AN ETHICAL VIEW OF HUMAN‐ANIMAL RELATIONS IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST. By IdanBreier. Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. Pp. xiv + 254. £89.99.

This volume joins a growing list of works that engage biblical texts concerning animal ethics. The innovative approach of Breier's study is to provide an ethical perspective on human-animal relations as portrayed in both the Hebrew Bible and its wider context by analyzing ancient Mesopotamian texts too. The first half of the book examines human-animal relations in Mesopotamian sources. After a preliminary introduction, chapters two and three deal with Sumerian proverbs and fables. Chapter Four looks at the human-animal relationship in Mesopotamian epics and myths. The fifth chapter surveys both Mesopotamian and Hebrew law codes for consideration of other animals. This segues into an assessment of animal ethics in the Hebrew Bible throughout the second half of Breier's volume. Genre is again the structuring factor as Breier looks at biblical narratives and historiography in chapter six, classical Hebrew prophecy in chapter seven, and animals in Psalms and wisdom material in chapter eight. The wide survey attempted in the volume generates several useful insights. For example, in the review of Mesopotamian literary texts, Breier notes how examples of human compassion for other animals are still partially motivated by human self-interest. He also concludes that biblical law codes are distinctive for having “humane” laws, while Mesopotamian legal traditions only govern animals when treated as property. The final ninth chapter is a conclusion that effectively summarizes the discussion throughout the volume but would benefit from wider reflective comments on the study's findings as a whole. Despite some formatting issues and grammatical inconsistencies that the publisher should have addressed, Breier's volume substantially contributes to our understanding of biblical animal ethics and how it develops from within its ancient context. It is heartening to see a book-length study that seriously tackles these issues within the wider world of the Hebrew Bible.