The Ancient Near Eastern World

World in Ancient Times

by Amanda H. Podany

What do the wheel, the law, and belief in a single god have in common? All of these ideas first came to people who lived in the ancient Near East. As if these revolutionary developments weren't enough to make a mark on world history, these ancient innovators also came up with the most fantastic invention of all-writing. The Ancient Near Eastern World is filled with the scribes, potters, sculptors, architects, school children, lawmakers, kings, queens, farmers, and priests who designed and created that world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, School, Ancient History

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 31, 2005

About the author

Dr. AMANDA H. PODANY is a historian and author specializing in the study of the ancient Near East, and a professor emeritus of history at Cal Poly Pomona. She has written several books on ancient Near Eastern history for a wide readership, most recently the critically acclaimed Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East (Oxford UP, 2022). In the book she recounts more than 3,000 years of history through the eyes of people of all walks of life: rich and poor, female and male, young and old. She is also the narrator of the audiobook version, available from Audible.

Podany's other books include The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP, 2014), Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East (Oxford UP, 2010), and The Land of Hana: Kings, Chronology, and Scribal Tradition (CDL Press, 2002). The Land of Hana pertains to Podany's scholarly research (also discussed in many articles), which focuses on Syria in the second millennium BCE, with attention to chronology, scribal practice, international relations, and kingship.

She has a particular interest in making recent findings in her field accessible to a wider audience and, in that spirit, co-wrote (with Marni McGee) a book for young adult readers called The Ancient Near Eastern World (Oxford UP, 2004). She is also the author and presenter of a 24-part series of lectures for Wondrium/Great Courses called Ancient Mesopotamia: Life in the Cradle of Civilization (also available on Audible). She has been the recipient of a research award from the NEH and received the Norris and Carol Hundley Award from the American Historical Association for her book, Brotherhood of Kings. Recently, Weavers, Scribes, and Kings was selected as a finalist for a PROSE award from the Association of American Publishers. Podany received her MA in archaeology of Western Asia from the Institute of Archaeology, University of London, and her PhD in history of the Ancient Near East from UCLA. She was also the original bass player for the band that became the Bangles.

Reviews

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very solid history spine for middle school. Probably a bit dry for elementary students. The photos are very nice and the quality of the binding and pages are durable. It is written in a secular fashion with no weight given to any one religion or set of gods. You are free to fill in your own judgement there, if needed.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know very little about this time period even though the book is very introductory, I still don’t feel that have a grasp of the subject yeti

[Jenevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out all my reviews at

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrapped up the Ancient Near East today. Sumer, Assyria, Persian Empire, oh my! Including the origins of modern religions and current conflicts. Heady stuff. Still very much appreciate the age-appropriate readability of this series, though portions were dry at times. K gave it 3.5 stars and L rated it a "2 or 3". We are looking forward to moving on to Ancient Egypt in the next volume. 6th year of homeschooling and we will finally get around to the infamous Chicken Mummy!

[CairoErica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and interesting.