Robert W. Rogers (1864–1930), American professor of biblical exegesis, became fascinated by the Hebrew language as a boy, when trying to understand the Book of Job, and subsequently studied ancient languages and history in Leipzig and Oxford, where he became a friend of A. H. Sayce. In this two-volume 1901 work, he provides a history of the Mesopotamian civilisations, but begins with an extensive review of the archaeological and literary sources of information, opening with the earliest accounts of Western travellers. Volume 2 deals with the history of Assyria, from its beginnings through to its expansion (which included the conquest of Babylon), leading to a great empire, its relations with the tribes of Israel, and its decline. The final section covers the Chaldean empire. The work, with its detailed review of and reliance on original sources, is still valuable as an introduction to a long period of ancient Middle Eastern history.
