Gwendolyn (Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK) Leick 
The Babylonian World [PDF ebook] 

The Babylonian World presents an extensive, up-to-date and lavishly illustrated history of the ancient state Babylonia and its ”holy city”, Babylon.

Historicized by the New Testament as a centre of decadence and corruption, Babylon and its surrounding region was in fact a rich and complex civilization, responsible for the invention of the dictionary and laying the foundations of modern science.  This book explores all key aspects of the development of this ancient culture, including the ecology of the region and its famously productive agriculture, its political and economic standing, its religious practices, and the achievements of its intelligentsia.

Comprehensive and accessible, this book will be an indispensable resource for anyone studying the period.