The Cambridge Ancient History: Part 2, The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries BC

The Cambridge Ancient History Volume III Part 2 carries on the history of the Near East from the close of Volume III Part 1 and covers roughly the same chronological period as Volume III Part 3. During this period the dominant powers in the East were Assyria and then Babylonia. Each established an extensive empire which was based on Mesopotamia, and each in turn fell largely through internal strife. Assyrian might was reflected in the imposing palaces, libraries and sculptures of the Assyrian kings. Babylonian culture was outstanding in literature, mathematics and astronomy, and the great buildings of Nebuchadnezzar II surpassed even those of the Assyrian kings. Israel and Judah suffered at the hands of both imperial powers, Jerusalem being destroyed and part of the population deported to Babylon; and Egypt was weakened by an Assyrian invasion. The Phoenicians found a new outlet in colonising and founded Carthage. A number of small, vigorous kingdoms developed in Asia Minor, while from the north and north east the Scythian nomadic tribes pressed down upon Turkey and the Danube valley, but found their match in the Thracian tribes which held south-eastern Europe and parts of western Turkey. The burials of the chieftains of both peoples were remarkable for the great wealth of offerings.

• This is the MISSING LINK - the long-awaited volume chronologically parallel to Vol. III.3 • Covers the Near East, Judaea, Thrace, and Egypt • Period includes the Exile of the Jews in Babylon

Part I. Assyria and Babylonia: 21. Babylonia in the shadow of Assyria (747–626 BC) J. A. Brinkman; 22. Assyria: Tiglath-Pileser III to Sargon II (744–705 BC) A. K. Grayson; 23. Assyria: Sennacherib and Esarhaddon (704–669 BC) A. K. Grayson; 24. Assyria (668–635 BC): the reign of Ashurbanipal A. K. Grayson; 25. The fall of Assyria (635–609 BC) Joan Oates; 26. Assyrian civilisation A. K. Grayson; 27. Babylonia (605–539 BC) D. J. Wiseman; 28a. Neo-Babylonian society and economy M. A. Dandamaev; 28b. Babylonian mathematics, astrology and astronomy Asger Aaboe; 28c. First-millennium Babylonian literature Erica Reiner; Part II. The Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea: 29. Israel and Judah from the coming of Assyrian domination until the fall of Samaria, and the struggle for independence in Judah (c.750–700 BC) T. C. Mitchell; 30. Judah until the fall of Jerusalem (c.700–586 BC) T. C. Mitchell; 31. The Babylonian exile and the restoration of the Jews in Palestine (586–c.500 BC) T. C. Mitchell; 32. Phoenicia and Phoenician colonisation W. Culican; 33a. The Scythians T. Sulimirski and T. Taylor; 33b. Thrace before the Persian entry into Europe G. Mihailov; 34a. The native kingdoms of Anatolia M. Mellink; 34b. Anatolian languages O. Masson; 35. Egypt: the Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth dynasties T. G. H. James; Chronological tables; Bibliography; Index.