Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary (Paperback)

by Jeremy Black (Author), Anthony Green (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
The authors know their material inside out . . . The choice of illustrations, both half-tone and line-drawings, and the careful, cross-referencing of entries make this book a compelling compendium of ideas and images. -- Review

Review
The authors know their material inside out . . . The choice of illustrations, both half-tone and line-drawings, and the careful, cross-referencing of entries make this book a compelling compendium of ideas and images. (Trevor Watkins History Today )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292707940
• ISBN-13: 978-0292707948
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #224,229 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #42 in	Books > History > Ancient > Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer
  #75 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Ancient & Classical

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking, February 2, 2002

By	Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This wonderful book was published in 1992, and reflects up-to-date knowledge of ancient Mesopotamian religion. It covers from prehistoric times (though mostly from the Early Dynastic Period) through to the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian period, and is organized as a dictionary. Most entries are given a paragraph or two, though more important ones can cover a page or two, and many pictures and illustrations are sprinkled throughout.

This is a wonderful resource for anyone who enjoys reading about ancient Mesopotamia. No part of Mesopotamian religion that I could think of was not covered, and quite a lot that I did not know was covered. The reach of this book is truly breathtaking! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the religion of ancient Mesopotamia.

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for the gods =-), July 23, 2000

By	M Manning (United States) - See all my reviews

The book is setup just like a Dictionary with all the common Deities of Ancient(Sumer and Akkad only)Mesopotamia. All definitions have reference to other terms listed in bold letters somewhere in the defining paragraph. This makes cross referencing terms an easy goal to accomplish. The book does not include Egyptain, Canaanite, or Hittite Deities. However, there is a great companion volume to "Gods,Demon,and symbols in Ancient Mesopotamia" called "Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible" edited by Karel Van Der Toorn and for a complete book of all the Canaanite gods and stories that are availible try "Canaanite Myths and legends" by John Gibson. I have all three and they are a must for anyone doing research on the Ancient gods of The fertile Crescent.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Key to the Mysterious Mesopotamians, May 6, 2004

By	Elle Ackers "Dulce_Quod_Utile" (Somewhere in time) - See all my reviews

Despite reading the Epic of Gilgamesh a couple of times and attending several exhibits of Mesopotamian artifacts, I always thought of the divinities of that area as alien. This is strange in itself since it is always pounded in one's head that these ancient people had the Flood story, the Tower of Babel, etc; that is they were instrumental in influencing the ancient Hebrews who have in turn influenced Western culture through the Bible. Well, there is help for those like me who felt estranged from these ancient Gods - GODS, DEMONS AND SYMBOLS OF ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA: AN ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY. It's been around for a few years and if one wants to tackle the Mesopotamia societies, it is a handy reference. It has a short introduction and a dictionary from a to zed. I don't know if it contains everything one needs for understanding but what it does give clarity to things. It has black & white line drawing and a few black & white photos. But mostly it gives valuable information regarding things like astrology, the relationships of the Gods to men and the many different Gods that can be found in this geographical area, including the pre-Islamic Gods of Arabia. This is an excellent and indispensable guide.