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Benjamin R. Foster
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Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature Paperback – June 30, 2005

by Benjamin R. Foster (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 40 ratings
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Comprehensive collection of ancient Akkadian literature spanning three millennia. This larger, completely new, 3rd edition contains many compositions not in the previous editions; new translations of previously included compositions; incorporation of new text fragments identified or excavated since the last publication; all new footnotes; references and commentary brought up to date to reflect scholarly work of the last 10 years; and 100 more pages than the old two-volume edition.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    1044 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    CDL Press
  4. Publication date
    June 30, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 2 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781883053765
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1883053765
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1883053765
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CDL Press; Third edition (June 30, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 1044 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781883053765
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1883053765
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.36 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 2 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

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Benjamin R. Foster

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4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
40 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

OldTestament
5.0 out of 5 stars Giant Anthology
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024
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I am working through this behemoth and let me just say it is well laid out and chock full of good stuff- highly recommend
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Ian M. Slater
5.0 out of 5 stars Ian Myles Slater on: Words from the Earth
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2012
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A remarkable amount of the literature of ancient Mesopotamia, and some neighboring regions, has come down to us due to the fact that it was written on clay, or occasionally cut into stone, and has survived into modern times literally by the ton. Of course, most of the sheer volume seems to have been things like tax receipts, "account receivable," disbursement orders, contracts, business letters, and scribal exercises; cuneiform ("wedge-shape") writing seems to have been developed for bureaucratic, not literary, reasons. The oldest texts still seem to be those in Sumerian, a language with no known relatives, although there is increasing evidence that the script was being used to write a Semitic language earlier than had been thought.

In "Before the Muses" (1993; third edition, 2005), we have an anthology of literary texts in what has become known as Akkadian, covering the temporal, regional, and literary dialects of an East Semitic language which used to be referred to, awkwardly, as "Assyrian and Babylonian," after the two main geographic divisions. It runs from the "Archaic" phase (say, 2300 B.C.E.) to the Late Period, ending somewhere around 100 B.C.E. I've read enough other translations of some of the contents to feel safe in saying that Foster's English renderings of them are impressive for their literary quality. (His accuracy I pretty much have to take on faith.)

With the exception of "Gilgamesh," which Foster separately translated for Norton (and has several other recent translations in print, notably by Stephanie Dalley, in the Oxford World's Classics' "Myths from Mesopotamia," and by Andrew George, in Penguin Classics' "The Epic of Gilgamesh") the translator has crammed into this collection at least a substantial sample of the most important literary genres of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians. It includes mythic narratives, epics of heroes and historical kings, Wisdom texts, humorous stories, royal inscriptions, poetry, letters, and more; the harvest of over a century and a half of work in the field, and in museums and collections. Bit by bit the material has been identified, copied and photographed, the complex script transliterated, and, finally, the words have been rendered into modern languages.

Alas, I have to agree with an earlier reviewer who complained about the binding -- at over a thousand pages, it is an overstuffed paperback which is sure to crack its spine in ordinary use. It is also awkward to handle, both in terms of weight on the hands or wrists, especially for those with joint problems, and in preventing it from breaking in two while being read. Just letting the open book lie flat also tends to stress the binding.

On the other hand, a hardcover edition of "Before the Muses," or one in two volumes, like its first edition, although easier to handle, would be at a higher price; which, although I know is quite reasonable by present standards, as it is, still gives me sticker-shock. (A sign of how long I have been buying books, I suppose.)

For those who can't afford it, or don't want to invest that much in something unfamiliar, the abridged edition of 1995, "From Distant Days: Myths, Tales, and Poetry of Ancient Mesopotamia," is still available, at a more down-to-earth price. (This could be counted as a second edition plus-or-minus; it contains some material not included in the first edition, as well as corrections incorporated from the official second edition....) Frankly, though, if you are really interested in ancient non-Western literatures, or the background of the Bible, or Middle Eastern History (among other topics), my advice is to go ahead with the full version if you can; otherwise you might wind up buying both. And, in an area of scholarship that is still developing, a later edition of the same translation is usually the better choice. (Is anyone else thinking 'e-book'?)

And, besides being overstuffed with regards to the binding, the full edition is stuffed full of both otherwise readily available material (like a translation of the Babylonian Creation Epic, "Enuma Elish," and the other myths and mythological epics included in Dalley's volume) and masses of hymns, prayers, incantations, and secular literature. Much of it previously was available in English only in technical journals, or not at all. Some of the translations were from early in the twentieth century, and of dubious reliability. (Those who read German or French have had comparable, if less inclusive, volumes available for years; back in the 1980s and early 1990s, I struggled with those, as well as running down English translations in a large University library.)

