Alphabetical List of Entries vii Topical List of Entries ix How to Use This Book xiii Preface xv Timeline xvii Historical Overview xxi Mesopotamia and the Rise of Civilization: A–Z 1 Primary Source Documents 149 CREATION 149 INANNA AND ENKI 152 THE FLOOD 155 ENMERKAR AND THE LORD OF ARATTA 157 GILGAMESH AND AGGA 159 THE NETHERWORLD—FROM THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH 161 UMMA AND LAGASH 164 URU-INIM-GINA 165 TWO KINGS 166 ENHEDUANNA 168 THE CURSING OF AGADE 170 GUDEA 172 SHULGI 174 SHEEP AND GRAIN 176 SCHOOLDAYS 179 INANNA AND DUMUZI 181 KANESH LETTERS 183 MARI LETTERS 185 HAMMURABI’S LAW CODE 187 THE DIALOGUE OF PESSIMISM 190 Key Questions 193 QUESTION 1: WAS THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE EUPHRATES AND TIGRIS VALLEYS THE KEY CAUSAL FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD’S EARLIEST CIVILIZATION? 193 QUESTION 2: WAS INTERNATIONAL TRADE FUNDAMENTAL TO MESOPOTAMIA’S ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AS A CIVILIZATION? 205 QUESTION 3: WAS THE INVENTION OF WRITING CRITICAL TO THE EMERGENCE OF CIVILIZATION IN MESOPOTAMIA? 217 Annotated Bibliography 231 Index 239 About the Author and Contributors 256