Puritans in Babylon

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The narrative delves into the adventurous efforts of American scholars and explorers from the 1880s to the 1920s who established the academic study of the ancient Near East, focusing on a significant archaeological dig at Nippur. Funded by the Babylonian Exploration Fund, these pioneers unearthed thousands of cuneiform tablets while facing harsh conditions and internal academic conflicts. The book also explores the evolution of American universities and the impact of religious-secular tensions on Western scholarship's engagement with other cultures.