Originally the first in a series of five lectures delivered at Harvard University, this extract is an early attempt to tackle a formidable subject: the religion of ancient Iraq, or Mesopotamia. Rogers begins this exploration with a summary of the rediscovery of the religions of Babylonia and Assyria. Step by step he rehearses the rediscovery and recovery of ancient Babylon and Nineveh. The reader is virtually swept along through the discovery and deciphering of the Akkadian language that unlocked ancient Mesopotamian for modern scholars. Engaging and informative, Rogers’ narrative is accessible to the specialist and general reader alike. All subsequent explorations of this subject owe a debt of gratitude to his pioneering study.

Robert William Rogers (1864-1930) earned his Ph.D. at Leipzig University. His teaching career included appointments at Drew Theological Seminary in New Jersey, and Princeton University, where he taught Ancient Oriental Literature. His best know publication is his two-volume A History of Babylonia and Assyria.