Epics of Early Civilization: Myths of the Ancient Near East

Myth and Mankind

by Michael Kerrigan, Alan Lothian, Piers Vitebsky

For centuries, the epic legends and myths of Mesopotamia's ancient civilizations lay buried under the desert sands, waiting for the day when archaeologists would reveal them to the modern world. One such story tells of the rage of the goddess Ishtar. Spurned by the warrior-king Gilgamesh and seeking to wreak her revenge, Ishtar persuaded her father, Anu, to release the Bull of Heaven. When the Bull snorted, huge chasms opened in the ground, sending hundreds of young men tumbling to their deaths. Gilgamesh slew the Bull in a ferocious battle. He then cut off the beast's horns, took them home and hung them as a trophy over his bed.

This is only one of the many fantastic tales vividly retold in Epics of Early Civilization: Middle Eastern Myth.

Genres: History, Mythology, Folklore, Nonfiction, Religion, Middle East

143 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Michael Kerrigan is a seasoned freelance writer and editor with over thirty years of experience across a wide spectrum of publishing work, from advertising and catalogue copy to book blurbs and specialist nonfiction. A prolific author, he has written around sixty full-length books on subjects ranging from ancient warfare and Slavic myth to modern architecture and the science of consciousness, all aimed at a general readership. He contributed a weekly Books in Brief column to The Scotsman for two decades and has reviewed extensively for the Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian, and Financial Times.

Reviews

[Naomi Ruth]

What I really liked about this book was how clearly it divided Sumerian and Akkadian myths/stories from Canaanite and from Hurrian and Hittite. Also, loved that it included Hurrian and Hittite, as those cultures are much more difficult to find information on. It included useful and delightful visual images, including geographical and artifacts. I am happy to own this book. If you are interested in mythology or learning more about the myths of the ancient near east, give this book a try.

[Snoozle Canoodle]

Meet me at the third pyramid

[Lester Nathan]

A good introduction to the earliest civilizations of the Middle East. Written for high school and early college readers. I learned a lot about pagan gods and goddesses that I didn't know. It also includes archeological information about the civilizations which it covers.

[Brian]

A fascinating account of the ancient Middle Eastern mythos.

[Sergiy]

This was a good introduction to middle eastern mythology. I definitely appreciated the chronological approach that lets the reader witness the evolution of beliefs in the region from the end of the 4th millennium bc up until the Common Era.

Having read the epic of Gilgamesh earlier I found myself glossing over the chapters relating to that book. but I did find a wealth of related material not in the official Epic poem. including the stories of the two kings of uruk who preceded Gilgamesh in the king lists.

I did enjoy the various photographs of ancient art, however there may have been too many. If you enjoy these there are better books that are devoted to ancient art history, if you came here for the stories you may find them distracting. if you like the parts about Gilgamesh I would recommend a translation of that for your next read.