Ancient Mesopotamia: The Sumerians, Babylonians, And Assyrians (People of the Ancient World)

Customer Reviews:

Well made and informative.......2007-03-13

This attractive and informative book is part of the People of the Ancient World series of books by Scholastic, Inc. The book explains the culture of ancient Mesopotamia, describing the inhabitants' government, economy, science, and culture. Along the way, the reader is treated to many pictures and sidebars.

Overall, I found this to be a well made and informative book. Now, as you might expect with a book written for young readers, the book does not go into any great depth on any subject. But, it is nonetheless very broad in its reach, and it is an excellent resource for readers of any age who want an introduction in the culture of the peoples of ancient Mesopotamia. I highly recommend this book.

Good book for an 8th grader.......2007-02-03

While I do feel that the information in this book is good, it is written so that your 14 year old will have no problem gliding through this book. This is by no means a college level book, although it does have some really nice pictures. I personally would have preferred more thorough information as opposed to large fonts with full page pictures.

Solid information, good illustrations.......2005-02-25

This book is good for anyone seeking an overview of ancient Mesopotamia. There are plenty of color photographs of artifacts, as well as substantial information that seems to be well-researched. Chapters focus on the daily life of people in different occupations (e.g., Merchants and Traders, Peasant Farmers, Doctors and Scientists). The glossary, biographical dictionary, and timeline (covering the period c. 9000 BC to 539 BC) add to the value of this resource.

The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 3, Part 2: The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries BC

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The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 3, Part 2: The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries BC

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0521227178

Book Description

During this period the dominant powers in the East were Assyria and then Babylonia. Each established an extensive empire that was based on Mesopotamia, and each in turn fell largely through internal strife.

You Wouldn't Want to Be an Assyrian Soldier!: An Ancient Army You'd Rather Not Join (You Wouldn't Want to...)

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You Wouldn't Want to Be an Assyrian Soldier!: An Ancient Army You'd Rather Not Join (You Wouldn't Want to...)
Rupert Matthews
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0531189228

The Church of the East: An Illustrated History of Assyrian Christianity

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Valuable survey, Nestorian viewpoint
Triumph and Tragedy in the Christian East

The Church of the East: An Illustrated History of Assyrian Christianity
Christoph Baumer
Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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A History of Christianity in Asia: Beginnings to 1500 (History of Christianity in Asia)
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Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life (Cistercian Studies Series, 101)

ASIN: 184511115X

Book Description

Christoph Baumer is one of the very few Westerners to have visited many of the most important Assyrian sites, and has written the only comprehensive history of the "Nestorian" (or Apostolic Assyrian) Church, which now fights for survival in its country of origin, Iraq. He traces its apostolic beginnings to the present day, and discusses the Church's theology, christology and uniquely vigorous spirituality. He analyzes the Church's turbulent relationship with other Christian chuches and its dialogue with neighboring world religions such as Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Islam, Buddhism and Taoism. Richly illustrated with maps and over 150 full-color photographs, the book will be essential reading for those interested in a fascinating but neglected Christian community which has profoundly shaped the history of civilization in both East and West.

Customer Reviews:

Valuable survey, Nestorian viewpoint .......2007-08-04

This book contains a great deal of detailed historical information about Christianity in Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, India and China from the Middle Ages. It also provides descriptions of the situation of these communities today, and being published in 2006 includes the effects of recent events such as the Iraq War and Iranian revolution. There is also information on a number of Eastern Christian writers that are largely unknown in the West, such as the mystic John of Dalyatha. The book also contains many pictures of church remains in the East. In general this is a very valuable book providing a wealth of information on the history and current situation of Christian communities that have received little attention.

However, the history of the Christological dispute that led to the isolation of the Church of the East is sometimes presented in a confusing way due to the Nestorian identification of nature and hypostasis. As a result the controversy is in places described as if the opposition to Nestorianism was due to a rejection of Christ's humanity instead of opposition to the introduction of a second subject (hypostasis) in Christ alongside of the Logos. The book does however describe this aspect of Nestorian theology in some places(as on p. 41 "It is clear...that for Diodore, one suffered death and another rose from it - an idea which runs as a leitmotif through Nestorian Christology."). The importance of this idea in the controversy can be seen in Paul of Nisibis' sixth century Dialogue with Justinian (available on-line).

The history of the Christological controversy is generally presented from a Nestorian viewpoint and some non-Nestorian historians would dispute parts of the account. An alternative viewpoint can be found in John McGuckin's Cyril of AlexandriaSt. Cyril of Alexandria: The Christological Controversy : Its History, Theology, and Texts which contains a number of primary texts including writings of Nestorius.

