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The Face of the Ancient Orient: Near Eastern Civilization in Pre-Classical Times
"A lucid, intelligent, and lively summation … an appetizing and stimulating introduction to the study of man's early civilizations." — Science
This fascinating, lively study — praised by the American Historical Review as "a valuable introduction, perhaps the best available in English, to the ancient Near Eastern civilizations" — is essential reading for history students and for anyone interested in the development of Western civilization. The author, who was director of the Center of Semitic Studies at the University of Rome, undertook the study in order to make sense of several enormously important discoveries from the mid-twentieth century — including the discovery of Ugarit, a Syrian city that flourished for 4,000 years; the unearthing of Mari, an equally important city of ancient Mesopotamia; and the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Professor Moscati begins with a chapter on the "Oriental Renaissance" and goes on to examine the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Hurrians, Canaanites, Aramaeans, Israelites, and Persians, before offering, in the final chapter, a synthesis of Near Eastern accomplishments in politics, society, literature, and the arts. His conclusion is that "the civilizations of the ancient Orient [were] a tremendous human experience … without which another, subsequent civilization would not be conceivable." One of the great pleasures of this intriguing book is its delightful sampling of illustrative quotations from primary sources — some from the Bible and many others (often with strikingly biblical intonations) from the little-known writings of Sumer, Egypt, Hurria, and the other great civilizations that prefigured Greece and Rome.
This fascinating, lively study — praised by the American Historical Review as "a valuable introduction, perhaps the best available in English, to the ancient Near Eastern civilizations" — is essential reading for history students and for anyone interested in the development of Western civilization. The author, who was director of the Center of Semitic Studies at the University of Rome, undertook the study in order to make sense of several enormously important discoveries from the mid-twentieth century — including the discovery of Ugarit, a Syrian city that flourished for 4,000 years; the unearthing of Mari, an equally important city of ancient Mesopotamia; and the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Professor Moscati begins with a chapter on the "Oriental Renaissance" and goes on to examine the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Hurrians, Canaanites, Aramaeans, Israelites, and Persians, before offering, in the final chapter, a synthesis of Near Eastern accomplishments in politics, society, literature, and the arts. His conclusion is that "the civilizations of the ancient Orient [were] a tremendous human experience … without which another, subsequent civilization would not be conceivable." One of the great pleasures of this intriguing book is its delightful sampling of illustrative quotations from primary sources — some from the Bible and many others (often with strikingly biblical intonations) from the little-known writings of Sumer, Egypt, Hurria, and the other great civilizations that prefigured Greece and Rome.
- GenresHistory
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 4, 2021
Thousands of years of history and a dozen civilizations in a little over 300 paperback pages. I would love to see a longer deeper updated version. But that will never happen. This book is based on work from the early 1950s and before, but, more importantly, it was from an era where the great scholars were not afraid to have a great vision; nay, they were expected to have one.
What do you want to get out of a history book? Not names dates and events, although you need plenty of this for the rest to make sense. No, what you want it to see what people were like – how the same and how different – and what it would it have been like to travel there, to live there (in that place and time). To see the miracle that people so long ago and technologically and societally different lived in many ways like we do. But in some ways not, unless we are in the most extreme circumstances.
OK, you’ve heard of Egyptians and Babylonians and Persians and of course Israel. And maybe even Sumerians and Assyrians. The well-educated or biblically inclined might even know about Arameans and Canaanites. How about Hittites? Hurrians? But for many of these peoples, especially the earliest, there does not exist a single historic narrative, but many many scraps. Inscriptions. Artifacts. Innumerable ruined cities each with their own quasi-independent history. The genius of this book is that (to the right person) it is just right. It balances overall vision, the total sweep, the sweep of each civilization, the relationship of the civilizations with each other, the internal histories, their art and architecture, their literature, and their societies.
What do you want to get out of a history book? Not names dates and events, although you need plenty of this for the rest to make sense. No, what you want it to see what people were like – how the same and how different – and what it would it have been like to travel there, to live there (in that place and time). To see the miracle that people so long ago and technologically and societally different lived in many ways like we do. But in some ways not, unless we are in the most extreme circumstances.
OK, you’ve heard of Egyptians and Babylonians and Persians and of course Israel. And maybe even Sumerians and Assyrians. The well-educated or biblically inclined might even know about Arameans and Canaanites. How about Hittites? Hurrians? But for many of these peoples, especially the earliest, there does not exist a single historic narrative, but many many scraps. Inscriptions. Artifacts. Innumerable ruined cities each with their own quasi-independent history. The genius of this book is that (to the right person) it is just right. It balances overall vision, the total sweep, the sweep of each civilization, the relationship of the civilizations with each other, the internal histories, their art and architecture, their literature, and their societies.
October 27, 2020
While everyone else it seems was studying Western Civ, I was intrigued with the East. Fascinating.
January 26, 2014
Although it is 50 years old, I found this survey very compelling. My son got me the board game "Civilization" for Christmas which employs most of the peoples Moscati discusses. So inspired, I read it in 8 days. I particularly found the discussion of Sumerian civilization and its relation to the Babylonians very helpful. The discussion of the Hittites also cleared up my understanding of this group. Moscati interprets the ancient Orient in terms of the valley cultures in tension with the nomads from the desert on the one hand, and the mountain peoples (Hurrians, Hittites, and finally the Persians). The contrasting attitudes and cultural perspectives of the Mesopotamians (pessimistic, insecure, king as a divine mediator who COULD be mistaken) and the Egyptians (serene, secure, led by a God on earth [Pharaoh]) was particularly enlightening. For each people- Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Arameans, Israelites, and Persians- Moscati surveys the known history, religion, literacy, and art/architecture. It pulled together so many details I have encountered in my years of reading in this field into a big picture. If this is your first book on this topic, it will be too heavy for you to enjoy, but for those who have a little background, it is a helpful read.
May 9, 2008
Very informative and relatively easy to get through for an old history book
October 31, 2021
Book should have been way better. Dithers on minor artistic details rather than actually giving the feeling and emotion of these places as societies
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews