Leeming provides a comprehensive study of the mythologies of the eastern Mediterranean world - the Middle East, the Near East, the Levant, and the Fertile Crescent.

Esteemed scholar Leeming, who has authored more than 12 books on mythology, here offers the first comprehensive narrative study of the mythology of the Middle East, that tumultuous region that was the cradle of civilization.

In this accessible survey of Middle Eastern mythology, Leeming chooses not to dwell on competing ideologies and predicaments of the troubled region and instead demonstrates that spiritual truth and religion, like mythology, make for metaphorical rather than factual history.... This book offers an accessible treatment of a dense and complex topic that will be equally useful to nonspecialists and scholars seeking a quick and informed understanding of Middle Eastern mythology. Highly recommended for any public or academic library.