In the years since the first volume was published (1958) archaeology has provided a wealth of the material for understanding the peoples of the ancient Near East and their cultures. Not only have new literary texts come to light, but previously known ones have been more precisely interpreted, and scientifically controlled excavations have succeeded in supplying new documentation for art, architecture, religion and daily available some of the most important of these recently discovered source materials for the history of the ancient Near East and is a valuable addition to the original anthology.