The first transportation wheel, the first writing, the first law codes, and the first empires-the innovative ancient Iraqis transformed our world! The "Cradle of Civilization" brought us the sixty-second minute, the sixty-minute hour, and the twelve-hour day and night. Their brilliant sages predicted solar and lunar eclipses and developed quadratic equations. Ancient Iraq was undeniably a powerhouse of creativity and stunning achievements. Come explore how the Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Persian, and Greek empires surged to the top, only to crash and burn. This engaging book will guide you through an incredible journey from the earliest civilizations to the fall of the Sassanian Empire in 651 CE. This book will unpack the following questions and more! What was the world's oldest city? How similar was Hammurabi's Law Code to the Law of Moses? How many times was the god Marduk stolen from Babylon? What massive coalition crushed Assyria once and for all? How do today's historians and astronomers use the ancient Chaldean eclipse records? What three Iranian dynasties ruled Iraq, beginning with Cyrus the Great? What were Alexander the Great's plans for Babylon? How did the Antonine Plague interrupt Rome's invasion of Iraq? What Sassanid emperor called on China for help against the Muslim Arabs?