''The Greatness That Was Babylon'' (1962; second edition 1988) is a book about Babylonia by the Assyriologist H. W. F. Saggs.

Summary

Saggs, writing for the "general reader", describes the ancient

Babylonians Babylonia (; Akkadian: , ''māt Akkadī'') was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Syria). It emerged as an Amorite-ruled state c. 1 ...

before and during the ancient

Assyrian Empire Assyrian may refer to: * Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia. * Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire. ** Early Assyrian Period ** Old Assyrian Period ** Middle Assyrian Empire ** Neo-Assyrian Empire * Assyr ...

. Topics discussed include

cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Middle East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. It is named for the characteristic wedge-sh ...

writing.

Publication history

''The Greatness That Was Babylon'' was first published in 1962 by

Sidgwick & Jackson Sidgwick & Jackson is an imprint of book publishing company Pan Macmillan. Formerly it was an independent publisher; as such it was founded in Britain in 1908. Its notable early authors include poet Rupert Brooke and novelist E.M. Forster. In mo ...

. In 1988, the book was reissued in a revised and updated edition. Excavations in Mesopotamia have revealed a large amount of new information relevant to the study of Babylonian civilization, presented here as a revised and rewritten account of the book first published in 1962. The roots of much of western civilization lie in Babylonia the ancient civilization of south Iraq. Alexander the Great recognized the importance of its heritage and planned to make Babylon his world capital. The splendors and supposed wickedness of Babylon lived on in a tradition transmitted through the Bible and classical writers. The author aims here to reconstruct all aspects of this lost culture, presenting the Babylonians as living people - showing their eating and drinking habits, their worship, their relationships and lifestyle and so present an integrated picture.

Reception

''The Greatness That Was Babylon'' received a positive review from the archaeologist

Richard David Barnett Richard David Barnett, CBE, FBA (23 January 1909 – 29 July 1986) was the Keeper, Department of Western Asiatic Antiquities of the British Museum. Early life Born on 23 January 1909, Barnett was the son of Lionel David Barnett, who was th ...

in ''

The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...

''. Barnett commended the book for its "breadth and detail". However, he criticised Saggs's comparisons of the behaviour of the Babylonians with that of the Hebrews as described in the Old Testament. He also believed that Saggs had less mastery of archaeological material than of cuneiform studies.

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