Publisher's Synopsis
The volume contains twelve papers read at a symposium organized to honour Dr. Maurits van Coon on the occasion of his statutory retirement as Professor of Western Asiatic Archaeology at the University of Amsterdam. The subject of Natural Phenomena has, until now, not been dealt with in a comprehensive fashion for the Ancient Near East. The authors approach phenomena such as the moon, the sun, the rainbow, storms, rivers and Nature itself from various points of view: philological, archaeological, art-historical, religious and philosophical.;The book presents important new interpretations of Mesopotamian and Hittite Cosmogony, next to new readings of pertinent texts and signs; new explanations of long-known artistic monuments as well as new iconographical material are also found. These essays by prominent scholars will stimulate not only their colleagues and students, but also a wide scala of laymen interested in all aspects of ancient culture.
