Publisher's Summary 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 ©2013 Will Durant (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.