The Literature of Ancient Sumer

Jeremy Black

OUP Oxford, Nov 25, 2004 - Literary Collections - 372 pages

This anthology of Sumerian literature constitutes the most comprehensive collection ever published, and includes examples of most of the different types of composition written in the language, from narrative myths and lyrical hymns to proverbs and love poetry. The translations have benefited both from the work of many scholars and from our ever-increasing understanding of Sumerian. In addition to reflecting the advances made by modern scholarship, the translations are written inclear, accessible English. An extensive introduction discusses the literary qualities of the works, the people who created and copied them in ancient Iraq, and how the study of Sumerian literature has evolved over the last 150 years.

About the author

Jeremy Black was University Lecturer in Akkadian and Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford. Graham Cunningham is Researcher at the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Eleanor Robson is University Lecturer in History of Science and Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Gábor Zólyomi is Head of the Department of Assyriology and Hebrew Studies, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Literature of Ancient Sumer
• Editor: Jeremy Black
• Translated by: Jeremy Black
• Contributor: Jeremy Black
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: OUP Oxford, 2004
• ISBN: 0199263116, 9780199263110
• Length: 372 pages
• Subjects: Literary Collections / Ancient & Classical; Literary Collections / General; Literary Criticism / Ancient & Classical; Literary Criticism / General