Ancestor of the West: Writing, Reasoning and Religion in Mesopotamia, Elam and Greece - Hardcover

In this work, historians explore the emergence of rationality and writing in the ancient world: how it developed and how it is similar to our own tradition. It locates the origins of today's civilization in the articulation of writing and religious belief among interconnected ancient cultures. Jean Bottero focuses on writing and religion in ancient Mesopotamia, Clarisse Herrenschmidt considers a broader history of ancient writing, and Jean-Pierre Vernant examines classical Greek civilization in the context of Near Eastern history.

Jean Bottero is director emeritus of L'Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris. He is the author of many books, several of which have been translated and published by the University of Chicago Press, including "Mesopotamia: Writing, Reasoning, and the Gods.""