In this, the seventh volume to be published by the Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia Project, A. Kirk Grayson presents the texts of the royal inscriptions from the earlier phase of the Neo-Assyrian period, a time in which the Assyrian kings campaigned as far as the Mediterranean and came into direct contact with biblical lands. In this period the Assyrian empire embraced most of the civilized parts of western Asia including western Iran, Mesopotamia, southern Turkey, and the shores of the Levant. It was an exciting and tumultous period involving palace revolutions and harem intrigues, and it was a time in which the legendary Semiramis played a prominent role.

The inscriptions speak of the kings' building of palaces and temples in various parts of Assyria, of the gods who were invoked to bless their enterprises, of revolutions and a multitude of military conquests. Each text is accompanied by a brief introduction, a catalogue of exemplars, commentary, bibliography, transliteration, translation, and notes. The book contains an introduction to the volume as a whole and indexes. 'Scores,' published on microfiche, are located in a pocket at the back of the book.

A. Kirk Grayson is a professor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Toronto.

A. Kirk Grayson's profile page