Ancient History

History is like a tree—the ancient parts are roots, and as the story progresses the trunk rises and branches expand to encompass every person and event since Adam and Eve. Because history is unified, every element of the story is interconnected, even if that connection is distant. Furthermore, the current parts are all directly the product of the parts that have come before, and to understand the current situation you'll need to understand the past.

Understanding the ancient history roots at the bottom of the tree is essential for a proper perspective of everything that comes after. Some people take this too far and assume that ancient history is all that matters, but those who disregard it or understand it on no more than a cursory level are just as mistaken. Just as a building must have a strong foundation, so a study of history must begin in the right place.

The ancient world was different from ours, and the same. It was different in primarily physical ways: technology was less advanced, there were fewer people, and the general standard of living was far below what we enjoy (at least in the industrialized world). However, human nature never changes, and the same universal conflict that exists today—between God's children and His enemies—raged then.

It's interesting to what extent the dominant theories and philosophies of the modern world reflect those of the ancients. There is truly nothing new under the sun, and the Enlightenment rationalism, faith in human progress, belief in man's innate goodness, evolutionary idealism, and even postmodernism against which Christians fight all have their roots in the ideas of the Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians, and every other early civilization.

That doesn't mean there isn't a clear trajectory from the ancient world to the present. Ideas all run a distinct course, and some reach prominence at different times; while the seeds of every successive philosophy were sown in the ancient world, it took time to grow them into what we recognize how as humanism, modernism, postmodernism, and the ever-illusory post-postmodernism.

The same is true of events. The history of any period is simply the chronicle of man's attempts to thwart God's will and Yahweh's use of even the most outrageous rebellion to achieve His own ends. In some ways, this is more obvious in ancient history, as the nation of Israel fought the surrounding nations, and too often embraced their paganism.

