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The Ancient History of the Near East
The Egyptian empire, the Babylonians and the Assyrians, the Hittite kingdom, the Minoans and Mycenaens, the later Greek city states, the ancient Israelite civilization of the Old Testament, as well as many more. All of these emerged in the ancient near east; this was truly the crucible of civilization. Henry R. Hall’s brilliant study of the ancient near east uncovers how these civilizations developed, what they believed in, how they survived, adapted and changed to differing pressures, and how some of them eventually crumbled. Hall begins with a study of the area as the early Bronze age civilizations such as the Minoans who built brilliant palace complexes at Knossos around 2000 BC. He then explores the development of humanity in ancient Egypt. A eygptologist by trade Hall is able to describe in brilliant detail how the ancient Egyptians were able to build monumental structures and beautiful sculpture. He explores the lives of many of the pharaohs in detail, for example the mightily powerful Ramasses II to the revolutionary Akhenaten. Chapters V, X and XII uncover the historic civilizations of Babylonia and Assyria. Hall examines the archaeological finds from these sites along with their deciphered scripts to fully explore what these empires were truly like. Through the course of chapter IX Hall compares the archaeological evidence from Syria, Palestine and Israel with the writings of the Old Testament to reveal a fascinating account of the ancient Philistines, Hebrews, and Aramaeans. “I have always felt a respect for the Oxford Greats man [Hall], and now I feel something more like awe.” The Classical Review Henry R. Hall MBE, FBA, FSA was an English Egyptologist and historian. Hall's interests were not confined to Egyptology; after the war he directed the British Museum excavations at Ur and Tell Ubaid, in Mesopotamia. He travelled in Greece and western Asia, and published a variety of works on the history of these regions; he even cultivated an interest in Chinese antiquities. His book, The Ancient History of the Near East was first published in 1913 and he passed away in 1930.
- GenresHistoryAncient History
427 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2009
470 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Harry Reginald Hall
39 books3 followersHarry Reginald Holland Hall, 1873-1930
Published under Harry Reginald Hall; archaeologist and historian; Assistant in, and later Keeper of the Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities, British Museum
Published under Harry Reginald Hall; archaeologist and historian; Assistant in, and later Keeper of the Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities, British Museum
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 13, 2018
Racist victorian
I only got about 25 pages into this pap, and found that the Greeks are many times more intelligent than asiatics,but read on past a couple of inaccuracies and stopped at the phrase "gibbering blacks"
I only got about 25 pages into this pap, and found that the Greeks are many times more intelligent than asiatics,but read on past a couple of inaccuracies and stopped at the phrase "gibbering blacks"
June 20, 2018
June 20, 2018
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book "The Ancient History of the Near East" by Henry R. Hall
I purchased this book in the Kindle format at a very low price (Thank Goodness). I thought it would provide me with some good background information in understanding this often troubling area of the world based on it's early history. It is a tome of a book and again thankfully it was in the Kindle format and therefore not a strain in holding up the book. I should have gotten the message when the author initially described it as a summary of more extensive studies of this region. Also I should have checked the copyright date of this book not the publishing date. The copyright date is 1913 and the publishing (Kindle) date was 2018.
As I "muscled" my way through almost a third of the book, I kept asking myself why am I reading this book? Hall, the author (by now dead) explained that this was a "concise" review of both the prehistoric learning's from artifacts and art but not on the early writings which there are none known. It tried to make the reader understand from a pre historic names of people and places resulting from archeological findings some of the cultural aspects of life in Egypt and Mesopotamia. There must have been a ton of information not referenced or cited by the author, he drew upon to list name and families and locations no longer in existence. The flow of these names and places were both mind numbing and exhaustive.
When the author commented on the Mesopotamia area, It was a little bit better because I have some background based on reading other historical works including the Old Testament but again the flow of names and places no longer in existence was choking and nearly gagged me several times.
I complained to my wife that I am reading a book impossible to follow either chronologically or through a provided horizontal time line. She asked me why am I reading it. I said I am learning something about the bronze age and the evolution of metallurgical weapons, including the beginnings of the iron age. I learned that social and commercial interchange happened thousands of years before of recorded history and that there was even racial prejudices, e.g., the northern Egyptians looked down upon the southern Egyptians and they were the Nubian's.
I gave this book one star, even though I only accomplished 35% of the book because maybe someone a lot smarter than me, or perhaps schooled in pre-history of both the Egyptians or those people from the fertile triangle would find some enjoyment Also, the author (probably RIP) did demonstrate a great deal of scholarship as he tried to make some sense of man's development. I just was not for me and I would never recommend trying to read it. For those who gave this book five stars, God bless you and I admire your intelligence (way above mine).
A difficult read, You better have great background to enjoy 620+ pages of dry reading with names of people impossible to decipher. 200 pages was enough for this reviewer.
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book "The Ancient History of the Near East" by Henry R. Hall
I purchased this book in the Kindle format at a very low price (Thank Goodness). I thought it would provide me with some good background information in understanding this often troubling area of the world based on it's early history. It is a tome of a book and again thankfully it was in the Kindle format and therefore not a strain in holding up the book. I should have gotten the message when the author initially described it as a summary of more extensive studies of this region. Also I should have checked the copyright date of this book not the publishing date. The copyright date is 1913 and the publishing (Kindle) date was 2018.
As I "muscled" my way through almost a third of the book, I kept asking myself why am I reading this book? Hall, the author (by now dead) explained that this was a "concise" review of both the prehistoric learning's from artifacts and art but not on the early writings which there are none known. It tried to make the reader understand from a pre historic names of people and places resulting from archeological findings some of the cultural aspects of life in Egypt and Mesopotamia. There must have been a ton of information not referenced or cited by the author, he drew upon to list name and families and locations no longer in existence. The flow of these names and places were both mind numbing and exhaustive.
When the author commented on the Mesopotamia area, It was a little bit better because I have some background based on reading other historical works including the Old Testament but again the flow of names and places no longer in existence was choking and nearly gagged me several times.
I complained to my wife that I am reading a book impossible to follow either chronologically or through a provided horizontal time line. She asked me why am I reading it. I said I am learning something about the bronze age and the evolution of metallurgical weapons, including the beginnings of the iron age. I learned that social and commercial interchange happened thousands of years before of recorded history and that there was even racial prejudices, e.g., the northern Egyptians looked down upon the southern Egyptians and they were the Nubian's.
I gave this book one star, even though I only accomplished 35% of the book because maybe someone a lot smarter than me, or perhaps schooled in pre-history of both the Egyptians or those people from the fertile triangle would find some enjoyment Also, the author (probably RIP) did demonstrate a great deal of scholarship as he tried to make some sense of man's development. I just was not for me and I would never recommend trying to read it. For those who gave this book five stars, God bless you and I admire your intelligence (way above mine).
A difficult read, You better have great background to enjoy 620+ pages of dry reading with names of people impossible to decipher. 200 pages was enough for this reviewer.
January 6, 2019
A complete and detailed description of the ancient cultures of the Near East. I really recommend this book. It is very entertaining and informative for anyone who is interested in cultures like Assyrian, Egyptian, Babylonian and many others, their relationship, influence and history.
June 30, 2018
I enjoyed this book for the writing, but kept getting distracted by how much we have learned since it was written.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews