This book presents a clear, concise history of the extraordinary multicultural civilizations of the ancient Near East. Bestselling narrative of the complex history of the ancient Near EastAddresses political, social, and cultural developmentsContains in-depth discussion of key texts and sources, including the Bible and the Epic of GilgameshIncludes numerous maps, illustrations, and a selection of Near Eastern texts in translationIntegrates new research, and greatly expands the guides to further reading for this second edition