Our Oriental Heritage

The first volume of Will Durant's Pulitzer Prize–winning series, Our Oriental Heritage: The Story of Civilization, Volume I chronicles the early history of Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia. In this masterful work, readers will encounter:

• Sumeria, birthplace of the first cities and written laws

• the Egyptians, who perfected monumental architecture, medicine, and mummification more than 3,500 years ago

• the Babylonians, who developed astronomy and physics, and planted the seeds of Western mythology

• the Judeans, who preserved their culture forever in the immortal books of the Old Testament

• the Persians, who ruled the largest empire in recorded history before Rome

• Indian philosophy, Chinese philosophers, and Japanese samurais