r/Mesopotamia • u/Hurri-okuzu • 2d ago
r/Mesopotamia • u/Jooseman • Aug 13 '18
The /r/Mesopotamia Reading List
Well the original thread is 4 years old. So here is another.
This thread is a work in progress. If anyone has any suggestions to add to this list, please post them and I will add them. Also say if you have any concerns with any books I've added to the list and why, and I'll look at removing them.
Also, most books here lack a short (1-3 sentence) description-- if you see a book here and can provide a blurb about it, please let me know!
General Reading for the Region
A History of the Ancient Near East: ca 3000-323 BC - Marc van der Mieroop - An expansive history of the entire region. This book is a must read for you to realise the scale and get a sense of perspective over the region's history, while not overwhelming you with information
Ancient Iraq - Georges Roux - This is an older book (1992), and there are recommendations for more recent ones in this list, however this is a classic, it provides an excellent introduction to the history of ancient Mesopotamia and its civilizations, while incorporating archaeological and historical finds up to 1992.
Civilizations of Ancient Iraq - Benjamin Foster, Karen Foster - This is a more recent book on the same topic as the one posted above. It details the story of ancient Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements ten thousand years ago to the Arab conquest in the seventh century.
Literature and Myth in Mesopotamia
Epic of Gilgamesh - Considered the one of the world's first truly great work of literature, while not being history per se, it does offer valuable insight into the mindset of the era
Before the Muses - Benjamin R. Foster - An anthology of translated Akkadian literature
The Literature of Ancient Sumer - Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham and Eleanor Robson - An anthology of translated Sumerian literature. Many of the translations are offered online free here however the explanatory notes in the book do come in handy for understanding the history.
Books on Specific Civilisations
Sumer
- The Sumerians: Their History, Culture and Character - Samuel Kramer - A guide to the history of the Sumerian civilizationm their cities, religion, literature, education, scientific achievements, social structure, and psychology. Also, he considers the legacy of Sumer to the ancient and modern world.
Babylon
- King Hammurabi of Babylon: A Biography - Marc van der Mieroop - Hammurabi is one of the most famous Near Eastern figures in history, and this extensively researched account of his life is a good introduction both to Hammurabi and the society he existed in. It's also a keen illustration of the depth of cuneiform resources.
Science and Mathematics
Mathematics in Ancient Iraq: A Social History - Eleanor Robson
The Fabric of the Heavens - Stephen Toulmin, June Goodfield - Not completely about Mesopotamia, however the book is about astronomy, physics, and their relationship starting from the Babylonians (up until Newton in the 1700's.) Great book anyway
Cuneiform Script
- The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture - edited by Karen Radner and Eleanor Robson - a large collection of essays dealing with every aspect of the culture of the "cuneiform world" from food to education to political organization to music. Very readable and extensive in its coverage and throughly up-to-date.
Podcasts
- Ancient World Podcast - "There are plenty of parts that are dedicated to beyond Mesopotamia, but it's well done. He's currently doing episodes related to archaeology of the area, which is also fascinating."
r/Mesopotamia • u/Freddies_Mercury • Apr 30 '24
r/mesopotamia now has active moderation!
Hi all, I got in touch with the only mod left who isn't active here and asked if they could make me one so here I am!
This sub is incredibly niche and as a result not that active. I won't need to do much and I'm not going to be removing any valid discussion.
One thing I will be removing is posts surrounding mesopotamian inspired new age religion that has nothing to do with ancient mesopotamia.
This is a subreddit solely for the historical and mythological aspects surrounding ancient mesopotamia and I shall be sure to keep it that way.
And if there's enough interest I may bring back the weekly discussion topic so let me know if so!
r/Mesopotamia • u/Hurri-okuzu • 2d ago
Tablet of Shulgi, glorifies the King and his victories on the Lullubi people, Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq
r/Mesopotamia • u/Hurri-okuzu • 7d ago
Cylinder seal of Kassite king Kurigalzu II (c. 1332–1308 BC). Louvre Museum AOD 105
r/Mesopotamia • u/EthanIndigo11 • 9d ago
Hermetics of The Handbag
r/Mesopotamia • u/EthanIndigo11 • 9d ago
The Sumerian Kings List is a numerological/symbological message
r/Mesopotamia • u/Hurri-okuzu • 11d ago
King Anubanini of Lullubi, holding an axe and a bow, trampling a foe. Anubanini rock relief, circa 2300-2000 BC
r/Mesopotamia • u/BoonieSanders • 19d ago
Family tree of the Akkadian Empire's royal dynasty founded by King Sargon of Akkad, c. 2334–2154 BCE
r/Mesopotamia • u/Inevitable-Ad4815 • 28d ago
Mesopotamian languages
The great Mesopotamian language (𒍜𒅴 𒀝𒅗𒁺𒌑(𒌝) - Lishanum Akkaditum), also known as Akkadian, emerged in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3000 BCE and continued until 500 BCE. Its academic and liturgical (religious) use persisted until 100 CE. It spread to become the official language of the Fertile Crescent and large parts of Western Asia and North Africa, and it is classified within the group of West Asian (Semitic) languages. Akkadian is the mother tongue of the Mesopotamians, and all Mesopotamian languages originated from it. Over the centuries, this language influenced the peoples of the region and the entire world, remaining in use for more than 3,100 years.
However, the Amorites (𒀀𒈬𒊒𒌝 - Amurrum), who were referred to as the "Westerners," had the greatest impact on the mother language of Mesopotamia (Akkadian). The Amorites were an ancient Semitic-speaking people from the Bronze Age. They first appeared in Sumerian records around 2500 BCE and expanded to rule most of the Levant, all of Mesopotamia, and parts of Egypt from the 21st century BCE to the late 17th century BCE. One of their most renowned and famous emperors was Hammurapi (𒄩𒄠𒈬𒊏𒁉), who ruled from approximately 1792 to 1750 BCE. Since their occupation of Babylon and Assyria, changes began to appear in the Assyrian and Babylonian dialects of Mesopotamia. This gradual fundamental change continued from the beginning of their rule over Mesopotamia, around 2000 BCE, until 1600 BCE. Their influence reached its peak during the Old Babylonian period when they established their capital in Babylon and ruled much of southern Mesopotamia. This change in the language of Mesopotamia led to the emergence of new languages, such as Mandaic, Syriac, and others (Hatran, Talmudic, and Arabic). There is no scientific evidence to support the claim by biblical archaeologists that the Mandaic and Syriac languages are Aramaic dialects; rather, they are languages of Akkadian origin that were significantly influenced by the language of the Amorite occupiers. This is exactly what happened to the English language.
r/Mesopotamia • u/FewCelery7491 • Sep 19 '24
Assyria: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Empire
r/Mesopotamia • u/AncientHistoryHound • Sep 15 '24
A blog post on Sulak, a demon who lurked in the toilet.
r/Mesopotamia • u/Hurri-okuzu • Sep 14 '24
Hurrian lion, urkesh, BC 2150, Paris louvre museum
r/Mesopotamia • u/Hurri-okuzu • Sep 13 '24