Myths of Babylonia and Assyria

Myths of Babylonia and Assyria is a book by Donald A. Mackenzie, first published in 1915. It collects and retells the principal myths, legends and religious traditions of ancient Mesopotamia — creation and deluge stories, the cults of Ishtar and Tammuz, the epic of Gilgamesh and the adventures of heroes such as Etana — framed within a historical narrative that follows the region from the early Sumerian age through the later Babylonian and Assyrian periods.

Written in the early twentieth century, Mackenzie’s work aims to make complex cuneiform traditions accessible to general readers: he synthesises translations, comparative notes and a running historical context so the myths sit alongside brief explanations of customs, law and astronomy. The book helped popularise Mesopotamian mythology for anglophone audiences and has been used as a readable introduction in comparative religion and folklore collections, though modern scholarship has of course advanced since its publication.