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The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History
The story of the ancient world’s most spectacular library, and the civilization that created it
'A thrilling trip back to Mesopotamia, birthplace of horoscopes and algorithms … via the abundant records they left behind, written on clay tablets… absorbing… hums with life' - Mathew Lyons, Daily Telegraph
'Fascinating and rich in detail… provides an excellent survey of Mesopotamian literary classics.. and offers snippets of daily life' - Literary Review
When a team of Victorian archaeologists dug into a grassy hill in Iraq, they chanced upon one of the oldest and greatest stores of knowledge ever the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, seventh century BCE ruler of a huge swathe of the ancient Middle East known as Mesopotamia. After his death, vengeful rivals burned Ashurbanipal’s library to the ground - yet the texts, carved on clay tablets, were baked and preserved by the heat. Buried for millennia, the tablets were written in the first written language in the world.
More than half of human history is written in cuneiform, but only a few hundred people on earth can read it. In this captivating new book, Assyriologist Selena Wisnom takes us on an immersive tour of this extraordinary library, bringing ancient Mesopotamia and its people to life. Through it, we encounter a world of astonishing richness, complexity and sophistication. Mesopotamia, she shows, was home to advanced mathematics, astronomy and banking, law and literature. This was a culture absorbed and developed by the ancient Greeks, and whose myths were precursors to Bible stories - in short, a culture without which our lives today would be unrecognizable.
The Library of Ancient Wisdom unearths a civilization at once strange and strangely a land of capricious gods, exorcisms and professional lamenters, whose citizens wrote of jealous rivalries, profound friendships and petty grievances. Through these pages we come face to face with humanity’s first their startling achievements, their daily life, and their struggle to understand our place in the universe.
'A thrilling trip back to Mesopotamia, birthplace of horoscopes and algorithms … via the abundant records they left behind, written on clay tablets… absorbing… hums with life' - Mathew Lyons, Daily Telegraph
'Fascinating and rich in detail… provides an excellent survey of Mesopotamian literary classics.. and offers snippets of daily life' - Literary Review
When a team of Victorian archaeologists dug into a grassy hill in Iraq, they chanced upon one of the oldest and greatest stores of knowledge ever the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, seventh century BCE ruler of a huge swathe of the ancient Middle East known as Mesopotamia. After his death, vengeful rivals burned Ashurbanipal’s library to the ground - yet the texts, carved on clay tablets, were baked and preserved by the heat. Buried for millennia, the tablets were written in the first written language in the world.
More than half of human history is written in cuneiform, but only a few hundred people on earth can read it. In this captivating new book, Assyriologist Selena Wisnom takes us on an immersive tour of this extraordinary library, bringing ancient Mesopotamia and its people to life. Through it, we encounter a world of astonishing richness, complexity and sophistication. Mesopotamia, she shows, was home to advanced mathematics, astronomy and banking, law and literature. This was a culture absorbed and developed by the ancient Greeks, and whose myths were precursors to Bible stories - in short, a culture without which our lives today would be unrecognizable.
The Library of Ancient Wisdom unearths a civilization at once strange and strangely a land of capricious gods, exorcisms and professional lamenters, whose citizens wrote of jealous rivalries, profound friendships and petty grievances. Through these pages we come face to face with humanity’s first their startling achievements, their daily life, and their struggle to understand our place in the universe.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 9, 2025
Today, imagining a fire in a personal library makes us recoil at the idea of having hundreds, even thousands, of books burned in a matter of minutes. But when the great library at Nineveh was besieged and destroyed by the Babylonians in 612 B.C., its books weren’t written on paper. Much like when a piece of wet pottery is put into a kiln, the fire permanently preserved the cuneiform on the library’s clay tablets. Ironically, what would have destroyed the modern library may have been exactly what saved the tablets for posterity.
In one of the first great leaps forward for the field of Assyriology, the library was unearthed for the first time in 2,500 years during the middle of the nineteenth century. The man who started the library was the last great king of the Neo-Assyrian empire, Ashurbanipal (r. 669 – 631 B.C.), was a fierce military leader whose passion for learning led him to send scribes to the end of his empire to help add to his collection. It’s this library – the Royal Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh – and the knowledge of Assyrian culture that was discovered there that rests at the center of Selena Wisnom’s “The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World” (University of Chicago, 2025).
In ten chapters touching on such diverse topics as mythology and theology, banking, mathematics literature, astronomy, and magic, Wisnom digs through the thousands of tablets discovered in the library and recreates the worldview of an elite Assyrian living in the time of Ashurbanipal. She relates the mythological story of cuneiform’s invention when Gilgamesh’s grandfather Emmerkar when he had a story that was too long for his messenger to remember so he had to invent writing on the spot. Like the Egyptian hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone, cuneiform was first found in more than one language (Akkadian and Sumerian), making its translation difficult. Wisnom gives the example of encountering the word “pain” in a text and not knowing whether it was the French word for bread or the English word for an unpleasant sensory sensation.
Wisnom’s greatest achievement is fully communicating how central the supernatural and magic were to the Assyrian mind. Ritual wasn’t confined to the temple but suffused every aspect of Assyrian life. There were medical incantations, formal prayers, chants to drive out demons (of which there were also many kinds). Chapter Five itself is dedicated to the practice of extispicy, the field of divination devoted entirely to reading the entrails of slaughtered animals. Because of the detailed records kept in the library, we know not only about the various kinds of Assyrian magic, but also their practitioners.
When the information is available, we even get glimpses into the relationships court officials had with kings, starting with Sargon II, Ashurbanipal’s great-grandfather. Ashurbanipal’s court exorcist Adad-shuma-utsur started his career under the previous king Esarhaddon, Ashurbanipal’s father. The British Library contains a letter written by Adad-shuma-utsur’s son Urad-Gula to the king complaining about how he has been ignored and begging to regain his position at court. Esarhaddon suffered from a series of chronic ailments, ensuring that his chief physician Urad-Nanaya had little down time. The physician’s work and the exorcist’s work overlapped and complemented each other. They both drew from the work of medical scholar Esagil-kin-apli, whose “Diagnostic Handbook” predated Hippocrates by nearly six centuries. That we have the texts that give us details into daily life is wonderful, but there’s something about knowing their names and their daily concerns that draws them even closer to us.
