Ancient trash and buried treasure : archaeologists at work -- Rivers and ditches, temples and farms : irrigation and the growth of towns -- Of potters and pots, plowmen and plows : technology and the first cities -- How words changed the world : the invention of writing -- A world full of gods and goddesses : religion in Mesopotamia -- The death of a Sumerian lady : queens, kings, and religion in early cities -- The first superhero : the story of Gilgamesh -- The world's first empire builder : Sargon, king of Akkad -- The care and feeding of ancient gods : priestesses and priests in Mesopotamia -- Laying down the law : Hammurabi and the first lawmakers -- Order in the court! : the justice system in Mesopotamia -- Farmers and doctors, barbers and builders : Mesopotamian workers, slave and free -- Ur-Utu's story : the Mesopotamian family -- Scribes, school, and schoolboys : education in ancient Mesopotamia -- Lovers, sisters, and cooks : scenes from a Mesopotamian palace -- The surprise ending of the Babylonian Empire : Hittite victories and Indo-European languages -- Brides and brother kings : diplomacy and the great powers -- King David and his family : the settlements and movements of the Israelites -- One God, many stories : the beliefs of the Israelites -- The lost laws of the Israelites : the Exodus and the Ten Commandments -- Assyria's fighter kings : warriors build an empire -- A bright star shines briefly : Babylon rises, Judah falls -- A mother's love and a ruler's tears : the last Mesopotamian king -- Of camels, kings, and conquerors : the Persian Empire -- Epilogue : a world not truly lost.