Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia (Hardcover)

~ Jean Bottero (Author), Teresa Lavender Fagan (Translator) "No one can undertake a thorough study of the economy of Mesopotamia, Greece, China, or anywhere else without at least first having a clear idea..." (more)
Key Phrases: deductive divination, divine personnel, inspired divination, Epic of Creation, Father Nannar, Great Door (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

One of the world's foremost experts on Assyriology, Jean Bottéro has studied the religion of ancient Mesopotamia for more than fifty years. Building on these many years of research, Bottéro here presents the definitive account of one of the world's oldest known religions. He shows how ancient Mesopotamian religion was practiced both in the public and private spheres, how it developed over the three millennia of its active existence, and how it profoundly influenced Western civilization, including the Hebrew Bible.

From the Inside Flap

One of the world's foremost experts on Assyriology, Jean Bottéro has studied the religion of ancient Mesopotamia for more than fifty years. Building on these many years of research, Bottéro here presents the definitive account of one of the world's oldest known religions. He shows how ancient Mesopotamian religion was practiced both in the public and private spheres, how it developed over the three millennia of its active existence, and how it profoundly influenced Western civilization, including the Hebrew Bible.

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Hardcover: 260 pages Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (June 1, 2001) Language: English ISBN-10: 0226067173 ISBN-13: 978-0226067179 Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,379,016 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

---

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Jean Bottéro Page

Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
No one can undertake a thorough study of the economy of Mesopotamia, Greece, China, or anywhere else without at least first having a clear idea of what is implied by the term "economy" itself. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
deductive divination, divine personnel, inspired divination, misshapen object, oral rituals, astral religion, manual rituals, fundamental metaphor, great divinity

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Epic of Creation, Father Nannar, Great Door, Land of Akkad, Old Babylonian Period, Sea House, Alexander the Great, Middle East, Near East, Seven Sages, Father Enki, Jebel Hamrin, Land of Sumer, Persian Gulf, Sumerian King List, Tablet of Destinies

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 16 books:

• Babylonian Wisdom Literature by W. G. Lambert on 5 pages
• The Persian Wars (Modern Library College Editions) by Herodotus on page 211, and page 218
• Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization by A. Leo Oppenheim in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• Before The Muses: An Anthology Of Akkadian Literature by Benjamin R. Foster in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• Sumerian King List (Assyriological Studies) by Thorkild Jacobsen in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 16 books this book cites

 

4 books cite this book:

• Luxury And Legitimation: Royal Collecting In Ancient Mesopotamia (Perspectives on Collecting) by Allison Karmel Thomason on page 54, and Back Matter
• The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) by John Bowker in Back Matter
• War and Peace in the Ancient World (Ancient World: Comparative Histories) by Kurt A. Raaflaub on page 28
• The Babylonian Tarot by Sandra Tabatha Cicero in Front Matter

---

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Mesopotamia by Jean Bottero

Discusses:

• deductive divination
• divine personnel
• inspired divination

Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament by John Walton

Discusses:

• deductive divination
• inspired divination
• oral rituals

Mesopotamia by Jean Bottero Discusses: deductive divination divine personnel inspired divination Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament by John Walton Discusses: deductive divination inspired divination oral rituals Loading...

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	76% buy the item featured on this page: Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia 4.7 out of 5 stars (6)
	9% buy Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others (Oxford World's Classics) 4.3 out of 5 stars (16) $10.04
	6% buy The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion 4.5 out of 5 stars (4) $21.25
	5% buy Mesopotamia: Writing, Reasoning, and the Gods 4.3 out of 5 stars (6) $16.56