The public and private display of grief – known as lamentation – was another art that required its own practitioners. At Ashurbanipal’s court, Urad-Ea and his son Nabu-zeru-iddina both served in this role. Lamentations were said not only in times of crisis, like the death of a loved one or the fall of a city; they were also said proactively for crises that were yet to happen, making this genre of literature one of the most population in Ashurbanipal’s library.
While the subtitle “Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World” is an extreme overreach, Wisnom goes out of her way to emphasize that many of the practices and beliefs that we may consider archaic or “weird” remain with us today. We worship and attempt to appease gods. We use economic models to forecast the future even if we don’t use entrails to do it. We still engage in displays of public sadness for the purposes of catharsis. It’s easy to look back on centuries-old cultures as benighted or ignorant – until someone brings to your attention the countless continuities that your culture shares with theirs. In a world where most publishers are interested in bringing out books about military campaigns, Wisnom’s book is a superb reminder that the cultural heritage left to us by Ashurbanipal’s great library is every bit as deserving of a book all its own.
I would like to thank the kind people at the University of Chicago Press for an uncorrected proof of this book, which was sent to me by their publicity department.
In one of the first great leaps forward for the field of Assyriology, the library was unearthed for the first time in 2,500 years during the middle of the nineteenth century. The man who started the library was the last great king of the Neo-Assyrian empire, Ashurbanipal (r. 669 – 631 B.C.), was a fierce military leader whose passion for learning led him to send scribes to the end of his empire to help add to his collection. It’s this library – the Royal Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh – and the knowledge of Assyrian culture that was discovered there that rests at the center of Selena Wisnom’s “The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World” (University of Chicago, 2025).
In ten chapters touching on such diverse topics as mythology and theology, banking, mathematics literature, astronomy, and magic, Wisnom digs through the thousands of tablets discovered in the library and recreates the worldview of an elite Assyrian living in the time of Ashurbanipal. She relates the mythological story of cuneiform’s invention when Gilgamesh’s grandfather Emmerkar when he had a story that was too long for his messenger to remember so he had to invent writing on the spot. Like the Egyptian hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone, cuneiform was first found in more than one language (Akkadian and Sumerian), making its translation difficult. Wisnom gives the example of encountering the word “pain” in a text and not knowing whether it was the French word for bread or the English word for an unpleasant sensory sensation.
Wisnom’s greatest achievement is fully communicating how central the supernatural and magic were to the Assyrian mind. Ritual wasn’t confined to the temple but suffused every aspect of Assyrian life. There were medical incantations, formal prayers, chants to drive out demons (of which there were also many kinds). Chapter Five itself is dedicated to the practice of extispicy, the field of divination devoted entirely to reading the entrails of slaughtered animals. Because of the detailed records kept in the library, we know not only about the various kinds of Assyrian magic, but also their practitioners.
When the information is available, we even get glimpses into the relationships court officials had with kings, starting with Sargon II, Ashurbanipal’s great-grandfather. Ashurbanipal’s court exorcist Adad-shuma-utsur started his career under the previous king Esarhaddon, Ashurbanipal’s father. The British Library contains a letter written by Adad-shuma-utsur’s son Urad-Gula to the king complaining about how he has been ignored and begging to regain his position at court. Esarhaddon suffered from a series of chronic ailments, ensuring that his chief physician Urad-Nanaya had little down time. The physician’s work and the exorcist’s work overlapped and complemented each other. They both drew from the work of medical scholar Esagil-kin-apli, whose “Diagnostic Handbook” predated Hippocrates by nearly six centuries. That we have the texts that give us details into daily life is wonderful, but there’s something about knowing their names and their daily concerns that draws them even closer to us.
The public and private display of grief – known as lamentation – was another art that required its own practitioners. At Ashurbanipal’s court, Urad-Ea and his son Nabu-zeru-iddina both served in this role. Lamentations were said not only in times of crisis, like the death of a loved one or the fall of a city; they were also said proactively for crises that were yet to happen, making this genre of literature one of the most population in Ashurbanipal’s library.
While the subtitle “Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World” is an extreme overreach, Wisnom goes out of her way to emphasize that many of the practices and beliefs that we may consider archaic or “weird” remain with us today. We worship and attempt to appease gods. We use economic models to forecast the future even if we don’t use entrails to do it. We still engage in displays of public sadness for the purposes of catharsis. It’s easy to look back on centuries-old cultures as benighted or ignorant – until someone brings to your attention the countless continuities that your culture shares with theirs. In a world where most publishers are interested in bringing out books about military campaigns, Wisnom’s book is a superb reminder that the cultural heritage left to us by Ashurbanipal’s great library is every bit as deserving of a book all its own.
I would like to thank the kind people at the University of Chicago Press for an uncorrected proof of this book, which was sent to me by their publicity department.
March 28, 2025
Selena Wisnom offers an illuminating journey into the heart of ancient Mesopotamian civilization through the lens of Ashurbanipal's legendary library. Discovered by Victorian archaeologists in modern day Iraq, this collection of clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform script provides a remarkable window into a society that significantly shaped contemporary culture.
Wisnom, a distinguished Assyriologist, adeptly guides us through the library's vast contents, revealing a world where advanced mathematics, astronomy and literature flourished. She highlights how many aspects of modern life, from the sixty-minute hour to foundational myths, trace their origins to Mesopotamian innovations. More importantly, the book challenges the mainstream narrative that often downplays the intellectual achievements of ancient civilizations. Wisnom reveals how these societies possessed knowledge and sophistication far beyond what is commonly acknowledged, demonstrating a deep understanding of science, medicine, and philosophy that rivals or even surpasses certain aspects of later historical periods.
