A comprehensive multi-volume survey presents the natural setting of the Nile and Egyptian society, the pantheon and ritual practice, and the legendary and dynastic narratives that shaped political life. It then shifts to Mesopotamian worlds, describing temple architecture, mythic cycles, administrative institutions, and the material culture of Chaldaea, Babylonia, and Assyria. Chronologies, lists of rulers, maps, and illustrations accompany discussions of archaeology, art, and texts, and appendices collate pharaonic and Mesopotamian sequences to help readers follow developments across regions and periods.