Book Review: They Wrote on Clay: The Babylonian Tablets Speak Today

Author: Edward Chiera, Edited by George G. Cameron
Binding:  Paperback
Pages:  251
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (February 15, 1956)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0226104257
ISBN-13: 978-0226104256
List Price:  $27.00

When I was living in Florida back in 2004, I came across this book in the library at our church. I’m very much interested in ancient languages, paleography, etc., so I thought I’d give it a try. Much to my delight, it was a very enjoyable read. The reader is given a glimpse into the life work and passion of the late Edward Chiera. This is his final work and was actually completed posthumous. One of my favorite features of this book is the many pictures and illustrations throughout. The pictures and illustrations serve their purpose well by clearly communicating Chiera’s points to the reader.  Personally, the two most useful pieces of information I gleaned from this book were:

* A basic understanding of how clay tablets were made
* Insight into how a written language moves from a pictograph to a more formal written script

If you have even a moderate level of interest in cuneiform, clay tablets and language development you will enjoy this book.  This book is available from Amazon and many other retailers.