkel
British Museum expert Dr Irving Finkel reveals how
decoding the symbols on a 4,000-year-old piece of clay
enabled a radical new interpretation of the Noah's Ark
myth. |
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An Arabic translation by Najwa Nasr,
published by Beisan Press of Beirut, is available from
Al Saqi Books.
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Stories from Ancient Iraq retold by Fran Hazelton, introduction by Dr Stephanie Dalley, cover picture
by Sadiq Toma, illustrations by Ed Coyne Twelve
re-told stories from Mesopotamian mythology. Includes a
guide to Mesopotamian dieties and cities, a story map
and list of academic sources |
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Three Kings of Warka: Enmerkar,
Lugalbanda, Gilgamesh
retold by Fran Hazelton, introduction by Dr Stephanie Dalley, cover picture
by Sadiq Toma, illustrations by Eleanor Allitt
Masterly re-tellings of three major pieces of ancient
Mesopotamian literature |
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Sumerian Mythology: A Study of
Spiritual and Literary Achievement in the Third
Millennium B.C.
by Samuel Noah Kramer
Originally published in 1944, this is
the book that first brought Sumerian mythology to the
attention of the general public. Essential reading for
Mesopotamia enthusiasts. |
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Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient
Mesopotamia: an illustrated dictionary
by Jeremy Black and Anthony Green
This unique illustrated dictionary provides answers to
many frequently asked questions about Mesopotamian
mythology and its iconography. A very good investment. |
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Gilgamesh
by Stephen Mitchell
This new version summarises the epic
well in its introduction and tells it in full as an
English poem. |
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The Epic of Gilgamesh
by Andrew George
This is the most up-to-date academic
translation from Akkadian and Sumerian of the world’s
first literary masterpiece. |
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Inanna: Queen Of Heaven And Earth:
her stories and hymns from Sumer
by Diane Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer
This fresh retelling of the ancient
texts is an inspiring introduction to Inanna illustrated
with images from her era. |
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Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, The
Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others
by Stephanie Dalley
A translation from Akkadian of several
myths, with notes, a glossary of deities, place-names
and key terms. Essential for any Mesopotamia enthusiast |
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Princess, Priestess, Poet: The
Sumerian Temple Hymns of Enheduanna
by Betty De Shong Meador
A new English version of all forty-two
temple hymns ascribed to Enheduanna, the daughter of
Sargon I who was the high-priestess at the temple of the
moon god in the city of Ur in 2300 BCE |
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Inanna, Lady of Largest Heart: Poems
of the Sumerian High Priestess Enheduanna
by Betty De Shong Meador, foreword by Judy Grahn
A skilful rendering of Enheduanna’s
hymns to Inanna, and discussion of how the poems reflect
Enheduanna’s spiritual and psychological liberation |
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The Harps that Once… Sumerian Poetry
in Translation
by Thorkild Jacobsen
Elegantly written academic translations
full of ancient passion made accessible to the modern
non-specialist reader |
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Sumer and the Sumerians
by Harriet Crawford
Classic introduction to the material
world lived in by the people who originated Mesopotamian
mythology |
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Babylon
by Joan Oates
Excellently written and richly
illustrated, this acclaimed account is a must-have for
scholars, students and new-comers to the history and
legacy of Babylon. |
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Mesopotamia: the invention of the
city
by Gwendolyn Leick
7000 years of urban living are brought
to life in this chronicle of ten great Mesopotamian
cities: Eridu, Uruk, Shurappak, Akkad, Ur, Nippur,
Sippar, Ashur, Nineveh and Babylon. |
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Lugalbanda: The Boy Who Was Caught Up
in a War
by Kathy Henderson, illustrations by
Jane Ray A 4000-year-old Sumerian story
retold for children with illustrations inspired by
Sumerian art. A lost young prince discovers his destiny. |
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Sex and Eroticism in Mesopotamian
Literature
by Gwendolyn Leick
As their poems, stories, hymns, spells,
charms and incantations reveal in this scholarly and
intriguing book, the people of Mesopotamia were as
anxious and exuberant about sex as people are today, in
their own distinctive way. |
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History begins at Sumer: thirty-nine
firsts in recorded history
by Samuel Noah Kramer
A delightful guide to the many examples
of Sumerian originality: in love-songs, medicine,
schooling, law-making, history-writing, story-telling,
marathon-running etc. |
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Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the
Ancient Near East
by Michael Roaf
This lavishly illustrated atlas is great
for dipping into for answers on ancient Mesopotamia and
for seeing what that world looked like to those who
lived in it, with special features on pottery, writing,
ziggurats, religion, technology, and everyday life. Maps
galore. |
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The East Face of Helicon
by M. L. West
A renowned classicist examines the
elements of Mesopotamian literature to be found in Greek
poetry and myth. He suggests, too, how Homer may have
heard of the Gilgamesh epic. |
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The Legacy of Mesopotamia
by Stephanie Dalley (editor)
This well illustrated collection of
essays shows in scholarly detail how the academic and
literary traditions of Mesopotamia spread to
neighbouring lands in cuneiform script long before the
development of the alphabet. |
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The Literature of Ancient Sumer
by Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Eleanor Robson and
Gabor Zolyomi
An anthology of new academic
translations of seventy Sumerian poems, myths, proverbs
etc., about a fifth of the known corpus. A unique
resource. |
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Before the Muses: an anthology of
Akkadian Literature
by Benjamin R. Foster
A treasure trove of academic
translations of Mesopotamian literary clay tablets
written in Akkadian |
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Daring to Discover: Inanna her
Descent into the Underworld by Eleanor
Allitt
An imaginative and lavishly illustrated
adaptation of the ancient Sumerian myth showing its
lasting relevance
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Iraq: Then & Now: A Guide to the
Country and Its People by Geoff Hann and
Karen Dabrowska
A thorough and detailed guide which
includes information about Zipang and the Enheduanna
Society
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Complete Babylonian: Teach
Yourself by Martin Worthington
Enables the complete beginner to gain a
working knowledge of cuneiform script and the
sophisticated language spoken and written in ancient
Babylon
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Babylon: Mesopotamia and the
Birth of Civilization by Paul Kriwaczek
A delightful and rewarding read, well
illustrated with photographs, maps and diagrams
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