Triumph and Tragedy in the Christian East.......2006-10-11

One of the most intriguing and in the end most tragic stories in all of Church history is that of the Church of the East. This church, with its roots in those churches existing outside the Roman Empire once had millions of followers stretching from what is now Iraq to China and possibly Japan. Yet by the twentieth century all that was left of this once vast communion were scattered communities of ethnic Assyrians and Indians with the distinct possibility of complete disintegration. The tale of its birth, rise, fall, and recent signs of rebirth is one all of the Church needs to hear.

Christoph Baumer is in a unique position to tell their story to the West. An author who has written books on Asia and traveled extensively in that region of the world, he is one of the few to have written on the topic of the Church of the East to actually have traveled to many of their important historical sites. In The Church of the East, he gives us a history of this ancient church that is not only captivating reading but also is visually breathaking with beautiful photographs accompanying the text in this "coffee table" sized book.

Baumer begins with the beginnings of the Church and how Christianity crossed from the Roman world into Asia. The early traditions of the St. Thomas the Apostle and early evangelists who brought the young faith from the Roman world across the Euphrates into Persia and then into India are recounted as well as the early establishment of local churches througout the region.

Baumer then turns to the Christological battles that ensued after the persecution of the Church ended with the ascension of the Roman emperor Constantine. Even as the battles with the Arian heretics had not yet ended in a complete victory for Trinitarian Christology, new disputes were brewing between the Alexandrian and Antiochean theological schools. Complicating the matter was the spectre of imperial politics as patriarchs jostled for ecclesial influence and resentment against attempts at ecclesial hegemony from Constantinople grew.

As Baumer rightly points out, these disputes would have a tragic effect for the Church and leave it torn between the Church of the Roman Empire, the miaphysite Churches in Egypt, Armenia, and Ethiopia, and the "Nestorian" Church of the East. The "Nestorian" moniker that has long been applied to the Church of the East is a bit of a misnomer since Nestorius was the Bishop of Constantinople and the position of "Nestorianism" that the Council of Ephesus denounced has never been held by the Church of the East.

Baumer presents a strong case that differences in language, culture, theological presuppositions and personal ambition all played a role in forming the division of Christendom that flowed out of the disputes behind the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon. Also, the geopolitical situation of the time also played a major role as Christians in Persia came under suspicion as members of what was now the official religion of Persia's enemy on the world stage.

Baumer then turns to the period following when the Church of the East declared its independance from the Church in the Roman Empire. Faced with persecution from the ruling Sassanians and internal squabbles, the Church of the East still managed to produce some great leaders capable of reforming what ailed the church. During times when persecution abated, there developed a rich theology and spirituality that would guide them in the coming centuries.

Even the conquest of Persia by the Muslim Arabs did not hinder the Church of the East and they opened many monastaries and sent missionaries to foreign lands. Baumer gives an extensive account of the mission to the East that spread the faith throughout Asia. The Church of the East built on its earlier successes in India and spread througout the rest of Asia. For a time won many adherents in China and were tolerated and even given favors by the Mongol rulers.

Of course, their fall would then come from a series of factors that weakened this great church. Baumer give the sad end of the story as the Church of the East was not only weakened by internal struggles, but also was attacked by a new wave of persecution that all but destroyed the gains made in the previous centuries. Cut off from each other, the few remaining communities would struggle to maintain their identities to the present day.

Baumer finishes with the recent history of the Church of the East including the move of the patriarch to Chicago following the genocide against the Assyrians (and other Christians) in the early twentieth century. The author believes a move of the patriarch back to the Assyrian homeland is important to its survival, but one wonders how likely this is with recent events in Iraq.

Overall, Christoph Baumer has written the greatest book available on this misunderstood church. For students of both Eastern Chrisitianity and Church history, it is not to be missed. Both informative and accessible, it fills in an important gap in the Church's knowledge of its own history. It also underscores the fact that Christianity is truly a universal faith.

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the only one
No relation between ancient and modern Chaldeans
A wealth of information if you plan on researching Chaldeans
Excellent coverage of the Chaldeans

Ancient and Modern Chaldean History
Jammo Sarhad
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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Chaldeans In Michigan (Discovering the Peoples of Michigan)

ASIN: 081083653X

Book Description

The presence of more than one hundred thousand Chaldeans in the United States highlights the demand for this resource book, which comprises a bibliography of sources that deals with the history and culture of Chaldeans, past and present. In this comprehensive depiction of Aramaic tribes of Mesopotamia, Ray Kamoo explores the ancient and modern periods, the civil and religious influences, and the pagan and Christian heritage.

