The essays in this collection highlight several ways in which sports and games were present within the cultic and mythological aspects of life in the ancient Near East. As importantly, they also call attention to the role that sports and games played in ancient societies. The volume transcends the disciplinary boundaries dividing the various subfields of ancient Near East studies, highlighting the areas of similarity persisting across geographic and temporal divides, with contributions from specialists in the fields of archaeology, iconography, and textual studies.

The essays in this collection highlight several ways in which sports and games were present within the cultic and mythological aspects of life in the ancient Near East. As importantly, they also call attention to the role that sports and games played in ancient societies. The volume transcends the disciplinary boundaries dividing the various subfields of ancient Near East studies, highlighting the areas of similarity persisting across geographic and temporal divides, with contributions from specialists in the fields of archaeology, iconography, and textual studies.