Start with high-confidence ancient history books, then narrow by subgenre or adjacent topics.
The Historical Figure of Jesus
E. P. Sanders
City and Country in the Ancient World
John Rich, Andrew Wallace-Hadrill
A History of the World in 100 Objects
Neil MacGregor
The Immortality Key
Brian C. Muraresku, Michael Pollan
Indian Ancient Origins
J.K. Jackson, Roshen Dalal
The Goddess in the Gospels
Margaret Starbird
From Distant Days
Benjamin R. Foster
