Near Eastern History
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The First Dynasty Of Ur
The Early Bronze Age city-state of Ur enjoyed great wealth and power as a trading center and it used this might to gain political control over its neighbors.
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The Myth of Etana, King of Kish
The tale of King Etana of Kish from ancient Iraq, who flew to heaven on an eagle, was about a ruler who would go to any lengths to produce an heir.
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The Ancient Shepherd Kings
The image of the king as a shepherd tending to the needs of his people dates back to the dawn of civilization, and this metaphor reveals a complex political worldview.
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The Legendary Kings Of Sumer And Akkad
Recorded in a document known as the Sumerian King List, the Sumerians had a detailed knowledge of the connection between divine rule and the rule of kings.
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The Priest Kings Of Ancient Iraq
The Early Dynastic Period, spanning from 2900-2450 B.C.E., is the era when historical evidence first becomes available to shed light on the institution of early kingship.
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Qadesh In The Amarna Age
During the Late Bronze Age Egypt's 18th Dynasty was at the apex of its wealth and power, but it was soon to see its authority over its vassal territories challenged.
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Qadesh, Jewel Of The Orontes
During the Bronze Age, the Syrian City of Qadesh, also known as Kadesh or Qidsu, became a focal point of Imperial conquest.
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The Battle Of Megiddo
Carved onto the walls of the Temple of Karnak is a detailed account of the Pharaoh Tuthmoses III's imperial conquest in Asia.
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The Tawananna of Ancient Hatti
Throughout the Bronze Age, the Kingdom of the Hittites employed a religious institution that empowered their queen's with true political power.
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The Plague Prayers of Mursili II
Ancient documents reveal how a young Hittite king tried to save his kingdom from the divine wrath invoked by his own father.
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King Suppililiuma The Great
At a time when the Kingdom of the Hittites had been reduced to its heartland, Suppililiuma took the throne and forged an Empire.
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How History Discovered the Hurrians
Throughout the Bronze Age, the Hurrian people thrived across Northern Mesopotamia, then disappeared from history for nearly 3,000 years.
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Caravans Of Treasure And A Goddess Go To Egypt
During the14th Century B.C.E., as Mittani and Egypt joined in a diplomatic marriage, a vast amount of wealth, including a goddess of healing, was sent to the Pharaoh.
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Diplomatic Tension In The Late Bronze Age
Although the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten had requested a Mittani princess to marry, Tushratta complains that he seems unwilling or unable to send adequate gifts of gold
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A Fragile Alliance Between Late Bronze Age Kings
In a lengthy appeal, the King of Mittanni calls upon the binding love and friendship between himself and the Pharaoh to fuel Egyptian willingness to send him gold.
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Tushratta and The Mittani / Egyptian Alliance
During the middle of the 14th century B.C.E., the Mittani Kingdom is on the verge of disaster and reaches out to its old ally, Egypt, for assistance.
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A Babyonian Princess And Her Dowry
A look at the fabulous exchange of wealth between Egypt and Babylonia that occurred during a diplomatic marriage in the Late Bronze Age.
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The Babylonian King Writes to Akhenaten
The Amarna Letters show a Kassite King of Babylonia negotiating a diplomatic marriage with Egypt, as the Pharaoh, Akhenaten, seems to neglect his Mesopotamian ally.
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The Amarna Letters of Kadashman-Enlil
During the reign of Amenhotep III, (ca 1390-1352 B.C.E.), at the height of Egypt's imperial power, negotiations were underway for a royal bride to be sent from Babylon.
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The Rise of Assyria in the Late Bronze Age
In the middle of the 14th century B.C.E., the King of Assyria, Ashur-uballit, (ca.1363-1328 B.C.E.), advanced his kingdom to become a Great power in the Near East.
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Amenhotep III and the Missing Princess
At the height of the Amarna Age, during the final decade of Amehotep III's reign in Egypt, (ca.1390-1353 B.C.E.), a Babylonian king was looking for his sister in Egypt.
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The Rise And Fall Of The Amarna Age
By the end of the 15th Century B.C.E. a vibrant international community had developed across the Near East with a trade network linking Africa to Europe and Central Asia.
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Syria And Anatolia In The Early Bronze Age
As trade flowed northward from Mesopotamia, urban centers and regional identities in Syria and Anatolia grew to form societies that linked Asia to Africa and Europe.
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Sumer And Akkad In The Early Bronze Age
By 3,000 B.C.E., population growth had led to the rise of City-States and small kingdoms that were united in a network of trade stretching from the Indus to the Nile.
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The Hittites, A Film Review
During the 120 minutes of the film, the entire history and culture of the Hittites is given thoughtful and in-depth coverage.
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