The Routledge Handbook of Emotions in the Ancient Near East

The Routledge Handbook of Emotions in the Ancient Near East is a comprehensive exploration of emotions in the ancient Near East, covering Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the kingdom of Ugarit from the Late Uruk to the Neo-Babylonian Period. It examines how emotions were conceived, experienced, and expressed by the people of the region, with particular attention to social status, gender, the body, and material contexts. The handbook is divided into two parts, addressing theoretical and methodological issues and exploring specific emotions such as happiness, fear, sadness, anger, and love. It is an invaluable resource for Near Eastern studies and adjacent fields.

Format: Hardback
Length: 784 pages
Publication date: 08 September 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive examination of emotions in the ancient Near East sheds light on the intricate and multifaceted worlds of feelings that permeated the literary and material remnants of this remarkable region, which served as the cradle of numerous ancient cities and empires. Spanning from the Late Uruk Period to the Neo-Babylonian Period (circa 3300–539 BCE), thirty-four chapters authored by esteemed international scholars, including philologists, art historians, and archaeologists, delve into the ways in which emotions were conceived, experienced, and expressed by the inhabitants of the ancient Near East, with a particular focus on Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the kingdom of Ugarit. The volume is organized into two parts: the first part addresses theoretical and methodological considerations through thematic analyses, while the second part encompasses corpus-based approaches to specific emotions.

Part I explores the interplay between emotions and history, defining key terms such as emotions, materialization, and material remains, examining the roles of kings and the state, and engaging with the deities. Part II delves into a range of emotions, including happiness and joy, fear, terror, and awe, sadness, grief, and depression, contempt, disgust, and shame, anger and hate, envy and jealousy, love, affection, and admiration, and pity, empathy, and compassion. Numerous sub-themes woven throughout the volume examine the expression and suppression of emotions in relation to social status, gender, the body, and specific social and spatial conditions or material contexts.

The Routledge Handbook of Emotions in the Ancient Near East stands as an indispensable and accessible resource for scholars and students engaged in Near Eastern studies, as well as those interested in Classical, Biblical, and medieval studies. It offers a profound exploration of the emotional landscape of the ancient Near East, providing valuable insights into the complex tapestry of human experiences that unfolded within this remarkable region.

Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367407513