From an Antique Land

An Introduction to Ancient Near Eastern Literature

Contributions by Gary Beckman, Benjamin R. Foster, Susan Tower Hollis, Ingo Kottsieper, Wayne T. Pitard, Gonzalo Rubio Edited by Carl S. Ehrlich

Paperback - £48.00

Publication date:

30 June 2011

Length of book:

522 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780742543355

Many of the world's first written records have been found in the area of the Ancient Near East, in what is today known as the Middle East. While many people are familiar with the ancient Israelite literature recorded in the Hebrew Bible, most Near Eastern literature remains a mystery. From an Antique Land lifts the veil from these fascinating writings, explaining the ancient stories in the context of their cultures.

From the invention of writing through the conquest of Alexander the Great, expert scholars examine literature originally written in Egyptian, Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, Ugaritic, Canaanite, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Each chapter includes an overview of the culture, a discussion of literary genres, and descriptions and short analyses of the major literary works. Photos of archaeological remains further illustrate these people and their writings.
An important collection of essays from which both students and scholars will learn much.