Beyond the grand achievements, the book delves into the quotidian lives of the Assyrians, uncovering personal letters and documents that reflect concerns about job security, interpersonal relationships, and existential questions. This intimate portrayal bridges the millennia, showcasing the enduring human spirit and its quest for understanding.
Wisnom's narrative not only educates but also resonates emotionally, emphasizing the timelessness of human curiosity and the continuous pursuit of knowledge. This book stands as a testament to the profound legacy of Mesopotamia, underscoring its pivotal role in shaping the modern world.
Wisnom, a distinguished Assyriologist, adeptly guides us through the library's vast contents, revealing a world where advanced mathematics, astronomy and literature flourished. She highlights how many aspects of modern life, from the sixty-minute hour to foundational myths, trace their origins to Mesopotamian innovations. More importantly, the book challenges the mainstream narrative that often downplays the intellectual achievements of ancient civilizations. Wisnom reveals how these societies possessed knowledge and sophistication far beyond what is commonly acknowledged, demonstrating a deep understanding of science, medicine, and philosophy that rivals or even surpasses certain aspects of later historical periods.
Beyond the grand achievements, the book delves into the quotidian lives of the Assyrians, uncovering personal letters and documents that reflect concerns about job security, interpersonal relationships, and existential questions. This intimate portrayal bridges the millennia, showcasing the enduring human spirit and its quest for understanding.
Wisnom's narrative not only educates but also resonates emotionally, emphasizing the timelessness of human curiosity and the continuous pursuit of knowledge. This book stands as a testament to the profound legacy of Mesopotamia, underscoring its pivotal role in shaping the modern world.
July 13, 2025
Fantastic look at Ashurbanipal's library, the historical oddity that led to his vast Cuneiform tablets being preserved, the historical context, and Mesopotamia's impact on the world. This was exactly what I was hoping for in this book.
August 2, 2025
Recently, I read “There are rivers in the sky” by Elif Shafak which features King Ashurbanipal and his library in Nineveh. I really got curious and wanted to learn more about ancient Mesopotamia. Well, this book delivered I must say. A wonderful read.
February 15, 2025
The Library of Ancient Wisdom delves into one of the most impressive libraries in ancient history: that of Ashurbanipal in Mesopotamia.
My knowledge of Middle Eastern ancient history prior to this book could probably have been summed up on one clay tablet, but I found this a really engaging and accessible read. It's well-structured and rich in research, with a seamless flow between different aspects of Mesopotamian culture culminating in an imagined ordinary day in Ashurbanipal's life.
Wisnom captures the human side of history, and I loved getting an insight into the psychology of the Assyrian people. You get a real sense of personality from the stories she tells, and even though some of our beliefs are very different, it's fascinating to see how little human nature has changed.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
My knowledge of Middle Eastern ancient history prior to this book could probably have been summed up on one clay tablet, but I found this a really engaging and accessible read. It's well-structured and rich in research, with a seamless flow between different aspects of Mesopotamian culture culminating in an imagined ordinary day in Ashurbanipal's life.
Wisnom captures the human side of history, and I loved getting an insight into the psychology of the Assyrian people. You get a real sense of personality from the stories she tells, and even though some of our beliefs are very different, it's fascinating to see how little human nature has changed.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
August 28, 2025
The book provides an overview of Mesopotamian culture through the microcosm of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Focusing on the content of the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (alongside cuneiform texts from other eras and places) it seeks to paint a vivid image of everyday life as experienced by different sections of society, set in context through the way scholars and the learned elite pieced them together in texts, poems, medical writings, and similar works. The main figures of focus are the three last great rulers of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal, with greater emphasis on the latter, as he presented himself as the inheritor of his ancestors’ knowledge and of the intellectual heritage of other centers of culture such as Babylonia, which he sought with the help of his scholars, to record and preserve for future generations.
The author tries to familiarize us with the Mesopotamian way of life by going through the content of the library as it was divided by Assyrian scholarship into five main branches: astrology, exorcism, medicine, entrail divination, and lamentation. She gives a systematic survey of each, along with other subjects as well, weaving in narratives of personal stories of figures ranging from kings to exorcists, together with the poems and rituals that animated their daily lives. There were sections I found engaging and others that fell flat, with the latter more frequent than the former.
Starting with what I did not like:
First, the book relies on a systematic analysis that exhausts the reader’s attention. Instead of drawing you in it wastes energy on excessive cataloguing. The first third of the book is engaging, but beyond that I lost interest, apart from a few islands here and there that stood out. The survey of the different disciplines within the library becomes repetitive and devolves into too much cataloguing. The attempt at weaving a narrative turns into a compartmentalized structure where you can feel the author’s excitement at sharing her insights (at times she offers engaging glimpses) but they vanish too quickly into a series of facts. Despite the richness of the subject, it feels like being told “here are all the things they did” in a museum exhibit voice. You lose focus and interest even when the information itself is fascinating. My second point of criticism is that the author focuses heavily on social and cultural aspects and on a limited pool of evidence such as reliefs, cuneiform texts, and a handful of artifacts, but does not balance them with the economic and military dimensions of Mesopotamian life or the perspective of outsiders on the periphery of the empire. The result is a one sided,over-literary impression of mesopotamia.
What I liked most was the treatment of cuneiform’s evolution, shown as a long process of adaptation rather than a single invention. The contrast between Mesopotamian myths of divine origins and the gradual reality uncovered by archaeology was especially compelling. Another thing I enjoyed was the way the author drew parallels between their world and ours showing that even though we explain life differently the same fears and desires have always shaped human existence. It gives a sense of continuity with culture as an ongoing chain that connects us to the past.
All in all, I have to say that I did not enjoy this work for the most part. it dragged and i couldn't wait to be done with it.