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.  history of religions(1) mesopotamia(1) religion(1) See all 4 tags... Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 25 of 25 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction., December 3, 2005 By  Shachar Link (Douglaston, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This book is an excellent introduction to religion in ancient Mesopotamia. It is clear, straightforward and written with a minimum of academic jargon. I would go so far as to say it is easy to read, not common for books of this type. The author makes clear points, does not overindulge in speculation, and has a very reasonable view of what we can and cannot know about this 3000 year old religion. I really like that, despite the vast historical distance between our worldview and that of the ancient Mesopotamians, the author tries as much as possible to understand the religious mentality through which these ancient peoples viewed their world. The book sheds a lot of light on the religion of the Bible and the religious environment that created it, yet in a manner accessible to non-experts. Overall, if you are looking for an accessible introduction to a religion that was so influential to the Bible, yet is grossly understudied and likely misunderstood, I would say this is an excellent place to start. 14 of 14 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars The Religion/s of Mesopotamia, June 30, 2006 By  Jacob Cloud - See all my reviews This review is from: Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia (Paperback) Bottero offers a fairly concise review of Mesopotamian history and religion. The book is a good introduction to the topic for both students of religion, as well as general readers. My original interest in the book pertained to the correlations between Mesopotamian mythology and the stories found in the `Old Testament,' i.e. my interests were more literary than historical. Bottero does discuss some of the myths, etc.; yet his main focus is on religious practices and/or behavior. It's still an interesting read, and, overall, I enjoyed the book. But if you are, like I was, looking for an analysis of the Mesopotamian myths themselves and how said myths influenced the entire Mediterranean basin, I recommend the book "Slaying the Dragon" by Bernard F. Batto. 2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars An Illustrated Dictionary of Ancient Mesopotamia, October 13, 2007 By  Edward M. Hack "Ed Hack" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia (Paperback) Teachers and students have needed this book for a long time; previously, we had to depend on skimpy glossaries at the end of anthologies. Inevitably, for reasons of space and cost, those glossaries were very brief and not cross-referenced. This book, put together by two scholars in the field, solves this problem. In 192 illustrated pages, Black and Green have, in dictionary-style defined, explained, and cross-referenced to other items and illustrations, every god, demon, and symbol mentioned in the available Mesopotamian literature. Like good scholars, they are very careful when they speculate about meanings; they are factual and write clearly,linking, whenever possible, the item they're defining to parallels in architecture, sculpture, and literature. This is a very valuable resource since it puts into one text the best, most up-to-date scholarly understanding of the many gods, demons, and symbols that the ancient Mesopotamians poured so many of their imaginative energies into creating.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Readable, Comprehesible, Succinct I started reading about Mesopotamia (ancient mesopotamia is a little redundant isn't it? Unless you are talking geography) after reading about early Greek culture, specifically,... Read more Published 17 days ago by S. Pactor 5.0 out of 5 stars Empathetic, experiential, but factual There are several excellent reviews of this book (although one review posted here appears to be of Black and Green's "Illustrated Dictionary: Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient... Read more Published 2 months ago by Artemesia 4.0 out of 5 stars Good read in the field This is a great summury of the subject, a great book if your wanting to learn the basics before you dive into more scholarly work. Read more Published on March 9, 2006 by Dustin Nash Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

This product's forum Discussion Replies Latest Post No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   Guidelines Active discussions in related forums Discussion Replies Latest Post religion To date no one has produced any evidence that proves God does not exist. 4545 1 second ago religion Are GIRLS *Entitled* to the Same Things as Boys Are? 953 23 seconds ago christianity Non Sequitur Discussion 4745 3 minutes ago christianity Why Catholics Need Christ 7405 8 minutes ago history Holocaust Denial Dissected 3264 8 minutes ago history The USS Liberty 61 16 minutes ago religious studies Cleric - the ultimate non-job in the world? 9 5 days ago Search Customer Discussions Search all Amazon discussions

The Religion community Latest activity 2 hours ago 14,694 customers have contributed 15,447 products, 1,023 discussions and more... › Explore the community The History community Latest activity 23 minutes ago 21,911 customers have contributed 28,943 products, 804 discussions and more... › Explore the community The Christianity community Latest activity 33 minutes ago 24,363 customers have contributed 26,894 products, 1,023 discussions and more... › Explore the community Related forums christianity (1023 discussions) history (804 discussions) religion (1023 discussions) religious... (12 discussions) textbooks... Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Listmania!