That story, of God's work among His people and in the world, and of man's continual rebellion, is also our story. The Church fights the same battles our Israelite forefathers did, though on a more ideological rather than physical scale. When we realize how much the story of the ancients is our own story, the significance of studying their world becomes much clearer, and the urgency of such study is made plain.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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97 Items found Print
Active Filters: 5th grade (Ages 10-11), Hardcover, In-Stock Books & Materials
5,000-Year-Old Puzzle
by Claudia Logan, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
1st edition from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$21.99
Alexander the Great
by Robert Green
from Grolier Publishing
Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Ancient Egypt
by Karen Sullivan
First Edition from Brockhampton Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Egypt Revealed
by Ben Morgan, Peter Chrisp, Sue Davidson
1st edition from DK Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Ancient Greek Temple
by John Malam, Mark Bergin
for 3rd-7th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Rome
Discoveries Series
by Dr. Paul C. Roberts
from Barnes & Noble
for 4th-9th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Archaeology Book
by David Down
from Master Books
for 5th-8th grade
in Archaeology (Location: HISRF-ARCH)
$16.14 $8.80 (2 in stock)
Art and Civilization: Ancient Greece
Art and Civilization
by Matilde Bardi
from Peter Bedrick Books
Ancient Greek History Reference for 4th-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Art and Civilization: Ancient Rome
Art and Civilization
by Giovanni Di Pasquale & Matilde Bardi
from Peter Bedrick Books
Roman History Reference for 4th-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$7.20 (2 in stock)
Assyrian Empire's Three Attempts to Rule the World
from Baby Professor
for 3rd-5th grade
in Ancient Mesopotamia & Persia (Location: HISW-ANME)
$33.99
Before Columbus
by Charles C. Mann
from Atheneum
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$24.99 $18.00 (1 in stock)
Before Columbus
by Charles C. Mann
from Atheneum
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Book of the Ancient World
by Dorothy Mills
from Dawn Chorus
for 5th-8th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Brave Cloelia
by Jane Curry
1st edition from J. Paul Getty Museum
for 4th-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.95
Captive
by Scott O'Dell
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 5th-8th grade
Hans Christian Anderson Award
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Cities Then and Now
by Jim Antoniou
from Macmillan
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Classical Rome
by John D. Clare, ed.
from Harcourt Children's Books
for 5th-10th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Cleopatra VII
Royal Diaries
by Kristiana Gregory
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Royal Diaries (Location: SER-ROYAL)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Crafts From the Past: The Romans
by Gillian Chapman
from Heinemann Educational Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$6.00 (3 in stock)
Cultural Atlas for Young People: Africa
by Jocelyn Murray
3rd edition from Facts On File
African History Reference/Atlas for 4th-8th grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
$29.75
Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient America
by Marion Wood
1st edition from Facts On File
Ancient History Reference/Atlas for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Egypt
by Geraldine Harris
3rd edition from Facts On File
Ancient History for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$29.75 $19.20 (1 in stock)
Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Greece
by Anton Powell
3rd edition from Facts On File
Atlas/Greek History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$29.75
Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Maya & Aztec Civilizations
by Marion Wood
3rd edition from Facts On File
Ancient History Reference/Atlas for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$29.75 $14.40 (1 in stock)
Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Mesopotamia
by Erica C. D. Hunter
3rd edition from Facts On File
World History Reference/Atlas for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Rome
by Mike Corbishley
3rd edition from Facts On File
Atlas/Roman History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$29.75
Cultural Atlas for Young People: The Bible
by John Rogerson
from Facts On File
for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt
by Geraldine Harris
Revised Edition from Facts On File
Ancient History for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Cultural Atlas of Ancient Greece
by Anton Powell
Revised Edition from Facts On File
Atlas/Greek History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Cultural Atlas of Ancient Rome
by Mike Corbishley
Revised Edition from Facts On File
Atlas/Roman History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Doubleday Book For Young Readers
Greek Mythology for 4th-9th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$25.49
DK Eye Wonder: Pyramid
by Caroline Bingham
from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Ancient China
DK Eyewitness Series
by Arthur Cotterell
from DK Publishing
Chinese History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in China (Location: HISMC-CHI)
$14.44 $8.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Ancient Greece
DK Eyewitness Series
from DK Publishing
Greek History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Ancient Rome
DK Eyewitness Series
by Simon James
from DK Publishing
Roman History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Ancient Rome
DK Eyewitness Series
by Simon James
from DK Publishing
Roman History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$9.99
DK Eyewitness: Aztec, Inca & Maya
by Elizabeth Baquedano
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Aztec, Inca & Maya
by Elizabeth Baquedano
from DK Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Bible Lands
DK Eyewitness Series
by Jonathan Tubb
1st edition from DK Publishing
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Bible Geography and Surveys (Location: XBI-GEO)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
DK Revealed: Ancient Rome
by Peter Chrisp
1st edition from DK Children
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Don't Know Much About Mummies
by Kenneth C. Davis, illustrated by S. D. Schindler
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Egypt in Spectacular Cross-Section
by Stewart Ross
for 2nd-5th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Egyptian Mummies - Pop-Up Book
by Milbry Polk, Roger Stewart
1st edition from Dutton Children's Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Emperors and Gladiators
All in a Day's Work
by Anita Ganeri
