This is far less a history of animals a la science than a history of animals in the humanities: representations of animals in art and literature, and use of animals in religious and domestic practice. Representers and users included here are Hittites, Anatolians, Mesopotamians, Persians, Egyptians, Syro-Palestinians and peoples of the Levant. With two recounted versions of The Flood Noah saves two of each animal vs. saving seven pairs of the clean and two pairs of the unclean Collins (Middle Eastern Studies, Emory U.) illustrates the ancient ambivalence of the Near East: animals at the same time revered, controlled, and destroyed. Before specific studies of animals in say, Hittite literature or Mesopotamian religion, a 75-page overview of nature in the ancient Near East conveys Near Eastern climate, geography, topography, flora, and fauna. The overview is accompanied by an extensive table of animals arranged by taxonomic family that provides Latin and common names and range of habitation for each animal. An appendix features an extensive bibliography of Near Eastern zoology. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)