The Cultic Calendars of the Ancient Near East [Hardcover]

Mark E. Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1993 | ISBN-10: 1883053005 | ISBN-13: 978-1883053000

The Cultic Calendars incorporates recently discovered material to reconstruct the calendars and their associated festivals in the ancient Near East from Ugarit to Mesopotamia to Iran from 2500 to 100 B.C.E. Among the many cultic calendars discussed are those of Ebla, Nuzi, Mari, Emar, Ugarit, the Sumerians, Amorites, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Elamites. Among topics discussed are the akitu-festival, spring, summer, and fall New Years, the lunar vs. solar calendar, festivals for the netherworld, and theories on the origin of the Nisannu-calendar.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 559 pages
• Publisher: Capital Decisions Ltd (April 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883053005
• ISBN-13: 978-1883053000
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,703,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with information, January 20, 2000

By 

John R. Mitchell - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cultic Calendars of the Ancient Near East (Hardcover)

I greatly enjoyed reading Prof. Cohen's book. It is certainly technical and of special interest to students of the ancient near east, but it is also quite lucid and accessible. The author has mastered and explained an immense amount of information about ancient religion and sacred times. This is an interesting way to learn about religious practices in ancient Mesopotamia and Palestine.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating study, May 16, 2002

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cultic Calendars of the Ancient Near East (Hardcover)

This book is a fascinating study of the calendars of ancient Mesopotamia, from the third millennium B.C. to the first millennium B.C. Each section begins with a synopsis of what is known about the calendar from that place and time (e.g. Nippur's calendar versus Ur's), and then launches into a month-by-month list of the festivals associated with that month (complete with the known name of the month). The final chapter focuses of festival themes, and is of general interest.

This is a fascinating book, containing a wealth of information that I didn't realize was available. Sadly, the book is written in a somewhat dry and academic tone, which means that it is not good bedtime reading. That said, though, this book offers a fascinating look into the Mesopotamian's view of the year, and what it offered to them. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the daily life in ancient Mesopotamia.