Product Description
Here you will find an in-depth treatise covering the political social, and economic history of the Ottoman Empire, the last member of the lineage of the Near Eastern and Mediterranean empires and the only one that reached the modern times both in terms of internal structure and world history. ... Read more

Product Description
The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt expands upon the information presented in the first with a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on Egyptian rulers, bureaucrats, and commoners whose records have survived, as well as ancient society, religion, and gods. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Initial review of the Historical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt
This small book provide the students or the enthusiasts in Egyptology with concise and useful references written by an undisputable scholar in this domain. I have nevertheless some critics to mention.
Although there is a general warning in the reader's notes on the accuracy of the chronology for the earlier periods, the dates given all over the book do not reflect this uncertainty and may leave a wrong impression.
Sometimes simple assumptions not accepted by all scholars are presented as historical facts. For example, the existence of coregencies between two kings usually father and son.
The detailed list of Museum is interesting but out of the scope of an historical dictionary.
The 16 black and white pictures in the centre of the book are of poor quality and not related at all to any particular entry in the dictionary.
It would have been better not to add these pictures.
Some entries belong more to a dictionary on ancient Egyptian civilisation than to an historical dictionary. In one word, I would have preferred more detailed pure historical entries.
More maps, including maps of the Near East and Nubia would have been welcome.
But the main critic is the price of the book. Its size does not justify this price.
It remains nevertheless that the historical entries are concise, clear and of high standard, as expected from this author.
The bibliography is excellent.

Michel Brandt
Toulouse
... Read more

Product Description
"This reference examines sources in the Old Testament and surveys the findings of recent archaeological research. It includes entries on the significant persons, places and events; covers the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah and what role they played in the ancient world; and defines them as closely as possible according to the latest data. Readers will find that, while the results may differ from traditional views, they are essential correctives." ... Read more

Product Description
Explains how Cairo came to have its important Genizah archive, how Cambridge developed its interests in Hebraica, and how a number of colourful figures brought about the connection between the two centres. Also shows the importance of the Genizah material for Jewish cultural history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A welcome addition to our knowledge of medieval Jews
Author Stefan Reif is Director of the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit at the Cambridge University Library. This book discusses the amazing treasure-trove of documents from Egypt's Cairo Genizah, which yielded several important documents about the Khazars, included writings by famous Jewish personalities like Moses Maimonides and Yehuda HaLevi, and also helps us better understand the daily lives of medieval Jews in subjects as wide ranging as medicine, music, marriage, philosophy, religious practices, and relations with Muslims and Christians.Reif provides capsule histories of the amassing of the Genizah Collection, biographies of the personalities who worked on Genizah research and preservation efforts, and summaries and illustrations of many of the documents contained in the collection. ... Read more

Product Description
This book examines the studies of Aristotle's Poetics and its related texts in which three Medieval philosophers - Alfarabi, Avicenna and Averroes - proposed a conception of poetic validity (beauty), and a just relation between subjects in a community (goodness). The work considers the relation of the Poetics to other Aristotelian texts, the transmission of these works to the commentators' context, and the motivations driving the commentators' reception of the texts. The book focuses on issues central to the classical relation of beauty to truth and goodness. ... Read more

Product Description
Part of a series which explores many different topics from a range of viewpoints. Science, history, maths, geography, technology, art, language and music are some of the many aspects treated in the cross-curricular approach. ... Read more

Product Description
This meticulously researched and handsomely illustrated volume explores the chronology, historic events, key public figures, and cultural legacy of the Assyro-Babylonian civilization. Tracing the roots of this ancient society to 3000—2001 BC, historian Alfredo Rizza reveals the impact of various earlier civilizations on the development of Mesopotamia in the second and first millennium BC (ca. 2000—500 BC). Offering fresh insight into the pivotal historical events and the complex political and cultural configuration of the Assyrians and Babylonians, this book delves into the convergence in Mesopotamia of various ethnic and cultural groups. The authoritative text describes the role played by each group in trade, diplomatic relations, cultural heritage, and military action. Specially commissioned photographs depict the topography, archaeology, and antiquities of this ancient civilization, including stone reliefs discovered in royal palaces depicting battle scenes, kings with different deities conducting religious ceremonies, ziggurats, ornate gates guarding the cities, and much more, all of which reveal details of this intriguing epoch. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mixed bag
The photos of objects from the Louvre, British, Berlin, Syrian, Iraq and other museums are gorgeous, and it is nice to have them together, rather than art solely from a single museum. They are almost all color, save for two or three 19th century photos, and art lovers will enjoy the plentiful detail enlargements,and large format.So, love this book for it's reasonable price and luscious eye-candy.

