Ancient Mesopotamia Mythology

Babylonian and Assyrian History, Myths and Legends (Annotated) With a Historical Introduction

By: Lewis Spence

Narrated by: Jim D. Johnston

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Discover the history, myths, and legends of Ancient Mesopotamia

The annotations includes:

• Author biography of Lewis Spence
• The history of Babylon and Assyria

Ancient Mesopotamia history is defined by several key inventions that impacted the globe, including the concept of time, algebra, the wheel, sailboats, maps, and writing. Another characteristic of Mesopotamia is the shifting succession of governing bodies from various regions and cities that seized power over a period of thousands of years.

The Babylonian and Neo-Babylonian Empires both had Babylon as their capital. It was a sprawling, heavily-populated city with enormous walls and multiple palaces and temples. The Ishtar Gate, the Marduk Temple, and the stelae on which Hammurabi's Code was inscribed are some of the well-known buildings and artifacts.

The Assyrians' formidable army was undoubtedly their greatest claim to fame. Their way of life was dictated by the way of the warrior. They managed to survive because of it. They had a reputation as vicious and brutal warriors throughout the land.

In this title, distinguished British anthropologist and folklorist Lewis Spence tries to guide you around the way of life the Assyrians and Babylonians had. Despite this title being scholarly you will find yourself amazed by the poetic feel it gives. All in all, this is one of the best guides one can find on Babylonian and Assyrian mythology and it aged well considering how very few is known till this day on Ancient Mesopotamia.

Here is a sneak peek at the chapters inside:

• Chapter I: Babylonia and Assyria in History and Legend
• Chapter Ii: Babylonian Cosmogony
• Chapter III: Early Babylonian Religion
• Chapter IV: the Gilgamesh Epic
• Chapter V: the Later Pantheon of Babylonia
• Chapter VI: the Great God Merodach and His Cult
• Chapter VII: the Pantheon of Assyria
• Chapter VIII: Babylonian Star-Worship
• Chapter IX: the Priesthood, Cult, and Temples
• Chapter X: the Magic and Demonology of Babylonia and Assyria
• Chapter XI: the Mythological Monsters and Animals of Chaldea
• Chapter XII: Tales of the Babylonian and Assyrian Kings
• Chapter XIII: the Comparative Value of the Babylonian and Assyrian Religions
• Chapter XIV: Modern Excavation in Babylonia and Assyria
• Chapter XV: the Twilight of the Gods

Get this title today and dive into the discovery of ancient Babylonian and Assyrian gods and their evolution throughout history of the people!

Public Domain (P)2022 Chronos Publishing

A Comprehensive Overview of Mesopotamian Mythology

I really enjoyed this volume. It includes a chronology of rulers and dynasties, wars and even the exploration of historic sites during the 19th century. Familiar names (Ozymandius, Nebukednezar, Gilgamesh and more) feature in the legends and histories recounted and the parallels between the various pantheons and their relation to Judeo-Christian lore are discussed.
This is a great primer for anyone interested in Middle Eastern history and/or religion.

Interesting and informative

I knew nothing about ancient Mesopotamia before listening to this book. I definitely learned quite a bit. The presentation and explanation were mostly easy to understand. I appreciated how the author drew parallels to other cultures and religions. It seems to me, this is a very thorough work of ancient mythology.

An Interesting Review of Myth and History

An interesting a solid treatment of Assyrian and Babylonian history. Some of the names were not what I have usually encountered, so there may be some translation involved, but there is a glossary at the end that helps a lot. Likewise the pronunciation of some of the names and terms was not always the same as what I was familiar with, but it all still worked.

There is a lot of information in this book and I enjoyed all of it … even the myth comparisons (and contrasts) with Mesoamerica, Egypt and others (the treatment of Noah and the flood was particularly interesting). It you are at all interested in this topic, this is a great start that goes into a lot more detail than I recall from my early western civ class in high school.

Chapter 1: Babylonia and Assyria in History and Legend (Abraham)
Chapter 2: Babylonian Cosmology
Chapter 3: Early Babylonian Religion
Chapter 4: The Gilgamesh Epic
Chapter 5: The Later Pantheon of Babylonia
Chapter 6: The Great God Merodach and His Cult
Chapter 7: The Pantheon of Assyria
Chapter 8: Babylonian Star-Worship
Chapter 9: The Priesthood, Cult, and Temples
Chapter 10: The Magic and Demonology of Babylonia
Chapter 11: the Mythological Monsters and Animals of Chaldea
Chapter 12: Tales of the Babylonian and Assyrian Kings
Chapter 13: The Comparative Value of the Babylonian and Assyrian Religions
Chapter 14: Modern Excavation in Babylonia and Assyria
Chapter 15: The Twilight of the Gods

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#AncientMesopotamiaMythology #FreeAudiobookCodes

Ancient Mesopotamia Mythology

Much like the previous book on Sumerian mythology, this book goes well beyond simply a collection of tales. The stories in this volume are interspersed with interesting historical context along with likely connections to other, often more generally familiar, mythologies, which I really enjoyed. The ratio of history to mythology is a bit heavy for my taste, but I’ve enjoyed the book for all that. Overall, I found this to be another satisfactory entry into the series.
I received a free Audible copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Cool myths

I really enjoyed hearing these mythological tales and learning about these gods. It provided a Lena’s for me to better understand and ancient culture that I knew little to nothing about. The narration production was really well done and helped me stay engaged while listening.