Customer Reviews:

the only one.......2001-11-21

The Review that seems to put down this book is a bit harsh and low-leveled, I am an American Chaldean and although Ray didn't talk much of Chaldeans in the Present living in America or Iraq. I moved to chicago a year ago and this was when I first learned about Assyrians. My (middle-eastern) teachers use me as an example when the Assyrians come up, but they all understand that I am Chaldean even though there aren't many here. I think the review is by someone who must have been very mad about something. I think the person who wrote the review must have been looking for something that doesn't exist. This person should stop wasting time writing reviews and should maybe write their own book on the subject (since this person is so critical of this book) and teach all of us about our history since this person seems to know so much. No other books even come close to capturing the subject the way this does.

No relation between ancient and modern Chaldeans.......2001-06-10

The author who belongs to the Chaldean Catholic Church makes many unsubstantiated claims in his book. Facts are that there is no relation, whatsoever, between the ancient Chaldeans and the modern day Chaldeans. The ancient Chaldeans lived predominantly in southern Mesopotamia, today's southern Iraq, while modern day Chaldeans live exclusively in northern Iraq, 400 miles to the north. There is no serious scholarly reference about any massive migration from southern Iraq to northern Iraq to justify the presence of ancient Chaldeans today in north of Iraq. Even when the ancient Chaldeans helped their allies the Medes (Persians) to sack Assyria, it is documented historically that it was the Medes (Persians) who controlled northern Mesopotamia, while the ancient Chaldeans returned to control southern Mesopotamia. Facts are yet that the today's title Chaldean was given by the Vatican to the Nestorians (members of the Church of the East) who became Roman Catholic, first in Cyprus in 1445, then in Diyar Bakir (Turkey) in 1681, and finally in Mosul (Iraq) in 1830. Every single history and theology book about the Christians of Asia or Iraq attest to this fact. Today's Chaldean title is a religious denomination of the Assyrian people, it does not represent an ethnicity. The following books are a sample reference: 1. Hagarism by P. Crone and M. Cook 2. The Eastern Christian Churches by Ronald Roberson 3. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone 4. The Middle East:A Physical, Social and Regional Geography by W. B. Fisher 5. Asshur and the Land of Nimrod by Hormuzd Rassam.

A wealth of information if you plan on researching Chaldeans.......2000-07-28

This book is a good source for anyone who needs information about Chaldeans, past and present... just like the title says. The author obviously spent a lot of time gathering these sources, and it shows. The history section at the beginning of the book is a bit short, but it is well written.

Excellent coverage of the Chaldeans.......1999-11-11

Having a long-time interest in ancient history, it's nice to finally see a good book on the Chaldeans. Prior to attaining this book, I had not found any materials that had covered the Chaldeans in such a comprehensive fashion. The author gives a good backdrop to the peoples that occupied the area prior to the Chaldeans and how the Chaldeans finally came to power. This type of information was certainly not easy to find before the publication of this book. In addition, the bibliography portion of the book is extensive! I have already begun researching the listings that are provided. Dr. Kamoo has made finding articles and books on the Chaldeans that much easier for historians and lay people alike.

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A Caution
The Assyrian Empire
Some of the kindest people around.
An excellent resource
Not nice people

The Ancient Assyrians (Elite)
Mark Healy
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1855321637
Release Date: 1992-01-30

Book Description

For the greater part of the period from the end of the 10th century to the 7th century BC, the Ancient Near East was dominated by the dynamic military power of Assyria. At the zenith of its rule Assyria could lay claim to an empire that stretched from Egypt in the west to the borders of Iran in the east and encompassed for the first time in history, within the realm of a single imperial domain, the whole of the 'Fertile Crescent'. Mark Healy, covers the history of the Assyrians from their ancient beginnings to the eventual fall of the city of Nineveh.

Customer Reviews:

A Caution.......2007-05-16

I'm a history major, for the record. I've heard all manner of semi-scholarly critisism of these Osprey books so I'll sum it all up and rather than give the book a one star for what it isn't, I'll review it for what it is.
These books are very entertaining introductory histories of their various (military) topics. The illustrations demonstrate their intent quite clearly: to entertain as much as to inform. These books are intended for laymen who enjoy military history, possibly the re-enactment crowd, and definitely bright adolescents. As "Illustrated Histories" go, they're quite excellent and I'm collecting them for my kids.
*WARNING-THESE BOOKS ARE NOT APPROPRIATE AS SCHOLARLY RESEARCH MATERIALS*
There are no footnotes, endnotes, citations, and no bibliography. There is the occasional (usually relatively minor) inaccuracy which is not a big deal for kids and laymen but is a major issue for academics.

That said, these books could help you out as introductions to material. For example, I bought and read this one as a general introduction to Assyrian military practices. It gave me enough of a grasp of the material to focus the thesis of my paper and know what kinds of things I should research. I did not use this book as a source!!

It is what it is, and as an entertaining introductory read for youths and laymen it is great. You ought not to expect a mass market paperback to live up to academic standards. If thats what you want, you should know that books meeting those standards are usually published by "(Insert name of Institution) Univeristy Press" or are primary sources (people who were there and wrote down what they saw).