However, don't hope to gain a grasp of history from the text, translated from the Italian, possibly by computer?Technically, it is English, but does not seem to have been edited by a native English speaker, let alone a professional writer.In many places, takes a great deal of attention and mental re-writing to divine the author's meaning.Also, watch for numerous errors in dimensions of the art objects in the captions -- the metric dimensions seem to be the correct ones. ... Read more

Product Description
This study examines the early civilizations of the Shang and Western Chou of China, the Aztecs, Mayas, Yorubas and ancient Mesopotamians, comparing all of these to the Old and Middle Kingdoms of Egypt. It assesses the economics, politics, religious beliefs and culture of each civilization. ... Read more

Product Description
About thirty thousand years ago, people arrived in the land known today as Egypt. A mixed society comprised largely of Africans, ancient Egyptians were influenced by nature, philosophy, education, and neighboring societies. These people developed one of the first and most complex societies ever to have existed in the world. ... Read more

Product Description
The volume under review deals with the aims, methods, preliminary results and problems of three campaigns in Iraqi Kurdistan (1948, 1950-51, 1954-55). It does not offer a final excavation or exploration report, since some of the materials have not yet been studied in detail; but it contains a valuable series of essays about special aspects of the project which was undertaken as a first major attempt to identify the earliest village-materials and their immediate predecessors. The archaeological and general chapters to the book are the work of R. J. Braidwood and Bruce Howe. They explain the scene and progress of the field-work; they give a survey of the sites excavated and the materials collected (chapters I-V). The middle part of the book consists of contributions by the scientists who took an essential part in the field research: F. R. Matson writes on ceramic analysis and carbon 14 dating; H. E. Wright Jr. on climate and prehistoric man in the Eastern Mediterranean (a comparative study concerned with the entire Levant); H. Helbaek on the palaeo-ethnobotany of the Near East and Europe (an excellent chapter, most informative for the archaeologist in search of specific statements and analyses of early "agricultural" materials); and Charles A. Reed on animal domestication in the prehistoric Near East (again very instructive, often with an element of reproach directed to field archaeologists who neglected to recognize or salvage zoological evidence in their excavations). The concluding chapters review the results in a more general setting so far as they can be defined in chronological, "environmental" and general cultural terms and periods. [From a review by Machteld J. Mellink in the American Journal of Archaeology 65 (1961) 195-96]. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

the book covers much about Ancient Egypt
This book covers numerous facets of Ancient Egypt through 16 informative essays written by the leading international Egyptologists : Ian Shaw describes the geography and topography of the country; Jaromir Malekintroduces the beginnings of this fascinating civilization as well as itshistory; Morris Bierbrier deals with the discovery of Ancient Egypt andpresents a few of the first Egyptologists (Mariette, Maspero and AmeliaEdwards); Janine Bourriau describes life and the ancient Egyptian family;Jac Janssen covers its economic aspects; J. D. Ray explains the principlesof kingship and the pharaohs; Kenneth Kitchen tells of Ancient Egypt andits relations with Nubia, Punt, and Asia; Waltraud Guglielmi covers thereligious aspects with the many Egyptian gods; Arielle Kozloff lets thereader know more about art and architecture; Cathleen Keller describes theEgyptian monuments; Alan Bowman tells of the invaders and the Ptolemaicdynasty; C. C. Walters covers Coptic Egypt; D. S. Richards explains theimpact of Islam; Jane Jakeman describes the modern city of Cairo; PenelopeC. Johnstone describes the influence Ancient Egypt has in our modern world;and finally Fayza Haikal describes family life in modern Egypt withaccounts of marriage and other activities. This thought-provoking book isprimarily aimed for non-specialists and novices. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is made up of twelve articles, sometimes brilliant but always interesting, contributed in honour of the seventieth birthday of John A. Wilson by his students and colleagues of the Oriental Institute. Contents: Zur Ubersetzung der Prapositionen und Konjunktionen m und dr. (R. Anthes); Illusionism in Egyptian Architecture. (A. Badaway); A Ritual Ball Game? (C. E. DeVries); Foreign Gods in Ancient Egypt. (S. H. Horn); The Cruel Father: A Demotic Papyrus in the Library of G. Michaelides. (G. R. Hughes); Eunuchs in Ancient Egypt? (G. E. Kadish); Three Philological Notes. (M. Lichtheim); Thutmosis III's Benefactions to Amon. (C. F. Nims); Once Again the Coregency of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II. (R. A. Parker); Hathor at the Jubilee. (E. F. Wente); Some Egyptianisms in the Old Testament. (R. J. Williams); A Greco-Egyptian Funerary Stela. (L. V. Zabkar); Bibliography of John A. Wilson. (E. B. Hauser). ... Read more