[It somewhat belatedly occurred to me that I might as well identify the French and German volumes, for those who are curious, and read one or both with more ease than I ever achieved. The French translation is M.-J. Seux. "Hymnes et prières aux dieux de Babylonie et d'assyrie" published in 1978. W. von Soden contributed the second part of "Sumerische und Akkadische Hymnen und Gebete" published in 1953 (Adam Falkenstein having translated the Sumerian texts). There is considerable overlap between these two collections, given that both are made up of the same types of documents. Something over half of von Soden's selections are included by Foster; and, if 20-year-old memories are accurate, about the same is true of Seux's. Note that although von Soden is highly thought of, his work has aged during a continuing expansion of modern knowledge of the ancient language.]

Addendum, September 2018: I recently checked this review for the first time in at least a year, and noticed that Amazon now lists the book as published in January 2018. This may refer to a reprinting, for the book is still identified as the Third Edition (the one I reviewed here), which was published in 2005.
62 people found this helpful
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Stanley Gemmell
5.0 out of 5 stars FOSTER DELIVERS
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2015
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The Akkadian literature selected and curated by Benjamin R. Foster in this anthology is so poignant and devastatingly potent as to truly have it earn its place as "First" of human letters. Foster is best known for his work in Egyptology but here his focus upon the Babylonians and other near-Semitic societies of the Ancient Middle East clearly demonstrates his reputation could be built upon anything he chooses to focus upon. The research is accessible and relevant. This anthology suits a popular audience and is impeccably annotated and formatted for clarity. This is a highly recommended investment.
9 people found this helpful
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A. Vijunas
5.0 out of 5 stars a very lovely collection
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2013
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I am not a specialist of Akkadian studies, and bought this book merely out of interest. This very thick book (over 1000 pages) covers the different periods of the Akkadian history, from Old Akkadian (Archaic period) to the Late period, offering a very wide selection of texts (hymns, letters, incantations, love and mythological poems, legends, etc.). There is also a fairly lengthy introduction with numerous references to other literature, which will surely benefit not only amateur, but also professional students of the field.
26 people found this helpful
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Boris S
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely magnificent anthology.
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2012
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A great translation for both experts and literature lovers like me, Foster provides citations and references on almost every page, for those interested in broadening their knowledge on the subject. My only complaint about specifically this edition of the book is that it's printed paperback, which is horrible, considering its more than 1000 pages long. I hope to see a hardcover version in the future.
19 people found this helpful
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EsotericTroubleshooter
5.0 out of 5 stars Complete compendium
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2018
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Amazingly complete
One person found this helpful
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Philip McDaniel
5.0 out of 5 stars Good copy. Added to my library of Middle Eastern ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2014
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Good copy. Added to my library of Middle Eastern History & Literature.
6 people found this helpful
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Shem
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, Great human traditions resources, Great wisdom.
Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2018
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Contributed to Foster's hard work, we can enjoy the book about the human traditions, knowledge and wisdom. Each poem or ritual in the book contains traditions sources and consequences.
A Great book about knowledge and wisdom more than 2000 - 5000 years ago.
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claudia di pancrazio
5.0 out of 5 stars Comsigliatissimo
Reviewed in Italy on January 24, 2019
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Ottime traduzioni e varietà di testi. Lo adoro.
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I. R. Lowell
5.0 out of 5 stars Looking at Lost Literature
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2013
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I have only read in detail the wonderful introduction to this book, and otherwise just glanced through the contents, but that is, in itself, a reason to buy the book. Foster has covered the history of Akkadian literature in a wonderful, informative and compellingly well- written Introduction. The gaps in understanding are also detailed, as well as the development of the discovery and interpretation of the texts. The Akkadian legacy (which continued the previous and earlier paralleled Sumerian culture) was to be the 'Classics' of the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, and, through the intermediaries of the Hittite Culture of Anatolia and the investigations of the earliest Greek writers such as Hesiod and the intellectual gathers like Herodotos, became a new cultural foundation for the Western world. But also Foster compares and contrasts the beginning of interest in the cuneiform libraries discovered by Layard and others through the discovery of alternative Flood Stories, and the biblical interest that motivated and funded the early researches to the latter-day dialogue with biblical scholarship. A great delight and a wonderful collection of texts, fascinating, challenging, intriguing and, ultimately, very enlightening.
3 people found this helpful
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