James Pritchard's classic anthologies of the ancient Near East have introduced generations of readers to texts essential for understanding the peoples and cultures of this important region. Now these two enduring works have been combined and integrated into one convenient and richly illustrated volume, with a new foreword that puts the translations in context.

With more than 130 reading selections and 300 photographs of ancient art, architecture, and artifacts, this volume provides a stimulating introduction to some of the most significant and widely studied texts of the ancient Near East, including the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Creation Epic (Enuma elish), the Code of Hammurabi, and the Baal Cycle. For students of history, religion, the Bible, archaeology, and anthropology, this anthology provides a wealth of material for understanding the ancient Near East.

• Represents the diverse cultures and languages of the ancient Near East--Sumerian, Akkadian, Egyptian, Hittite, Ugaritic, Canaanite, and Aramaic--in a wide range of genres:
  
  
  • Historical texts
  • Legal texts and treaties
  • Inscriptions
  • Hymns
  • Didactic and wisdom literature
  • Oracles and prophecies
  • Love poetry and other literary texts
  • Letters
• New foreword puts the classic translations in context
• More than 300 photographs document ancient art, architecture, and artifacts related to the texts
• Fully indexed

• Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture (2nd Edition)
• A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 - 323 BC, 2nd Edition
• The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
• Stories from Ancient Canaan, Second Edition
• The Jewish Study Bible: Featuring The Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation