Love between man and woman has been a theme in poems in nearly every culture of all times. This book by Brigitte Musche concentrates on the theme of love in the poetry of the Ancient Near East. Citing amply from the textual evidence from different periods, the author points out convincingly that there was a development in the ancient attitudes towards love, slowly developing in the course of time as a result of psychological evolution. Many illustrations of contemporary works of art have been included in this volume, and show a parallel evolution. It becomes clear that many questions about love between man and woman in the Ancient Near East still bear the same relevance as today. At the hand of this everlasting theme Brigitte Musche shows that the people of the Ancient Near East are still very close to us. The topic is always treated in new ways, the theme and the underlying psychology remain very recognizable.