The Assyrian Empire.......2007-04-02

The typical elite title, focuses mostly on a detailed view of the different branches of the Assyrian army, their gear, roles, and tactics, but as it tells the story of the Assyrian army and campaigns in pretty much tells the story of Assyria. The Assyrians, although a very different people from the Mongols, still stand out like them in certain ways-both were sadistically cruel and thought nothing of slaughtering civilizations (a zesty description of Assyrian torture of rebel chieftains is given early in the book), but also showed great administrative skills and almost unnatural talent at all forms of warfare-light and heavy cavalry and infantry, and sieges. The Assyrians clashed with most of the powers of their day-the Egyptians, the Hittites, the Israelites, the Syrians, the Arabs, and the Elamites, and were also having to put down Babylonian rebellions many times every century. At their greatest extent they ruled over most all of modern Iraq east to Elam (Iran), along with Urartu (Armenia), eastern Turkey, the entire Palestinian coastline south into Egypt. It was only relentless rebellions and civil wars that finally brought them to their knees, but their destruction was complete-their capital was thoroughly razed and subsequently forgotten, and as the Biblical prophet said (Nahum 3:19), the Ancient World rejoiced. As would be expected, Angus McBride's artwork really brings them to life, but even without that this would still be an essential book.

Some of the kindest people around........2005-02-11

First, I would like to say I'm an Assyrian and I would like to clarify the bad image publicized by some people. Just because the Assyrians had the first greatest military, doesn't mean they weren't nice people. All armies were brutal, Persian, Greek, Roman, etc... Beside having a great military, Assyrians contributed to medicine, astronomy, science and all the other fields. A person must do some research before making such claims.

As for the book, it includes some excellent information. And the illustrations were also excellent.

An excellent resource.......2004-12-30

This fascinating book is an excellent resource to have on the ancient Assyrians. It begins with a history of the Assyrians, from earliest times, through their rise to greatness, and on to their fall. Then, the book gets into the part that is its truly greatest part, a look at the tactics and technology of the Assyrian army. The crowning glory of the book, though, is definitely the twelve color illustrations by the great Angus McBride, which shows the Assyrians as they truly looked.

This is a great book, an excellent resource for anyone who is studying the Assyrians or ancient warfare. Even though the book is short, it is crammed full of useful and interesting information, one that I highly treasure. I give this gook my highest recommendation.

Not nice people.......2003-09-07

They wer once a mighty Empire-forged in battle, maintained by
State Terrorism, and ended when their numerous enemies joined
to destroy them.

You can thank them for originating the gruesome practice of im-
palement as a weapon of terror, later adopted by Wallachia's
Prince Vlad Tepes.

Military historians will find this of interest, as will Living
History buffs, for the illustrations are excellent, details of
armor, war-chariots, etc. are all depicted very well.

Customer Reviews:

Assyrian Letdown.......2000-05-09

While there are not many books on Assyria for this age group, I found this one lacking. There are two other books by Elaine Landau in this series called The Sumerians and The Babylonians.

There are 17 illustrations including one map, photos of artifacts, photos of present day sites related to the Assyrians, and two colored drawings. Considering the age group this is written for, there are not many illustrations.

There is other information about their way of life that is interesting. Assyrian life, law and religion are discussed along with their military prowess.

The type is slightly larger with large space between lines and wide margins. It is easy on the eyes for children to read.

The text on the first five pages in the three Landau books is virtually the same. The only major difference is the map is changed for whichever topic--Sumerians, Assyrians, or Babylonians--is being covered. The map is well done, however, not all locations are shown. While Assyria conquered Babylon, and Babylon is mentioned in the text, it is not shown on the map in the Assyrians book.

Paging starts on page 9, text through page 54, timeline text of Important Dates pp. 55-56 (not facing pages), Notes p. 57 (bibliography?), Glossary pp. 59-60 (no pronunciation information though), Further Reading pp. 61-62, and Index pp. 63-64 (nice touch). So for a 64-page book there is only 45 pp. of text, and the format is smaller than usual, too.

This means there is not a lot of detail in any of the information. The history necessarily skips a lot. I find it strange that Ashurbanipal and his library would be skipped. How did we learn about these cultures? This is not discussed in any detail. Because these cultures do interact with each other, I think it might have been better to publish a combined text.

Product Description

This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1875 edition by Sampson Low, Marston, Low and Searle, London.

Assur Is King! Assur Is King!: Religion in the Exercise of Power in the Neo-Assyrian Empire (Culture and History of the Ancient Near East)

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Assur Is King! Assur Is King!: Religion in the Exercise of Power in the Neo-Assyrian Empire (Culture and History of the Ancient Near East)
Steven W. Holloway
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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