Rating: 2.5/5
The author tries to familiarize us with the Mesopotamian way of life by going through the content of the library as it was divided by Assyrian scholarship into five main branches: astrology, exorcism, medicine, entrail divination, and lamentation. She gives a systematic survey of each, along with other subjects as well, weaving in narratives of personal stories of figures ranging from kings to exorcists, together with the poems and rituals that animated their daily lives. There were sections I found engaging and others that fell flat, with the latter more frequent than the former.
Starting with what I did not like:
First, the book relies on a systematic analysis that exhausts the reader’s attention. Instead of drawing you in it wastes energy on excessive cataloguing. The first third of the book is engaging, but beyond that I lost interest, apart from a few islands here and there that stood out. The survey of the different disciplines within the library becomes repetitive and devolves into too much cataloguing. The attempt at weaving a narrative turns into a compartmentalized structure where you can feel the author’s excitement at sharing her insights (at times she offers engaging glimpses) but they vanish too quickly into a series of facts. Despite the richness of the subject, it feels like being told “here are all the things they did” in a museum exhibit voice. You lose focus and interest even when the information itself is fascinating. My second point of criticism is that the author focuses heavily on social and cultural aspects and on a limited pool of evidence such as reliefs, cuneiform texts, and a handful of artifacts, but does not balance them with the economic and military dimensions of Mesopotamian life or the perspective of outsiders on the periphery of the empire. The result is a one sided,over-literary impression of mesopotamia.
What I liked most was the treatment of cuneiform’s evolution, shown as a long process of adaptation rather than a single invention. The contrast between Mesopotamian myths of divine origins and the gradual reality uncovered by archaeology was especially compelling. Another thing I enjoyed was the way the author drew parallels between their world and ours showing that even though we explain life differently the same fears and desires have always shaped human existence. It gives a sense of continuity with culture as an ongoing chain that connects us to the past.
All in all, I have to say that I did not enjoy this work for the most part. it dragged and i couldn't wait to be done with it.
Rating: 2.5/5
April 22, 2025
Once you read Gilgamesh you become hungry for information on ancient Assyria and Babylon.
This is the greatest interrogation of Mesopotamian culture I am found so far and I desperately await Wisnom’s next book. The field is desperately fascinating and under researched. I believe in an Assyrian renaissance.
A must read for anyone interested in the human condition
This is the greatest interrogation of Mesopotamian culture I am found so far and I desperately await Wisnom’s next book. The field is desperately fascinating and under researched. I believe in an Assyrian renaissance.
A must read for anyone interested in the human condition
July 30, 2025
This book is like a royal jewel. If you wish, think of the Koh-i-noor diamond on the Queen of England's crown.
The setting for this crown jewel consists of its front matter and back matter. The front matter gives us the whole long and wide setting (no pun intended) of Mesopotamia in clear, concise, and direct language. It covers: 1) the various Mesopotamian empires (geography, chronology, dynasties, religions, rise, fall, rise again); 2) timelines (regional, historic, events in the book; 3) list of the book's major players by name, rank, empire, and dynasty; and 4) useful maps. The back matter includes a bibliographical essay, a guide to primary sources, a bibliography, and notes to references in the text.
The gem itself is the body of the book. Although written by a highly accomplished academic scholar, the text is clear, concise, jargon-free, and never lapses into a history of conflicting academic opinions. The book is written to us, not to the academy. Thank you, Dr. Wisum!
The body of the book presents real daily events and episodes that occurred, mostly, during the reign of the scholar-king Asherbanipal (reign 669-632 BC), who was the last king of Assyria, and who, among other things, curated his own royal library of cuneiform tablets.
The tablets that Dr. Wisnum has translated for you narrate accounts of the daily nitty-gritty, which she then explains to you in their original context of the authors, who were mostly royal and priestly characters in the court.
One notable character is the royal exorcist (I kid you not), an elite profession with an ancient tradition even then. We get to read his correspondence in daily memos exchanged with the king and a variety of other official councelors and their assistants. Imagine yourself as the head exorcist who, upon arriving home after a hectic and exhausting day, reads a terse memo from the king, sent earlier in the afternoon, abruptly inquiring why you, the royal exorcist, had not responded to the king's important questions included in the king's morning memo sent early in the day.
The date is sometime during the mid-to-late 600s BC. No doubt the weather in the desert capital is hot, dry, and very dusty. You're sweaty and thirsty, and it's late in the day. You call for your scribe.
Perhaps perspiration would bead your brow as you quickly, clearly, and apologetically dictate to your scribe that you had indeed received the king's morning tablet, on time, by hand from the royal messenger who had tracked you down while you were overseeing a herd of goats in transit from a temple to the royal corrals. At that time, you did not have your writing tablets or a scribe with you, so you had to wait until returning home in the evening (now) to respond. Here are my answers. Sorry!
Does that seem vaguely familiar somehow? It's just one facet of the beautiful gem. In others, our author explains the greater contexts of courtly life; the rise and fall of dynasties & empires; the role of religion, mythology, & how specific gods and godesses figured in peoples lives; and how cuneiform evolved over the millennia. The book is rich but easy to digest because the more general info on the regional, historical, and scholarly settings are explained as they relate to the narrative that you just read. That's why her style is brilliant and not academic in style. It's rich.Think of your favorite ice cream with all your favorite toppings. Go ahead. Why not?
My take-away for you, dear reader, is that this book is ideal for you if you are curious about the ancient Middle East but not at all about learned scholarly debates. You can even skip the front matter and start with chapter one; I did. But then, as you read, you might find yourself curious about some detail in the text that you thought might be mentioned at the beginning of the book - someone's name maybe or a specific empire. Sure enough, you find it on page XVI. Returning to your chapter, you keep one finger on XVI, just in case. Read on! Enjoy, explore, take notes, make your own charts even. You can't lose!
The setting for this crown jewel consists of its front matter and back matter. The front matter gives us the whole long and wide setting (no pun intended) of Mesopotamia in clear, concise, and direct language. It covers: 1) the various Mesopotamian empires (geography, chronology, dynasties, religions, rise, fall, rise again); 2) timelines (regional, historic, events in the book; 3) list of the book's major players by name, rank, empire, and dynasty; and 4) useful maps. The back matter includes a bibliographical essay, a guide to primary sources, a bibliography, and notes to references in the text.
