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[[Image:Mesopotamia.jpg|right]]

[[Image:Mesopotamia.jpg|right]]

'''Mesopotamia''' (''mes-uh-puh-TAY-mee-uh'') was an ancient civilization that lasted from  3500 to 500 B.C., when it was conquered by Persia and is the name for a region in the [[Middle East]].

'''Mesopotamia''' (''mes-uh-puh-TAY-mee-uh'' from the [[Greek]], "land between the rivers") refers to that region, generally along and between the [[Tigris]] and [[Euphrates]] rivers (in modern [[Iraq]]), where [[civilisation]] first appeared some time before 3000B.C.

Civilization began in a region known as Mesopotamia, which is [[Greek]] for "land between the rivers."  The "rivers" are the [[Tigris]] and Euphrates, located in Western Asia, in fertile areas of Iraq northeast of the desert.  This region is known as part of the "Fertile Crescent" that extends along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (including modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria) and the fertile valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that run southeast into the Persian Gulf.  These rivers deposited silt in the surrounding land, creating rich alluvial soil.  Today the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are not far from the location of our soldiers in Iraq.  However, our soldiers are mostly pictured in sandy areas, while the ancient people would have stayed close to the water.  Moreover, ancient floods would have changed the landscape over time.

Located in Western Asia, in fertile areas of Iraq northeast of the desert, this region is known as part of the "Fertile Crescent" that extends along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (including modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria) and the fertile valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that run southeast into the Persian Gulf.  These rivers deposited silt in the surrounding land, creating rich alluvial soil.  Today the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are not far from the location of our soldiers in Iraq.  However, our soldiers are mostly pictured in sandy areas, while the ancient people would have stayed close to the water.  Moreover, ancient floods would have changed the landscape over time.

Genesis 2:8-17 (NAS) describes the beginning in Mesopotamia as follows: "The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. … Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. ... The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates."  Using the ages mentioned in the Bible and counting backwards, biblical scholars have dated this as about 6000 years ago, or about 4000 B.C.  This is about 500 years before our earliest record of ancient writings.

Genesis 2:8-17 (NAS) describes the beginning in Mesopotamia as follows: "The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. … Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. ... The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates."  Using the ages mentioned in the Bible and counting backwards, biblical scholars have dated this as about 6000 years ago, or about 4000 B.C.  This is about 500 years before our earliest record of ancient writings.