Irrigated Land. In ancient Mesopotamia, Persia, and Egypt, a garden or park was enclosed irrigated land containing collections of cultivated plants and animals. Several early Sumerian kings were said to be gardeners. A tablet from Babylon names the vegetables and herbs in the garden of the Neo-Babylonian king Merodachbaladan II (721-710 B.C.E.). Wealthy Mesopotamians grew vines, fruit trees, and vegetables in gardens watered by pools and ponds. Ration lists included food for gardeners, who sometimes lived in cottages within the gardens they tended. Information about gardens comes from texts that list staples grown for temples or palaces. Laments for the destruction of cities bemoan the loss of material things considered essential for civilized life, including gardens as well as houses, palaces, and temples.

Royal Gardens. Palace gardens were status symbols for kings throughout the Near East. Assyrian kings...