The gem itself is the body of the book. Although written by a highly accomplished academic scholar, the text is clear, concise, jargon-free, and never lapses into a history of conflicting academic opinions. The book is written to us, not to the academy. Thank you, Dr. Wisum!
The body of the book presents real daily events and episodes that occurred, mostly, during the reign of the scholar-king Asherbanipal (reign 669-632 BC), who was the last king of Assyria, and who, among other things, curated his own royal library of cuneiform tablets.
The tablets that Dr. Wisnum has translated for you narrate accounts of the daily nitty-gritty, which she then explains to you in their original context of the authors, who were mostly royal and priestly characters in the court.
One notable character is the royal exorcist (I kid you not), an elite profession with an ancient tradition even then. We get to read his correspondence in daily memos exchanged with the king and a variety of other official councelors and their assistants. Imagine yourself as the head exorcist who, upon arriving home after a hectic and exhausting day, reads a terse memo from the king, sent earlier in the afternoon, abruptly inquiring why you, the royal exorcist, had not responded to the king's important questions included in the king's morning memo sent early in the day.
The date is sometime during the mid-to-late 600s BC. No doubt the weather in the desert capital is hot, dry, and very dusty. You're sweaty and thirsty, and it's late in the day. You call for your scribe.
Perhaps perspiration would bead your brow as you quickly, clearly, and apologetically dictate to your scribe that you had indeed received the king's morning tablet, on time, by hand from the royal messenger who had tracked you down while you were overseeing a herd of goats in transit from a temple to the royal corrals. At that time, you did not have your writing tablets or a scribe with you, so you had to wait until returning home in the evening (now) to respond. Here are my answers. Sorry!
Does that seem vaguely familiar somehow? It's just one facet of the beautiful gem. In others, our author explains the greater contexts of courtly life; the rise and fall of dynasties & empires; the role of religion, mythology, & how specific gods and godesses figured in peoples lives; and how cuneiform evolved over the millennia. The book is rich but easy to digest because the more general info on the regional, historical, and scholarly settings are explained as they relate to the narrative that you just read. That's why her style is brilliant and not academic in style. It's rich.Think of your favorite ice cream with all your favorite toppings. Go ahead. Why not?
My take-away for you, dear reader, is that this book is ideal for you if you are curious about the ancient Middle East but not at all about learned scholarly debates. You can even skip the front matter and start with chapter one; I did. But then, as you read, you might find yourself curious about some detail in the text that you thought might be mentioned at the beginning of the book - someone's name maybe or a specific empire. Sure enough, you find it on page XVI. Returning to your chapter, you keep one finger on XVI, just in case. Read on! Enjoy, explore, take notes, make your own charts even. You can't lose!
September 16, 2025
The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World by Selena Wisnom is an exciting and extensive exploration of the library of Ashurbanipal in the seventh century BCE in ancient Mesopotamia, the area of modern-day Iraq.
Ashurbanipal, king of the Assyrian empire, espoused knowledge, accumulating texts from all over his empire to house them in his library. It is estimated his library held more than 30,000 tablets covering a wide range of topics, including medical knowledge, prayers, laments, songs, literary works (including The Epic of Gilgamesh), esoteric lore, records of victories in battle, documents for governing, correspondences, and dictionaries. Written in cuneiform script on clay tablets, the library is a window on the culture and times of Ashurbanipal. And because Ashurbanipal preserved tablets that were considered ancient even in his lifetime, we also have access to the cultures of ancient Sumer and Babylonia which predate Ashurbanipal by 2,000 years.
Professor Wisnom, an Assyrian scholar with an expertise on cuneiform script, is a lecturer at the University of Leicester. She provides a systematic exploration of the contents of Ashurbanipal’s library from a wealth of the surviving tablets that have so far been deciphered. Her exploration is extensive, beginning with the cuneiform writing system invented in the fourth millennium BCE to the story of its decipherment by Victorian scholars in the 19th Century. She includes analyses of manuals on magic, medicine, divination, astrology, and relationship with the gods. She compiles what daily life must have been like for Ashurbanipal by reading his correspondences and list of duties. But perhaps one of the most exciting finds is the Nineveh Medical compendium, the first known medical text consisting of a collection of treatments organized from head to toe, beginning with all manner of ailments in the head and proceeding all the way down to the anus and hamstrings. This fascinating medical compilation is currently available online at the British Museum.
Wisnom’s book includes several pages of color plates, a Bibliographical Essay for each chapter, A Guide to Primary Sources, a 40-page Bibliography, and extensive notes. The diction is accessible, peppered with occasional humor, and minus the academic jargon that frequently plagues a work of such impressive academic quality. It is very readable, engaging, and highly recommended for those interested in understanding the profound and ubiquitous influence of Mesopotamia in shaping our world.
My book reviews are also available at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com
Ashurbanipal, king of the Assyrian empire, espoused knowledge, accumulating texts from all over his empire to house them in his library. It is estimated his library held more than 30,000 tablets covering a wide range of topics, including medical knowledge, prayers, laments, songs, literary works (including The Epic of Gilgamesh), esoteric lore, records of victories in battle, documents for governing, correspondences, and dictionaries. Written in cuneiform script on clay tablets, the library is a window on the culture and times of Ashurbanipal. And because Ashurbanipal preserved tablets that were considered ancient even in his lifetime, we also have access to the cultures of ancient Sumer and Babylonia which predate Ashurbanipal by 2,000 years.
