Ancient Mesopotamia was a rich, varied and highly complex culture whose achievements included the invention of writing and the development of sophisticated urban society. This book offers an introductory guide to the beliefs and customs of the ancient Mesopotamians, as revealed in their art and their writings between about 3000 B.C. and the advent of the Christian era. Gods, goddesses, demons, monsters, magic, myths, religious symbolism, ritual, and the spiritual world are all discussed in alphabetical entries ranging from short accounts to extended essays. Names are given in both their Sumerian and Akkadian forms, and all entries are fully cross-referenced. A useful introduction provides historical and geographical background and describes the sources of our knowledge about the religion, mythology and magic of ''the cradle of civilisation''.

古代美索不达米亚是一种丰富、多样和高度复杂的文化，其成就包括文字的发明和复杂的城市社会的发展。本书为古代美索不达米亚人的信仰和习俗提供了一个入门指南，这些信仰和习俗是在公元前3000年左右到基督教时代到来之前的艺术和著作中所揭示的。神、女神、恶魔、怪物、魔法、神话、宗教象征主义、仪式和精神世界都在按字母顺序排列的条目中得到了讨论，从简短的叙述到长篇大论。名称以苏美尔语和阿卡德语的形式给出，所有条目都有完整的交叉参考。一个有用的介绍提供了历史和地理背景，并描述了我们关于 "文明摇篮 "的宗教、神话和魔法的知识来源。