Ancient Mesopotamia for Modern Pagans: A list by Elle Ackers "Dulce_Quod_Utile"   Anunnaki Knowledge: A list by J. Schoenbrun   Ancient Near Eastern religion: A list by Michael Hoffman Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Read Pagan Source Texts: A guide by American Neopagan   Study Ancient Paganism: A guide by American Neopagan   Uncover the Reptilian Agenda & Alien Agenda: A guide by M. E. Lvurdolfi Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > History > Ancient > Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer
• Books > History > Middle East > Iraq
• Books > History > World
• Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology
• Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Archaeology
• Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Reference > Archaeology
• Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > History

---

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:
Ancient religions & mythologies
Archaeology by period / region
Folklore, myths & legends
History of religion
World history
World history: BCE to c 500 CE
BCE to c 500 CE
Iraq - Religion
Religion - World Religions
History: World
Mesopotamia
Ancient - General
HISTORY / Middle East / General
History
History / Ancient / General
Middle East - General
Religion / History
Iraq
Religion
Religion: Comparative, General & Reference


i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

› View and edit your browsing history

Get to Know Us Careers Investor Relations Press Releases Amazon and Our Planet Make Money with Us Sell on Amazon Join Associates Self-publish with Us › See all Let Us Help You Shipping Rates & Policies Amazon Prime Returns Help

Canada | China | France | Germany | Japan | United Kingdom  And don't forget: Amazon Windowshop | AmazonWireless | Askville | Audible | DPReview | Endless | IMDb | Shopbop | SoundUnwound | Warehouse Deals by Amazon | Zappos Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226067173
• ISBN-13: 978-0226067179
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,379,016 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction., December 3, 2005

By	Shachar Link (Douglaston, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is an excellent introduction to religion in ancient Mesopotamia. It is clear, straightforward and written with a minimum of academic jargon. I would go so far as to say it is easy to read, not common for books of this type. The author makes clear points, does not overindulge in speculation, and has a very reasonable view of what we can and cannot know about this 3000 year old religion. I really like that, despite the vast historical distance between our worldview and that of the ancient Mesopotamians, the author tries as much as possible to understand the religious mentality through which these ancient peoples viewed their world. The book sheds a lot of light on the religion of the Bible and the religious environment that created it, yet in a manner accessible to non-experts. Overall, if you are looking for an accessible introduction to a religion that was so influential to the Bible, yet is grossly understudied and likely misunderstood, I would say this is an excellent place to start.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Religion/s of Mesopotamia, June 30, 2006

By	Jacob Cloud - See all my reviews

This review is from: Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia (Paperback)

Bottero offers a fairly concise review of Mesopotamian history and religion. The book is a good introduction to the topic for both students of religion, as well as general readers. My original interest in the book pertained to the correlations between Mesopotamian mythology and the stories found in the `Old Testament,' i.e. my interests were more literary than historical. Bottero does discuss some of the myths, etc.; yet his main focus is on religious practices and/or behavior. It's still an interesting read, and, overall, I enjoyed the book. But if you are, like I was, looking for an analysis of the Mesopotamian myths themselves and how said myths influenced the entire Mediterranean basin, I recommend the book "Slaying the Dragon" by Bernard F. Batto.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Illustrated Dictionary of Ancient Mesopotamia, October 13, 2007

By	Edward M. Hack "Ed Hack" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia (Paperback)

Teachers and students have needed this book for a long time; previously, we had to depend on skimpy glossaries at the end of anthologies. Inevitably, for reasons of space and cost, those glossaries were very brief and not cross-referenced. This book, put together by two scholars in the field, solves this problem. In 192 illustrated pages, Black and Green have, in dictionary-style defined, explained, and cross-referenced to other items and illustrations, every god, demon, and symbol mentioned in the available Mesopotamian literature. Like good scholars, they are very careful when they speculate about meanings; they are factual and write clearly,linking, whenever possible, the item they're defining to parallels in architecture, sculpture, and literature. This is a very valuable resource since it puts into one text the best, most up-to-date scholarly understanding of the many gods, demons, and symbols that the ancient Mesopotamians poured so many of their imaginative energies into creating.