Professor Wisnom, an Assyrian scholar with an expertise on cuneiform script, is a lecturer at the University of Leicester. She provides a systematic exploration of the contents of Ashurbanipal’s library from a wealth of the surviving tablets that have so far been deciphered. Her exploration is extensive, beginning with the cuneiform writing system invented in the fourth millennium BCE to the story of its decipherment by Victorian scholars in the 19th Century. She includes analyses of manuals on magic, medicine, divination, astrology, and relationship with the gods. She compiles what daily life must have been like for Ashurbanipal by reading his correspondences and list of duties. But perhaps one of the most exciting finds is the Nineveh Medical compendium, the first known medical text consisting of a collection of treatments organized from head to toe, beginning with all manner of ailments in the head and proceeding all the way down to the anus and hamstrings. This fascinating medical compilation is currently available online at the British Museum.
Wisnom’s book includes several pages of color plates, a Bibliographical Essay for each chapter, A Guide to Primary Sources, a 40-page Bibliography, and extensive notes. The diction is accessible, peppered with occasional humor, and minus the academic jargon that frequently plagues a work of such impressive academic quality. It is very readable, engaging, and highly recommended for those interested in understanding the profound and ubiquitous influence of Mesopotamia in shaping our world.
My book reviews are also available at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com
November 9, 2025
The name of the nation of Mesopotamia derives from the Greek 'the land between rivers,' referring to the two great rivers of the area now known as the 'Cradle of Civilization.' Those two rivers are the Euphrates and the Tigris, which most people have heard of, even if not why, and they straddle what is now known as the Middle East.
This history of Mesopotamia is available because a library was collected, curated, and cuneiformed, literally, by King Ashurbanipal. Cuneiform was the primary form of writing used by ancient Mesopotamians and many other nation-states in the area. Ashurbanipal's extensive record-keeping provides a clear view of Mesopotamian culture and its people, which includes Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Sumerians, among others.
Ashurbanipal was a prince not expected to become king. Due to his position behind older brothers of royal lineage, he was trained in every aspect of the culture and taught to record and uphold learning, fostering, and protecting the information and languages of this flourishing society. From a young age, he learned to write, read, and, most importantly, value written records. This training ensured that the lives, customs, ceremonies, beliefs, superstitions, religion, and other aspects of the ancient people of this area, one of the earliest known civilizations to keep written records, were preserved. These records have recently, relatively speaking, been found, restored, and maintained for posterity so that we may now see the story of these ultra-ancient people.
Upon Ashurbanipal's unexpected ascension to the throne, he ordered the immediate centralization of all written knowledge in the kingdom into a great library. Additionally, to protect the written record, scribes were commissioned to copy records for use throughout his kingdom. To put it plainly, Ashurbanipal was one of the first patrons of the written word and of written knowledge in general. And as king, he continued his studies, correspondence, and recording of information, all of which now give us a clear view of life in this ancient kingdom.
This book was a fascinating look at the establishment of a society that laid the groundwork for the societies we tend to think of as the ones that gave rise to modern thought. Mesopotamians were on the scene long before the 'great minds' we tend to look to as the ancient wise. This in-depth study of the people of Mesopotamia is a window into a world that was thriving thousands of years before the supposed thinkers came on the scene. It is true: the Greeks, Romans, and Persians were not the first societies to produce great minds. They grew almost entirely from the Mesopotamian model.
If you enjoy ancient studies, this information-dense book will not disappoint.
This history of Mesopotamia is available because a library was collected, curated, and cuneiformed, literally, by King Ashurbanipal. Cuneiform was the primary form of writing used by ancient Mesopotamians and many other nation-states in the area. Ashurbanipal's extensive record-keeping provides a clear view of Mesopotamian culture and its people, which includes Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Sumerians, among others.
Ashurbanipal was a prince not expected to become king. Due to his position behind older brothers of royal lineage, he was trained in every aspect of the culture and taught to record and uphold learning, fostering, and protecting the information and languages of this flourishing society. From a young age, he learned to write, read, and, most importantly, value written records. This training ensured that the lives, customs, ceremonies, beliefs, superstitions, religion, and other aspects of the ancient people of this area, one of the earliest known civilizations to keep written records, were preserved. These records have recently, relatively speaking, been found, restored, and maintained for posterity so that we may now see the story of these ultra-ancient people.
Upon Ashurbanipal's unexpected ascension to the throne, he ordered the immediate centralization of all written knowledge in the kingdom into a great library. Additionally, to protect the written record, scribes were commissioned to copy records for use throughout his kingdom. To put it plainly, Ashurbanipal was one of the first patrons of the written word and of written knowledge in general. And as king, he continued his studies, correspondence, and recording of information, all of which now give us a clear view of life in this ancient kingdom.
This book was a fascinating look at the establishment of a society that laid the groundwork for the societies we tend to think of as the ones that gave rise to modern thought. Mesopotamians were on the scene long before the 'great minds' we tend to look to as the ancient wise. This in-depth study of the people of Mesopotamia is a window into a world that was thriving thousands of years before the supposed thinkers came on the scene. It is true: the Greeks, Romans, and Persians were not the first societies to produce great minds. They grew almost entirely from the Mesopotamian model.
If you enjoy ancient studies, this information-dense book will not disappoint.
May 19, 2025
The Library of Ancient Wisdom is a beautiful and intellectually nourishing book that explores ancient Mesopotamian literature. Selena Wisnom moves through the Akkadian literary tradition not as an outsider looking in, but as a scholar-listener attuned to the pulse of a long-vanished world that still echoes in our contemporary moment—if we’re quiet enough to hear it.
Rather than reduce these ancient texts to distant historical curiosities, Wisnom reads them with the kind of attention usually reserved for poetry or scripture. She reminds us that the Sumerian and Akkadian scribes were not merely recording data; they were shaping cosmologies. They were world-makers.
Each chapter unfolds like a tablet being carefully unwrapped from the sands of time: she explores themes of divine knowledge, mythic structure, lamentation, dream interpretation, political propaganda, and literary recursion in texts like Gilgamesh, The Descent of Ishtar, and Enuma Elish—but also in lesser-known works and incantations that reveal just how rich and recursive the Babylonian imagination really was.