Product Description
Must reading for history students and anyone interested in the development of Western civilization, this lively, fascinating study demonstrates clearly that “the civilizations of the ancient Orient [were] a tremendous human experience, . . . without which another, subsequent civilization would not be conceivable.” The book examines the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Hurrians, Canaanites, Aramaeans, Israelites, and Persians; offers a synthesis of Near Eastern accomplishments in politics, society, literature, and the arts; and presents a wealth of quotations from the little-known writings of Sumer, Egypt, Hurria, and other great civilizations. “. . . a work that should interest both scholars and laymen. It is a valuable introduction, perhaps the best available in English, to the ancient Near Eastern civilizations.”—American Historical Review. “. . . a lucid, intelligent, and lively summation. . . . an appetizing and stimulating introduction to the study of man’s early civilizations.”—Science. Notes. Index. 32 halftones. 5 figures. 1 map.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Two & a Half Millennia of Civilisation
Anyone reading this book must bear in mind that it is a reprint of the English edition published in 1960 and therefore does not reflect current scholarship. However, it is a useful introduction to the civilisations of the ancient Near East, starting with the Sumarians, followed by the Akkadians (i.e. the Babylonians and Assyrians), Egyptians, Hittites, Hurrians, various Semitic tribes, and finally the Persians, each of whom are examined in turn.

The focus is not on political history, but on culture as reflected in religion, literature, architecture, and art, with prominence given to the first two. It is not a systematic exposition, but a brief outline with references to the scholarly works that were available at the time of original publication.

An important point that made is that current knowledge of these ancient peoples is limited to the documents and archaeological remains which have been preserved and discovered, often by chance.

Typical of the format is the chapter on the Sumarians, who, in their city states of Kish, Lagash, Umma, and Ur amongst others, are the first people in this region for which there is historical as well as archaeological evidence. Moscali discusses and gives extracts from the earliest royal inscriptions, although perhaps some of his conclusions stretch the material too far. Attention is then paid to Sumarian concept of the gods and their worship. The literatureof the Sumarians is represented by a vast quantity of cuneiform inscribed clay tablets. These texts, of which several examples are given, comprise myths of the gods and heroic legends, including the epic poem of Gilgamesh; hymns, prayers, incantations, and fables; scientific, legal and commercial documents. Finally the characteristic architecture of temples and palaces and art, mainly statuary and bas-reliefs, are outlined and illustrated by a few relevant,although poorly reproduced plates.

The reader is given a frame of reference for these ancient civilisations which places them in context vis-à-vis each other without being dragged into the minutiae of political events or scholarly debates. The picture that emerges is that of two great centres of civilisation which arise in the river valleys of Mesopotamia and the Nile who interact with their neighbours from the mountains and desert in politics, religion, and art until the whole of the Near East is united under the control of the Persians.

The author is prone to making grand generalisations, especially in the concluding chapter, but these are easily recognisable and indeed forgivable since he seeks to summarize more than two and a half thousand years of civilisation in a slim volume. ... Read more

Product Description
A study of one of the Qumran texts, examining its characteristics and authorship. The author concludes that the Temple Scroll was an eschatalogical law book, composed around 150 BC by `The Teacher of Righteousness' and not a product of the Qumran community. ... Read more

Product Description
This handsomely illustrated book highlights one of the most important and creative periods in the history of art: a time marked by the appearance of the city states of the Sumerians, the citadel of Troy, the splendid royal tombs at Ur, and the monumental cities at Mohenjodaro and Harappa. The volume examines the cultural achievements of these first urban societies, placing them in a historical context. Topics covered include the emergence of the first city states, the birth of written language, and trade and cultural interconnections between the ancient Near East and outlying areas. More than five hundred works of art, including sculpture, jewelry, vessels, weapons, cylinder seals, and tablets executed in a wide variety of materials such as stone, metal, clay, ivory, and semiprecious stones are included. The insightful texts are written by leading scholars in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Enjoy the Art of the First Cities
Wonderful illustrations. Up-tu-date analyses & comments. For amateurs and specialists as well.

Superb
This is a superbly illustrated and written book, with photographs of renown artifacts from museums around the world, and even more outstanding essays by relevant scholars. I suspect anyone interested in Ancient Art from the formative stages (3000-2000 BCE) of the world's first civilizations will enjoy reading this book.

Magnificent!
A magnificent volume, for those who might be interested in the miriad small and large details pertaining to the earliest artifacts of those primordial history writing civilizations. A great many details as to the History, Physical conditions, Geography, Economics, Foreign relations, Art, Religion, Litterature, Iconography, Archaeology and so on, both textual and visual. A most interesting book for those interested in the cradle of civilisation. ... Read more