Ancient Mesopotamia: Life in the Cradle of Civilization

It's an audio book, I listened to it. As a lover of history, Mesopotamia has passed me by, but these fascinating lectures, well delivered, have given me a starting point.

This work by Dr. Podany brings together the world discovered through archeology and ties it to the world we know, the connection being the Hebrew exiles in Israel. This is the story of the cradle of civilization, like a good civics course, but deeper and more nuanced in detail. It ties the very founding of civilization on earth with the reasons for its founding, its accomplishments and failures. Repeatedly, Podany presents a story on how the modern world found out about Mesopotamia, learned to translate their writings and above all, what we still don't know or understand. The creation myths of the Sumerians and Akkadians is presented, but not with a conspiracy twist, but with a solid slam for provable facts. Also, unlike many authors, Podany tries to help the listener understand these various people from their start to their end, and makes it clear that while they have the same problems we have today, our way of approaching them and seeing the world would be thoroughly alien. You get the sense that these long-dead people were the type that you would like, despite their beliefs and superstitions. The author also gives a nod to events and activities that would never be approved of today, such as tomb sacrifices akin to those in Egypt, and cleverly points that that this literal practice faded quickly. There from the first time that humans lived in villages to the clear absorption of Mesopotamia by the Persian Empire, and thus dilution of its identity, the story is presented. Real meaning is given to the names of various peoples long gone, as well as people who appear still in the news today, i.e, Assyrians. Minor repetitions of ideas and themes throughout the course help to reinforce the lessons from previous lectures and how they set up the world that was carried with the Hebrews and which transitioned from polytheism to monotheism.

So they finally changed the music track (wasn't the old version vivaldi?). It actually fits the context. And the lady professor is delightful, I'd listen to her on anything. And it's history stuff, so cool.

Love this professor. She’s entertaining as well as informative. She really loves her subject matter, and why shouldn’t she? Ancient Mesopotamia is extremely fascinating. Enjoyed the listen. I was bummed when it ended. I wish it were more voluminous; it was more overviewish than I had hoped. I wish it drilled into some areas more.