Fascinating study examines Sumerians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Hittites, Canaanites, Israelites, Persians, others. "...a valuable introduction, perhaps the best available in English." — American Historical Review. 32 halftones. 5 figures. 1 map.

Intended for readers seeking insight into the day-to-day life of some of the world's most ancient peoples, Life and Thought in the Ancient Near East presents brief, fascinating explorations of key aspects of the civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Asia Minor, and Iran. With vignettes on agriculture, architecture, crafts and industries, literature, religion, topography, and history, Orlin has created something refreshingly unique: a modern guidebook to an ancient world. The book also reaches out to students of the Ancient Near Eastern World with essays on decipherments, comparative cultural developments between Egypt and Mesopotamia, and language and literature. In addition to general readers, the book will be useful in the classroom as a text supplementing a more conventional introduction to Near Eastern Studies. "Well-written and accessible, Life and Thought in the Ancient Near East deftly connects the past with present experience by drawing out the differences between, for instance, modern churches and ancient temples, and frequently employing biblical references. This simplicity together with connecting contemporary to ancient experience makes the text ideal for freshmen and general readers." ---Marc Cooper, Professor of History, Missouri State University Now Professor Emeritus, Louis L. Orlin taught in the department of Ancient Near Eastern History and Literature at the University of Michigan for more than thirty years. He is the author and editor of several books, including Assyrian Colonies in Cappadocia and Ancient Near Eastern Literature: A Bibliography of One Thousand Items on the Cuneiform Literatures of the Ancient World.

Incorporating the latest scholarly research, the third edition of A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000–323 BC presents a comprehensive overview of the multicultural civilizations of the ancient Near East. Integrates the most up-to-date research, and includes a richer selection of supplementary materials Addresses the wide variety of political, social, and cultural developments in the ancient Near East Updated features include new “Key Debate” boxes at the end of each chapter to engage students with various perspectives on a range of critical issues; a comprehensive timeline of events; and 46 new illustrations, including 12 color photos Features a new chapter addressing governance and continuity in the region during the Persian Empire Offers in-depth, accessible discussions of key texts and sources, including the Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh

From the origins and exodus to the restoration and new hope, Kingdom of Priests offers a comprehensive introduction to the history of Old Testament Israel. Merrill explores the history of ancient Israel not only from Old Testament texts but also from the literary and archeological sources of the ancient Near East. After selling more than 30,000 copies, the book has now been updated and revised. The second edition addresses and interacts with current debates in the history of ancient Israel, offering an up-to-date articulation of a conservative evangelical position on historical matters. The text is accented with nearly twenty maps and charts.

"Fortunately, Scott Roberts boldly goes where few men have surfaced from, providing a well-balanced, innovative, and insightful approach to the topic." —Philip Coppens, author of The Ancient Alien Question Where the bloodlines of the Nephilim leave off, the real story just begins. Or does it go back even further than that? The very real probability that non-human intelligences visited and even copulated with primordial humans is detailed in civilization's most ancient cultural and religious records. These historical records further reveal that these intelligences were reptilian in nature--or, at the very least, have been represented throughout human history in reptilian form. From the Serpent, Nawcash, in the Garden of Eden; Atum, the Egyptian snake-man; and Quetzalcotl, the feathered serpent god of the Mayans to the double-helix snake symbol of Enki/Ea in ancient Sumerian literature, the serpent has been the omnipresent link between humans and the gods in every culture. In The Secret History of the Reptilians, Scott Alan Roberts investigates and examines the pervasive presence of the serpent in human history, religion, culture, and politics. Are we the product of an extraterrestrial race that moves and breathes--and even breeds--beneath the surface of all of human history? Put on your thinking cap and take an historical, anthropological, archaeological plunge into the heady waters of extraterrestrial origins.