The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Mediterranean Religions (Cambridge Companions to Religion)

This anthology is a great introduction to various geographical, cultural, historical and archaeological areas of the subject, with nine chapters on specific cultures, such as Rome, Greece, Persia, Egypt and Anatolia. Then, the final five chapters approach topical, rather than geo-cultural subjects, by focusing on subjects like the "body," as viewed through Mediterranean religions. I enjoyed the introduction, as a novice, who hasn't focused on all of these areas. If you have read or specialized on Ancient Israel but would use a starting point on Greece, for example, this is an academic and fundamental introduction.