Babylonian Life and History

The following pages have been written with the view of offering to the Bible student, in a small compass, a little of the history of Babylon, her thought, religion, and manners, and consequently the means whereby he may understand better some of the allusions of the prophets and Bible historians. -from the Introduction Almost 6,000 years after the beginning of their great society, and 2,600 years after its collapse, the heritage handed us by the ancient Babylonians still runs like a shining thread through our global civilization today, a profound cultural gift recognized in the 19th-century as their cuneiform language was first translated. Here, one of the most prominent antiquarians of the Victorian era introduces us to both the secular reality and the spiritual worldview of these sophisticated early people, from their daily life - including aspects of their food, clothing, and furniture - to their religious traditions, their devotion to astrology, and their practice of magic. Drawing on primary and secondary sources uncovered by the archaeology of the era, this is an important volume for students of mythology, religion, history, and historical research. SIR E. A. BUDGE (1857-1934) was curator of Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities at the British Museum form 1894 to 1924. Among his many works of translation and studies of ancient Egyptian religion and ritual is his best-known project, The Egyptian Book of the Dead.