A Companion to the Ancient Near East

The new edition of the popular survey of Near Eastern civilization from the Bronze Age to the era of Alexander the Great

A Companion to the Ancient Near East explores the history of the region from 4400 BCE to the Macedonian conquest of the Persian Empire in 330 BCE. Original and revised essays from a team of distinguished scholars from across disciplines address subjects including the politics, economics, architecture, and heritage of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, this acclaimed single-volume reference combines lively writing with engaging and relatable topics to immerse readers in this fascinating period of Near East history.

The new second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to include new developments in relevant fields, particularly archaeology, and expand on themes of interest to contemporary students. Clear, accessible chapters offer fresh discussions on the history of the family and gender roles, the literature, languages, and religions of the region, pastoralism, medicine and philosophy, and borders, states, and warfare. New essays highlight recent discoveries in cuneiform texts, investigate how modern Egyptians came to understand their ancient history, and examine the place of archaeology among the historical disciplines. This volume:

• Provides substantial new and revised content covering topics such as social conflict, kingship, cosmology, work, trade, and law
• Covers the civilizations of the Sumerians, Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Israelites, and Persians, emphasizing social and cultural history
• Examines the legacy of the Ancient Near East in the medieval and modern worlds
• Offers a uniquely broad geographical, chronological, and topical range
• Includes a comprehensive bibliographical guide to Ancient Near East studies as well as new and updated references and reading suggestions

Suitable for use as both a primary reference or as a supplement to a chronologically arranged textbook, A Companion to the Ancient Near East, 2nd Edition is a valuable resource for advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, instructors in the field, and scholars from other disciplines.

Autorentext
Daniel C. Snell graduated from Stanford in 1971, took his PhD in Near Eastern Languages from Yale in 1975, and taught at several universities and colleges throughout his career. Now retired, he was L. J. Semrod Presidential Professor of History at the University of Oklahoma. He has authored several books, including the basic workbook for learning cuneiform signs. Dr. Snell held a Fulbright Fellowship to Syria and a Mellon Fellowship at the City University of New York. His latest book is Ancient Near East: The Basics (Routledge, 2014).

Inhalt

Illustrations List ix Notes on Contributors xi Introduction 1 Part I The Big Picture 9 1 A History of the Ancient Near East 11 Mario Liverani 2 From Sedentism to States, 10 000-3000 BCE 27 Augusta McMahon Part II The Physical World 45 3 Archaeology and the Ancient Near East: Renewing a Culture-Historical Partnership 47 Marie-Henriette Gates 4 The Degradation of the Ancient Near Eastern Environment 65 Carlos E. Cordova Part III The Social World 85 5 Gender Roles in Ancient Egypt 87 Ann Macy Roth 6 Royal Women and the Exercise of Power in the Ancient Near East 97 Sarah C. Melville 7 The Family in the Ancient Near East 111 John P. Nielsen 8 Pastoralism in the Ancient Near East 125 Anne Porter 9 Money and Traders 145 Christopher M. Monroe 10 Law and Practice 165 Bruce Wells 11 Working 181 David A. Warburton 12 Social Tensions in the Ancient Near East 201 John Robertson 13 Borders and States 225 Steven Grosby 14 Divine and Non-Divine Kingship 243 Philip Jones Part IV Thought 261 15 Transmission of Knowledge 263 Benjamin Foster 16 Literature of Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East 273 Susan Tower Hollis 17 Ancient Near Eastern Philosophy 293 Marc van de Mieroop 18 Mesopotamian Cosmology 305 Francesca Rochberg 19 Ancient Mesopotamian Religion 321 Nicole Brisch Part V Culture 339 20 The Languages of the Ancient Near East 341 John Huehnergard 21 Mesopotamian Art 355 Marian H. Feldman 22 Egyptian Medicine 377 Tanja Pommerening 23 Warfare in Mesopotamia 399 Sarah C. Melville Part VI Inheritances 421 24 The Decipherment of the Ancient Near East 423 Peter T. Daniels 25 Monotheism and Ancient Israelite Religion 439 S. David Sperling 26 The Ancient Near East and Biblical Scholarship: Recently Uncovered Archives from the Cuneiform World 455 Mark Chavalas 27 Pharaonic Heritage in Modern Egypt 471 Donald Malcolm Reid 28 Conclusions 487 Daniel C. Snell Index 497