This volume of the Myths and Legends series covers
the still nascent subject of ancient Near Eastern mythology.
Because the primary documents had only been deciphered a few
decades prior to the writing of this book, Mackenzie necessarily
has to round out the exposition with a detailed history of the region,
Biblical accounts, and speculative cross-cultural comparisons,
particularly to Hindu and Northern European mythology and folklore.
The picture emerges of the birth of the world culture in the
region which is today known as Iraq.
Besides writing, codes of law, irrigation, mathematics, astronomy,
urban life and many other innovations,
the fertile crescent developed a brutal form of despotism.
The history is a constant churn of wars, invasions, massacres,
genocide and regicide.
This work remains a decent introduction and reference work for the
religion, culture, history and general background
of the ancient Near East, and well worth studying
by anyone interested in the topic.
![The Babylonian Marriage Market, by Edwin Long [19th Cent.] (Public Domain Image)](img/marmart.jpg)