Nesilim 1500–1200: Sanskrit Rig Veda 1550: Egyptian Instruction of Any 1500: Akkadian Poor Man of Nippur 1500: Hittite military oath 1500–1200: Ugaritic Legend of Keret 1500–1300: Ugaritic Baal Cycle 1550: Egyptian Book of the Dead 1500: Akkadian Dynasty of Dunnum 1400: Akkadian Marriage of Nergal and Ereshkigal 1400: Akkadian Autobiography of Kurigalzu 1400: Akkadian Amarna letters 1350: Ugaritic Tale of Aqhat 1330: Egyptian Great Hymn to the Aten 1300: Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope 1240: Egyptian Papyrus of Ani, Book of the Dead 1200–900: Akkadian version and younger stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh 1200: Akkadian Tukulti-Ninurta Epic 1200: Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers Iron Age Iron Age texts predating Classical Antiquity: 12th to 8th centuries BC 1200–800: BC approximate date of the Vedic Sanskrit Yajurveda Atharvaveda Samaveda 1050: BC Egyptian Story of Wenamun 1050: BC Akkadian Sakikkū (SA.GIG) "Diagnostic Omens" by Esagil-kin-apli. 1050: BC The Babylonian Theodicy of Šaggil-kīnam-ubbib. 1000: BC Chinese Classic of Poetry (Shījīng) 1000: BC Akkadian Dialogue of Pessimism 900: BC Akkadian Epic of Erra 900: BC Vedic Sanskrit Aranyaka Classical Antiquity 9th century BC Classic of Changes (I Ching) 8th century BC Greek Trojan War cycle, including the Iliad and the Odyssey 800–500 BC: Vedic Sanskrit Brahmanas Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Isha Upanishad Chandogya Upanishad Aitareya Upanishad Taittiriya Upanishad 7th century BC Vedic Sanskrit Shulba Sutra (containing geometry related to fire-altar construction) Manava Sulbasutra Baudhayana sutra Shatapatha Brahmana – Commentary on the Vedas Nirukta (technical treatise on etymology, lexical category and the semantics of Sanskrit words) Kausitaka Upanishad Greek: Hesiod: The Theogony and Works and Days Archilochus Alcman Semonides of Amorgos Solon Mimnermus Stesichorus Paleo-Hebrew alphabet Ketef Hinnom amulets, the oldest found Biblical text (amulets with the Priestly Blessing, which are recorded in the Book of Numbers) Classic of Documents (Shūjīng) (authentic portions) 6th century BC Persian: Cyrus Cylinder Sanskrit: Sushruta: Sushruta Samhita (Book on Surgery and Medicine) Kapila: Samkhya-sutra, Kapilanyayabhasa, Kapila Gita, Dṛṣṭantara Yoga Kanada: Vaiśeṣika Sūtra (Book on Atomism) Kashyapa Samhhita (Book on Medicine) Pratishakhyas Greek: Sappho Ibycus Alcaeus of Mytilene Aesop's Fables 5th century BC Sanskrit: Pāṇini:Aṣṭādhyāyī Kenopanishad Apastamba: Apastamba Dharmasutra, Apastambha Smriti Avestan: Yasht Chinese: Spring and Autumn Annals (Chūnqiū) (722–481 BC, chronicles of the state of Lu) Confucius: Analects (Lúnyǔ) Classic of Rites (Lǐjì) Commentaries of Zuo (Zuǒzhuàn) Mozi: Mozi (book) (Mòzǐ) Sun Tzu: The Art of War (Sūnzǐ Bīngfǎ) Greek: Pindar: Odes Herodotus: The Histories of Herodotus Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian