This Dictionary gives a comprehensive survey of the whole range of ancient Near Eastern architecture from the Neolithic round huts in Palestine to the giant temples of Ptolemaic Egypt. Gwendolyn Leick examines the development of the principal styles of ancient architecture within their geographical and historical context, and describes features of major sites such as Ur, Nineveh and Babylon, as well as many of the lesser-known sites. She also covers the variations of typical ancient architectural structures such as pyramids, tombs and houses, details the building material and techniques employed, and clarifies specialist terminology.

An authoritative guide to the whole of the cradle of civilization.

Covers gods, myths, and terminology for mythologies, "drawn from Mesopotamia, Syro-Palestine and Anatolia between 2800 and 300 BC."

What do we know of the real Nebuchadnezzar? Was there an historical precedent for the mythical Gilgamesh? Who were the Hittites? When did Isaiah preach? How did Jezebel get her reputation? These and many more questions are answered in this fascinating survey of the people who inhabited the Near East between the twenty-fifth and the second centuries BC. From Palestine to Iran and from Alexander the Great to Zechariah, Who's Who in the Ancient Near East presents a unique and comprehensive reference guide for all those with an interest in the ancient history of the area. A comprehensive glossary, chronological charts, maps and bibliographical information complement the biographical entries.

A single-authored two-volume work which makes no claims to comprehensiveness, but selectively treats periods and areas usually studied in universities (treatment of Egypt is brief because of the availability of studies of Egyptian history at all levels). It is intended as an introduction to ancient Near Eastern history, to the main sources used for reconstructing societies and political systems, and to some historical problems and scholarly debates. The area discussed extends from Turkey (Anatolia) and Egypt in the west through the Levant (which includes Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria west of the Euphrates) to Mesopotamia into Iran. Volume I covers c.3000 BC to c.1200 BC; volume II, 1200 BC to 330 BC. The author is a Reader in Ancient History at University College London. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

An historical survey of the development of sculpture, architecture, painting, and ornament in the cultures of ancient Syria, Iran, Babylon, and Sumeria