The ancient civilization of Mesopotamia thrived between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates over 4,000 years ago. The myths collected here, originally written in cuneiform on clay tablets, include parallels with the biblical stories of the Creation and the Flood, and the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, the tale of a man of great strength, whose heroic quest for immortality is dashed through one moment of weakness. Recent developments in Akkadian grammar and lexicography mean that this new translation, complete with notes, a glossary of deities, place-names, and key terms, and illustrations of the mythical monsters featured in the text, will replace all other versions.

Table of Contents

Atrahasis; The Epic of Gilgamesh; The Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld; Nergal and Ereshkigal; Adapa; Etana; Anzu; The Epic of Creation; Theology of Dunnu; Erra and Ishum

Reviews

"Fresh, authoritative English translations from the sources."--Classical World

"A careful, scholarly edition of a variety of important texts from ancient mesopotamia. Dalley's scrupulous care in showing lacunae makes this a harder narrative for classroom use but her annotations are thorough and her insights illuminating."--Nick Humez, Montclair State
University

"[Dalley] obviously controls the material as a scholar."--Comparative Civilizations Review