Her book doesn’t just present what was written, but also asks us to consider why it was written, for whom it was intended, and how it was read—both then and now. Her approach is both academic and devotional, and rigorous and reverent.
If you’re a lover of ancient literature, comparative mythology, or the philosophy of writing itself, this book will speak to you. If you've ever felt awe standing in front of a cuneiform tablet, wondering about the soul behind the stylus, this book is your next read. It'll make it's way into year 1 of Book Oblivion's lifetime reading program alongside The Epic of Gilgamesh and Elif Shafek's There Are Rivers in the Sky.
A special thank you to the University of Chicago Press for the advanced copy.
Rather than reduce these ancient texts to distant historical curiosities, Wisnom reads them with the kind of attention usually reserved for poetry or scripture. She reminds us that the Sumerian and Akkadian scribes were not merely recording data; they were shaping cosmologies. They were world-makers.
Each chapter unfolds like a tablet being carefully unwrapped from the sands of time: she explores themes of divine knowledge, mythic structure, lamentation, dream interpretation, political propaganda, and literary recursion in texts like Gilgamesh, The Descent of Ishtar, and Enuma Elish—but also in lesser-known works and incantations that reveal just how rich and recursive the Babylonian imagination really was.
Her book doesn’t just present what was written, but also asks us to consider why it was written, for whom it was intended, and how it was read—both then and now. Her approach is both academic and devotional, and rigorous and reverent.
If you’re a lover of ancient literature, comparative mythology, or the philosophy of writing itself, this book will speak to you. If you've ever felt awe standing in front of a cuneiform tablet, wondering about the soul behind the stylus, this book is your next read. It'll make it's way into year 1 of Book Oblivion's lifetime reading program alongside The Epic of Gilgamesh and Elif Shafek's There Are Rivers in the Sky.
A special thank you to the University of Chicago Press for the advanced copy.
April 16, 2025
A library of frozen time
—
Like buses, books on Mesopotamia and its cultures come along in twos and threes. After only reviewing one not two weeks ago, here I am again, with Wisnom’s tighter narrative centred on Ashurbanipal’s voluminous library, saved for posterity thanks to fires set by his rivals, which baked the clay into vitreous records of people and culture from the distant past. Without these, we would have no idea at all of the lives and loves and petty squabbles of the time, not so different from those of our own. I wonder if our iPhones will leave as complete a record for the future.
With a concentrated ambit of one king’s library and the century or so recorded by its texts, you might think that everything that’s already been said about Mesopotamian cultures has already been said; but in Wisnom’s authoritative but warm voice, we see how even this library is a peak amongst an unbelievably long and illustrious culture of writing, reading and transmission, that information was prized as an art as well as a source of information. From the elites who rule down to the lowliest servant, their voices and their lives shine clearly through the millennia between us, giving us a glimpse—quite a big glimpse but still only a glimpse—at the beginning of civilisation, the shared legacy in which we all now must take part or perish.
—
Like buses, books on Mesopotamia and its cultures come along in twos and threes. After only reviewing one not two weeks ago, here I am again, with Wisnom’s tighter narrative centred on Ashurbanipal’s voluminous library, saved for posterity thanks to fires set by his rivals, which baked the clay into vitreous records of people and culture from the distant past. Without these, we would have no idea at all of the lives and loves and petty squabbles of the time, not so different from those of our own. I wonder if our iPhones will leave as complete a record for the future.
With a concentrated ambit of one king’s library and the century or so recorded by its texts, you might think that everything that’s already been said about Mesopotamian cultures has already been said; but in Wisnom’s authoritative but warm voice, we see how even this library is a peak amongst an unbelievably long and illustrious culture of writing, reading and transmission, that information was prized as an art as well as a source of information. From the elites who rule down to the lowliest servant, their voices and their lives shine clearly through the millennia between us, giving us a glimpse—quite a big glimpse but still only a glimpse—at the beginning of civilisation, the shared legacy in which we all now must take part or perish.
July 11, 2025
I truly LOVED reading through this book. I have read through it twice now, and am going back in for a third read, as there is so much to this ancient culture that I want to digest.
The Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal, had a massive library, with thousands of clay tablets. The uncovering of some of these have allowed a better glimpse into the ancient world, and those were lived in it.
From the scribes who were responsible for the written texts, priests who served the king and the gods, and the king himself - who was expected to protect and expand the kingdom.
While Ashurbanipal might have wanted to leave a glowing legacy, he might not be thrilled with what was written about him after his death. But the writings and different texts have allowed a new view into this kingdom, and continues to share new insights as tablets are deciphered.
Fantastically well written, this book is engaging! I was pulled back in time to the court of the king, and the challenges and stories that were shared. This is truly one of the best books I have read this year.
The Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal, had a massive library, with thousands of clay tablets. The uncovering of some of these have allowed a better glimpse into the ancient world, and those were lived in it.
From the scribes who were responsible for the written texts, priests who served the king and the gods, and the king himself - who was expected to protect and expand the kingdom.
While Ashurbanipal might have wanted to leave a glowing legacy, he might not be thrilled with what was written about him after his death. But the writings and different texts have allowed a new view into this kingdom, and continues to share new insights as tablets are deciphered.
Fantastically well written, this book is engaging! I was pulled back in time to the court of the king, and the challenges and stories that were shared. This is truly one of the best books I have read this year.
June 24, 2025
if you really want to read a book about ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, their culture, day-to-day lives, relationships, politics, science and even sex, this is an absolutely amazing book to find all that information. there are many books about Mesopotamia, ancient civilizations and cuneiform. what Dr. Wisnom does is give you reliably and scientific overview with citations, comparative research analysis and facts. It may not read like a popular book at times, but that is due to the serious handling of the subject matter. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend if you want to learn about our past and culture.
October 15, 2025
This is a very engaging and accessible study of Mesopotamian and Assyrian culture from the fourth to the first millennium BC. Wisnom shows how cultural practices that might seem primitive or unsophisticated often have close parallels in our own culture, some of which may have evolved directly from their Mesopotamian precursors. The sections on the scholar-king Ashurbanipal and his library are particularly strong, as are her discussions of cuneiform and the origins of writing. It’s rare to find a scholarly book that is so informative and enjoyable to read. I read the audiobook narrated by Catherine Bailey.
February 20, 2025
Selena Wisnom is both a highly qualified Assyriologist and a gifted literary author - surely a rare combination. In this book, she is the perfect expert guide to the ancient textual treasures preserved in the library of Ashurbanipal, Assyria’s last great king. The library becomes a window onto the imposing cultural heritage of the world’s oldest literate civilisation. From witchcraft to war, from the oldest surviving literature to the origins of modern science in Mesopotamian astronomy, it’s all here.
August 17, 2025
Rating : 4,5 ⭐
This book covered a range of topics in a way that felt really digestible, but never shallow. It was a great overview of a time in history we don't know enough about. I can't believe I had never heard of this before given how much of this ancient library still remains to be studied. The audiobook was very well narrated.
This book covered a range of topics in a way that felt really digestible, but never shallow. It was a great overview of a time in history we don't know enough about. I can't believe I had never heard of this before given how much of this ancient library still remains to be studied. The audiobook was very well narrated.
July 25, 2025
Flew through this. An easy to read, accessible history of Ancient Mesopotamian cultural norms/governance. It’s astounding that we have access to letters between members of the royal court during this era. Loved any glimpse into these minute, human conversations.
June 24, 2025
3.5/5 :)
October 20, 2025
Excellent book!!!!!
November 28, 2025
I could wax poetic for paragraphs-on-end about how much I love this book, but I will just keep it simple by saying that The Library of Ancient Wisdom is a beautiful book - truly!
Read
February 15, 2025This book was amazing! I didn’t know much about Mesopotamia or the workings of the Assyrian empire but this book was a great introduction. The book looks at the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (from around seventh century BCE) and what it can teach us about Mesopotamian culture at the time. The library was burnt to the ground by Ashurbanipal’s enemies following his death, however the library and its knowledge survived, due to the material of the clay tablets the knowledge was written upon.
This book was enlightening and extremely engaging, the information was presented in language and a way that was accessible even to those who do not hold much knowledge of this period of ancient history. I learnt an awful lot but my favourite part was about learning of the literature from Mesopotamia, for example the story of the flood and the epic of Gilgamesh; I’m now definitely go on to read these myths that were instrumental in Mesopotamia. I found it very interesting how the author showed how the culture in Mesopotamia was different and even strange to us, yet also highlighted how it affects us today and the elements of thinking we have retained from this time. I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, or to understand as much as I did, yet as I said the book was great for someone with limited knowledge on the subject to appreciate. Overall a highly enjoyable read!
This book was enlightening and extremely engaging, the information was presented in language and a way that was accessible even to those who do not hold much knowledge of this period of ancient history. I learnt an awful lot but my favourite part was about learning of the literature from Mesopotamia, for example the story of the flood and the epic of Gilgamesh; I’m now definitely go on to read these myths that were instrumental in Mesopotamia. I found it very interesting how the author showed how the culture in Mesopotamia was different and even strange to us, yet also highlighted how it affects us today and the elements of thinking we have retained from this time. I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, or to understand as much as I did, yet as I said the book was great for someone with limited knowledge on the subject to appreciate. Overall a highly enjoyable read!
March 2, 2025
Selena Wisnom has the rare gift of being interesting, and here uses it to bring the world of ancient Mesopotamia to life.
Her book is brimming with interesting information about ancient Assyrian culture - its literature, music, medicine, astronomy, prophesy, warcraft and witchcraft - but somehow it never feels overwhelming. It is not a book about the dates of battles or who begat whom, but about how people long ago lived and understood the world.
Even as she holds our hand through some of Mesopotamia’s most alien beliefs and practices, Wisnom shows us just how much we owe to the ancient culture and how little what it means to be human has changed in the last several thousand years.
Her book is brimming with interesting information about ancient Assyrian culture - its literature, music, medicine, astronomy, prophesy, warcraft and witchcraft - but somehow it never feels overwhelming. It is not a book about the dates of battles or who begat whom, but about how people long ago lived and understood the world.
Even as she holds our hand through some of Mesopotamia’s most alien beliefs and practices, Wisnom shows us just how much we owe to the ancient culture and how little what it means to be human has changed in the last several thousand years.
February 11, 2025
Ancient slices of life found in cuneiform clay tablets. Each story is a stepping off point to delve into topics such as medicine, literature, and witchcraft.
This book does an amazing job of being accessible academia. What I mean by that is that it is academic level research and writing, written in a way that is engaging and accessible to people who aren’t academics.
The writing style suited the format; it was engaging and relevant without being dry or difficult to read. The chapters had a flow to them that kept me reading.
It neatly bridges modern to ancient, showing the similarities and differences with respect and understanding.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
This book does an amazing job of being accessible academia. What I mean by that is that it is academic level research and writing, written in a way that is engaging and accessible to people who aren’t academics.
The writing style suited the format; it was engaging and relevant without being dry or difficult to read. The chapters had a flow to them that kept me reading.
It neatly bridges modern to ancient, showing the similarities and differences with respect and understanding.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
February 21, 2025
The Library of Ancient Wisdom is a remarkable and thought-provoking book by Selena Wisnom. It delves into one of the most impressive libraries in ancient history, that of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, the Assyrian ruler of Mesopotamia - The Libary of Nineveh.
Wisnom takes the reader on a trip into the past with stories of the hopes and fears, as well as the everyday life of Assyrians. She also covers classics of the period such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and their influence on later texts and cultures. An excellent book - highly recommended for anyone interested in this period of history.
Wisnom takes the reader on a trip into the past with stories of the hopes and fears, as well as the everyday life of Assyrians. She also covers classics of the period such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and their influence on later texts and cultures. An excellent book - highly recommended for anyone interested in this period of history.
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