This volume centres on one of the most important questions in the study of antiquity - the interaction between Greece and the Ancient Near East, from the Mycenaean to the Hellenistic periods. Focusing on the stories that the peoples of the eastern Mediterranean told about the gods and their relationships with humankind, the individual treatments draw together specialists from both fields, creating for the first time a truly interdisciplinary synthesis. Old cases are re-examined, new examples discussed, and the whole range of scholarly opinions, past and present, are analysed, critiqued, and contextualised. While direct textual comparisons still have something to show us, the methodologies advanced here turn their attention to deeper structures and wider dynamics of interaction and influence that respect the cultural autonomy and integrity of all the ancient participants.

Many scholars today believe that early Greek literature, as represented by the great poems of Homer and Hesiod, was to some extent inspired by texts from the neighbouring civilizations of the ancient Near East, especially Mesopotamia. It is true that, in the case of religious poetry, early Greek poets sang about their gods in ways that resemble those of Sumerian or Akkadian hymns from Mesopotamia, but does this mean that the latter influenced the former, and if so, how? This volume is the first to attempt an answer to these questions by undertaking a detailed study of the ancient texts in their original languages, from Sumerian poetry in the 20th century BC to Greek sources from the times of Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, and Aeschylus. The Gods Rich in Praise presents the core groups of sources from the ancient Near East, describing the main features of style and content of Sumerian and Akkadian religious poetry, and showing how certain compositions were translated and adapted beyond Mesopotamia. It proceeds by comparing selected elements of form and content: hymnic openings, negative predication, the birth of Aphrodite in the Theogony of Hesiod, and the origins and development of a phrase in Hittite prayers and the Iliad of Homer. The volume concludes that, in terms of form and style, early Greek religious poetry was probably not indebted to ancient Near Eastern models, but also argues that such influence may nevertheless be perceived in certain closely defined instances, particularly where supplementary evidence from other ancient sources is available, and where the extant sources permit a reconstruction of the process of translation and adaptation.

Ice-cold CIA spy Lance "Preacher" Priest is back. This time the world thinks he is dead. A dead Lance Priest is even scarier than a live one. He is a ghost, a phantom. He is THE PERFECT ANGEL. Lance believes that Marta, a lethal former KGB operative, and the only light in his dark life, has been killed. Without Marta anchoring him to reality, Preacher becomes a haunted creature of the night who only comes out to kill, to destroy. He is free to wreak his unique brand of havoc on a top-secret list of traitors who crossed the line. But that is not his ultimate mission. Only CIA legend Geoffrey Seibel knows the truth. Lance is a pawn in an international chess game. There is a mole in Seibel's ultra-secret CIA operations. And it can only be one of his three most trusted agents. Someone must die. THE PERFECT ANGEL is the third book in the Lance Priest series. It is the follow-up to THE PERFECT CANDIDATE and THE PERFECT WEAPON.

To stop a terrorist bomber, you must become one. Preacher is back Lance Priest is unique. In his 24 years, he simply accepted that he was different, detached and deadly. He was recruited by the CIA three years ago to use his unusual talents and do things others can not or will not. Lance is a gifted liar, a human chameleon, an accomplished killer with the ironic nickname Preacher. He is THE PERFECT WEAPON to battle the nation's deadliest enemies. Love was never on his radar. Then he met Marta, a rogue KGB agent with death in her DNA. He realized in the moments after meeting and shooting her that people can change. Another life is possible. But love will have to wait. A cruel world has other plans. Geoffrey Seibel, Lance's boss and mentor, gives him an impossible assignment - track, stop and kill a mysterious terrorist bomber with only one name and one goal... to destroy America. Preacher will need his arsenal of deadly skills and Marta's lethal help to succeed, and to survive. THE PERFECT WEAPON is an action-packed adventure with an unruly cast of villains, terrorists, CIA and KGB spooks and heroes who don't follow any rules. The ferocious action accelerates at every turn from the U.S. to Europe, Russia, the Philippines and back again for final showdown between two killers. Enter the unique mind of Lance Priest, where the world is never what it seems and a song is always playing. You'll have to wipe your feet, it's messy in there. THE PERFECT WEAPON is the second book in the Lance Priest/Preacher series. It is the follow-up to THE PERFECT CANDIDATE published in 2011. Reviews of THE PERFECT CANDIDATE (the first book in the Lance Priest series): The lead character in The Perfect Candidate - Lance Priest - is fascinating, compelling and often difficult to like. Priest's training, skills and assignments have revealed his unique combination of assets and liabilities and the story of his development and performance is utterly riveting. The Perfect Candidate is a thrilling read that never allows the reader to catch his breath. This is the first of hopefully many great "Preacher" adventures and I am highly anticipating the next book in the series -Kelja10 Like a great rollercoaster ride, "The Perfect Candidate" thrills with unexpected twists and turns. Christopher Metcalf's Lance Priest is a complex, intriguing, yet enigmatic hero. I'm looking forward to learning more about him in the next book. -Cathy Mr Metcalf has a new biggest fan in Louisiana. This book is the perfect blend of fast action, intrigue and detail. I average about 30 novels a year, not a prolific reader but enough to know great when I read it. I can't wait to read the next book and that is my litmus test. With this quality of work Chris Metcalf will soon be as well known as Lee Childs and Vince Flynn. -Scott Brown Move over Jason Bourne....Lance Priest has become the next super spy. The Perfect Candidate is an original turnpager with twists and turns when you least expect them. -MarkM What a thriller Can't wait to find out more about this Lance Priest - stealth, savvy, amazing, maybe a bit quirky - oh what a spy A real privilege to be introduced and fully hooked at the beginning of what is sure to be an awesome series from a truly talented author. -Nancy L Graham

The first in a series of volumes publishing the Sumerian literary texts in the Schoyen Collection, this book makes available, for the first time, editions of seventeen cuneiform tablets, dating to ca. 2000 BCE and containing works of Sumerian religious poetry. Edited, translated, and annotated by Christopher Metcalf, these poems shed light on the interaction between cult, scholarship, and scribal culture in Mesopotamia in the early second millennium BCE. The present volume contains fourteen songs composed in praise of the various gods of the Mesopotamian pantheon; it is believed that these songs were typically performed in temple cults. Among them are a song in praise of Sud, goddess of the ancient Mesopotamian city Shuruppak; a song describing the statue of the protective goddess Lamma-saga in the "Sacred City" temple complex at Girsu; and a previously unknown hymn dedicated to the creator god Enki. Each text is provided in transliteration and translation and accompanied by hand-copies and images of the tablets themselves. Expertly contextualizing each song in Babylonian religious and literary history, this thoroughly competent editio princeps will prove a valuable tool for scholars interested in the literary and religious traditions of ancient Mesopotamia.