Abstract
This book is a pedagogical tool intended to increase reading fluency for second or third semester Akkadian students by way of annotated readings. It is
equally an introduction to Akkadian prayers and hymns from ancient Mesopotamia: selected classes, their vocabulary and phraseology, and to some extent
their ritual uses. Finally, the introductory material in this book exposes readers
to theoretical and critical perspectives that will be useful in the study of other
ancient religious texts. More advanced students of Akkadian may therefore find
something profitable here as well.