Why read Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia?

Book cover of Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia

Book description

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). Readers will discover fascinating details about the lives of these people…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Amanda H. Podany

Author

People often think that we don’t know much about ancient Mesopotamia because it flourished so long ago, but that isn’t true at all. The excavated documents are full of information about real people and their lives. Karen Rhea Nemet-Nejat’s book is a great introduction because she has organized the chapters thematically to examine such features as family life and religion (as it was actually practiced), and because she quotes and analyzes obscure and interesting ancient texts. Readers can also explore ancient Mesopotamian government, economy, and intellectual innovations here, but the author always maintains her focus on the people.

From Amanda's list on The best books on the lives of real people in ancient Mesopotamia and how we know about them.