He was intrigued by
linguistical problems, and also interested in the history of the
Middle East and its connection with culture and intellectual life. He excelled in studies of
cuneiform literature, ancient
Arabic poetry, old Turkic inscriptions and Egyptian
pyramid texts.[1]
Among his better written efforts were a history of
Babylonia and
Assyria, Geschichte Babyloniens und Assyriens (1885) and a highly regarded work on the geography and history of the ancient Near East, titled: Grundriss der Geographie und Geschichte des Alten Orients (1904). Other significant writings by Hommel include:
Die äthiopische Übersetzung des Physiologus (1877) – Ethiopian translation of the
Physiologus
Die Namen der Säugetiere bei den südsemitischen Völkern (1879).