from Peter Bedrick Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Exploits of Xenophon
by Geoffrey Household
from Purple House Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$24.99
Fall of the Roman Empire
Opposing Viewpoints Digests
by Don Nardo
from Greenhaven Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
First Civilizations
History of Everyday Things
by Giovanni Caselli
from Peter Bedrick Books
for 4th-7th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Flood of Noah
by Bodie Hodge, Laura Welch
from Master Books
for 5th-10th grade
in Worldview & Apologetics for Kids (Location: BIBWV-APK)
$15.99
Focus on Ancient Egyptians
by Anita Ganeri
from Shooting Star Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Galen: My Life in Imperial Rome
by Marissa Moss
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Greeks
by Roy Burrell, Peter Connolly (illustrator)
from Oxford University
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Hands-On History Romans
by Fiona Macdonald
from QEB Publishing
for 2nd-5th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
History Detectives: The Romans
History Detectives
by Philip Ardagh
from Peter Bedrick Books
Roman History Reference for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
How to Be an Aztec Warrior
by Fiona MacDonald
from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
I, Tut
by Miriam Schlein, illustrated by Erik Hilgerdt
from Four Winds Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt
by Geraldine Harris & Delia Pemberton
from Peter Bedrick Books
for 5th-7th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
In Search of Troy
by Giovanni Caselli
from Peter Bedrick Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Incredible Journey to the Mummy's Tomb
by Nicholas Harris, illustrated by Nicki Palin
from McGraw-Hill
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Indiana Jones Explores Ancient Egypt
by John Malam
from Arcade Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Irenaeus of Lyons
Heroes of the Faith
by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson
from Banner of Truth Trust
for 3rd-6th grade
in Church History for Kids (Location: XCH-KID)
$11.90
Librarian Who Measured the Earth
by Kathryn Lasky
from Little, Brown & Company
Biography for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.99 $9.60 (2 in stock)
Life in Ancient Rome
by William Crouch
from Crescent Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Living Tomb
by Jacqueline Morley, Nick Hewetson
for 3rd-7th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Look Around a Roman Amphitheater
from Arcturus
for 3rd-5th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Lost Queen of Egypt
by Lucile Morrison, illustrated by Franz Geritz
from Purple House Press
Historical Fiction for 3rd-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$23.80
Maya
by Jerome Martin
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Mummies, Masks, & Mourners
by Margaret Berrill
from Dutton Juvenile
for 4th-7th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs
by Gail Gibbons
from Little, Brown & Company
for 2nd-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Mummies, Tombs, and Treasure
by Lila Perl
from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$7.50 (2 in stock)
Out of the Mouth of the Lion
Emma Leslie Church History Series
by Emma Leslie
from Salem Ridge Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
People in Costume: The Romans
by Jennifer Ruby
from B.T. Batsford Ltd.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes
by Rick Riordan
from Disney-Hyperion
for 4th-8th grade
$11.04
Persephone
by Sally Clayton, Illustrated by Virginia Lee
from Eerdmans
for 1st-5th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.00
Pharaoh's Boat
by David L. Weitzman
from Purple House Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.70
Pharaoh's Boat
by David L. Weitzman
from Purple House Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$14.44
Pharaohs and Foot Soldiers
by Kristin Butcher, illustrated by Martha Newbigging
from Annick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Pyramid
by David Macaulay
First Edition from Houghton Mifflin
for 5th-10th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$9.50 (2 in stock)
Pyramids
by Anne Millard
from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Pyramids!
by Avery Hart & Paul Mantell
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$6.50 (2 in stock)
Roman Diary
by Richard Platt
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$7.99
Roman Fort
by Mark Bergin, Stephen Johnson
from Brighter Child
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Roman People
by Olivia Coolidge, illustrated by Lino Lipinski
from Hillside Education
for 5th-8th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$16.95
Signs, Letters, Words
by W. John Hackwell
from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 4th-8th grade
in Archaeology (Location: HISRF-ARCH)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Step Into Ancient Egypt
by Philip Steele
from Anness Publishing Limited
for 3rd-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Rome
Usborne Young Reading
by Rosie Dickins, illustrated by Teri Gower
from Usborne
for 3rd-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Tales Mummies Tell
by Patricia Lauber
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 5th-8th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Throw Stone
by E.B. Sayles and Mary Ellen Stevens, illustrated by Barton Wright
from Reilly & Lee Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Discovery: Mummies and Pyramids
from Usborne
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Time Traveler
by Tony Allen
from Usborne
Ancient/Middle Ages History Reference for 3rd-8th grade
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
$22.99 $14.00 (3 in stock)
Well of Sacrifice
by Chris Eboch
1st edition from Clarion Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
What Do We Know About the Egyptians?
by Joanna Defrates
from Peter Bedrick Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
What Do We Know About the Greeks?
by Anne Pearson
1st American ed from Peter Bedrick Books
for 1st-5th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$6.00 (3 in stock)
What Do We Know About the Romans?
What Do We Know About...?
by Mike Corbishley
from Peter Bedrick Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$6.00 (3 in stock)
World in the Time of Alexander the Great
by Fiona MacDonald
from Dillon Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Wrapped for Eternity
by Mildred Mastin Pace
from McGraw-Hill
for 4th-8th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
X-Ray Picture Book of Big Buildings of the Ancient World
by Joanne Jessop, illustrated by David Salariya
from Viking Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$11.20 (1 in stock)
Young People's Story of the Ancient World (No. 2)
by Virgil M. Hillyer & E. G. Huey
from Meredith Press
for 4th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)