Changes

==Sumer==

==Sumer==

[[Image:Letter Luenna Louvre AO4238.jpg|200px|right|thumb|A cuneiform letter from a Sumerian queen to her king, dating from the third millenium BC.]]

[[Image:Letter Luenna Louvre AO4238.jpg|200px|right|thumb|A cuneiform letter from a Sumerian queen to her king, dating from the third millenium BC.]]

In the "[[fertile crescent]]," which is modern-day [[Iraq]], the [[Sumerian]] and [[Babylonian]] civilizations developed a writing system known as [[cuneiform]].  Cuneiform appears to have developed as a tallying system developed for commercial trade.  As the economy of the region diversified, it became necessary to keep track of transactions, as well as to write contracts and legal codes.   

The earliest language was that developed in the "[[fertile crescent]]," which is modern-day [[Iraq]].  The [[Sumerian]] and [[Babylonian]] civilizations which lived there developed a writing system known as [[cuneiform]].  Cuneiform appears to have developed as a tallying system developed for commercial trade.  As the economy of the region diversified, it became necessary to keep track of transactions, as well as to write contracts and legal codes.   

As the tallying system used by the early Sumerians became more complex, the cuneiform symbols began to represent individual sounds, which came from the first sound of the word they once represented.

As the tallying system used by the early Sumerians became more complex, the cuneiform symbols began to represent individual sounds, which came from the first sound of the word they once represented.

One of the earliest complete documents we have is the Sumerian King List, which listed the kings of ancient Sumer.  This list provides extra-biblical evidence of an ancient flood which covered the entire Earth.

One of the earliest complete documents we have is the Sumerian King List, which listed the kings of ancient Sumer.  This list provides extra-biblical evidence of an ancient flood which covered the entire Earth.

Unlike many writing systems of the ancient world, the clay tablets that cuneiform tended to be written on can survive for thousands of years.  We have a personal letter from a queen to a king dating from the third millenium BC.  See picture.

Unlike many writing systems of the ancient world, the clay tablets that cuneiform tended to be written on can survive for thousands of years.  We have a personal letter from a queen to a king dating from the third millenium BC.  Some dating techniques place this letter at 2400 BC, over 150 years before the Tower of Babel, when Sumerian was the only language in the world.  See picture.

In the 7th century BC, the [[Epic of Gilgamesh]] was written with cuneiform, one of the earliest works of [[literature]].

In the 7th century BC, the [[Epic of Gilgamesh]] was written with cuneiform, one of the earliest works of [[literature]].