A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 - 323 BC

The latest edition of the bestselling introduction to the rich and complex history of the ancient Near Eastern world, with new historical data and evidence throughout A History of the Ancient Near East presents a comprehensive overview of the extraordinary multicultural civilizations of the region. Surveying three millennia of Near Eastern history in a single volume, this classroom-proven textbook explores the origins of the first cities in Mesopotamia, the growth of the Babylonian and Hittite kingdoms, and the rise of the Assyrian and Persian empires. Concise, student-friendly chapters guide readers through major historical events and a wide variety of political, social, and cultural developments, beginning from the invention of writing circa 3000 BC and ending with the conquests of Alexander the Great. Incorporating the latest research in the rapidly developing field, the fourth edition of A History of the Ancient Near East contains entirely new sections on new archaeological discoveries and textual findings. Streamlined and improved chaptersbased on feedback from undergraduate students, reviewers, and lecturers with direct teaching experience with the textbookare supported by new date maps and color images, additional "Key Debate" boxes, and a fully up-to-date bibliography. Presented in an easy-to-understand narrative style, A History of the Ancient Near East: Explores recent discoveries that have shaped current discourse on the Ancient Near East Highlights the strengths and limitations of the original sources cited in the text Offers in-depth yet accessible coverage of key texts and sources, including the Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh Discusses differing interpretations of the causes of the collapse of the Bronze Age Engages students with various perspectives on critical issues, such as why people moved into cities Contains detailed maps, historical timelines, images and illustrations, and an extensive bibliography Integrating primary sources, contemporary scholarship, and a wealth of supplementary materials, A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000323 BC, Fourth Edition, remains an essential resource for undergraduate and introductory graduate students taking courses on archaeology or ancient Near Eastern history, as well as general readers with an interest in the ancient world and the Bible.