Are you intrigued by the ancient Middle Eastern traditions about the Giants? Then this book is for you. Giants are often portrayed in popular culture as monstrous beings, somewhat like the Giant Orcs or Uruk-hai in J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. But what does ancient history really tells us about the Giants? Dragon Seed tells the story of the formation and development of the western tradition about Giants from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to its appearance in Canaanite, Greek, biblical and Jewish traditions. What sets Dragon Seed apart from other similar works is that it is the first study of its kind to focus solely on the early tradition and not on later sources written by authors far removed from those early days. With his concise and to the point style, ancient Middle Eastern scholar and author of several seminal books and articles, Willem McLoud, guides the reader on an epic journey through history. In these pages you will discover: · A continuous tradition about the Giants that spread from Sumer and Akkad to Canaan, the eastern Mediterranean Region and even Europe. · The early conveyors of this tradition were the Hurrians, an ancient Mesopotamian people who were identified with the dragon-motif and the dragon seed. · The prehistory of the biblical tradition about the Giants in Canaan placed in a broader context with new insights as to their origins. · A newly introduced Hurrian-Pelasgian Hypothesis posits that some Hurrians later on migrated to the Greek world where they became known as the Pelasgians. · New interpretations of historical events and peoples based on fresh insights especially derived from different versions of the dragon-slayer myth, contributing significantly to our knowledge of the ancient world. This book presents a significant breakthrough in the understanding of the Giants of biblical and apocalyptic Jewish tradition.