The Library of Ancient Wisdom 'pieces together a vivid portrait of Mesopotamian life from the shattered remnants of the 30,000 or so tablets in Ashurbanipal's library... which not only bring kings and queens to life, but also priests, traders and professional lamenters' - New Scientist'Fascinating and rich in detail… provides an excellent survey of Mesopotamian literary classics.. and offers snippets of daily life' - Literary Review The story of the ancient world’s most spectacular library, and the civilization that created itWhen a team of Victorian archaeologists dug into a grassy hill in Iraq, they chanced upon one of the oldest and greatest stores of knowledge ever seen: the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, seventh century BCE ruler of a huge swathe of the ancient Middle East known as Mesopotamia. After his death, vengeful rivals burned Ashurbanipal’s library to the ground - yet the texts, carved on clay tablets, were baked and preserved by the heat. Buried for millennia, the tablets were written in cuneiform: the first written language in the world. More than half of human history is written in cuneiform, but only a few hundred people on earth can read it. In this captivating new book, Assyriologist Selena Wisnom takes us on an immersive tour of this extraordinary library, bringing ancient Mesopotamia and its people to life. Through it, we encounter a world of astonishing richness, complexity and sophistication. Mesopotamia, she shows, was home to advanced mathematics, astronomy and banking, law and literature. This was a culture absorbed and developed by the ancient Greeks, and whose myths were precursors to Bible stories - in short, a culture without which our lives today would be unrecognizable. The Library of Ancient Wisdom unearths a civilization at once strange and strangely familiar: a land of capricious gods, exorcisms and professional lamenters, whose citizens wrote of jealous rivalries, profound friendships and petty grievances. Through these pages we come face to face with humanity’s first civilization: their startling achievements, their daily life, and their struggle to understand our place in the universe.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Kennys.ie is the largest exporter of books from Ireland currently exporting to approximately 100 countries around the world. Kennys Bookshop houses hundreds of thousands of books and specialises in collection development and library services, supplying booksellers and state and university libraries on a global scale including the U.S.A.,Japan and Europe. Kennys.ie is Ireland's Largest Online Bookshop.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Kennys Bookshop and Art Galleries Ltd.
Liosban Industrial Estate, Tuam Road, Galway, Ireland

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Terms of Sale - Credit Cards: Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diner.
Payment can also be made by bank draft in Euros, drawn on an Irish Bank.

We regret that PO Boxes are not acceptable to the U.S. as our courier will not deliver to them.

In case of returns or queries please contact us by email books@kennys.ie or by phone +353 91 709350

VAT Registration - IE2238521A

Conor Kenny

Shipping Terms

Free Shipping

Shipping rates from Ireland to U.S.A.

Shipping rates from Ireland to U.S.A.
Order quantity	12 to 22 business days	10 to 20 business days
First item	US$ 11.10	US$ 13.43

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.