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Do not think there was anything primitive about these ancient cities.  They had shipping, fishing, brewers and bakers.  They spun wool and traded fine jewelry.  They discovered the Pythagorean Theorem, though it was later named after a Greek.  In 2500 B.C., the queen of Ur, which was a prominent city, lived in a palace that featured harps and many servants.  Slavery existed, but it was typically confined to domestic work in the cities rather than hard labor on the farm.  Slaves were given a minimum standard of living and often had the opportunity to rise to freedom through diligent work.

Do not think there was anything primitive about these ancient cities.  They had shipping, fishing, brewers and bakers.  They spun wool and traded fine jewelry.  They discovered the Pythagorean Theorem, though it was later named after a Greek.  In 2500 B.C., the queen of Ur, which was a prominent city, lived in a palace that featured harps and many servants.  Slavery existed, but it was typically confined to domestic work in the cities rather than hard labor on the farm.  Slaves were given a minimum standard of living and often had the opportunity to rise to freedom through diligent work.

Temples were everywhere.  But the people also built stepped mountains known as ziggurats, with a temple on top, and the Bible tells how they tried to build one higher and higher.  A massive ziggurat at Ur that is described in Genesis 11:1-9 as the Tower of Babel led to hundreds of different languages (a division which eventually lead to different ethnic groups) in the world.  As we shall learn in this course, language is a central part of a society that has much to do with its success or failure.  Societies with useful and powerful languages prospered; those with difficult-to-use and weak languages failed.

Temples were everywhere.  But the people also built stepped mountains known as ziggurats, with a temple on top, and the Bible tells how they tried to build one higher and higher.  A massive ziggurat at Ur that is described in Genesis 11:1-9 as the Tower of Babel led to hundreds of different languages (a division which may have also led to different ethnic groups) in the world.  As we shall learn in this course, language is a central part of a society that has much to do with its success or failure.  Societies with useful and powerful languages prospered; those with difficult-to-use and weak languages failed.

Genesis Chapter 10 places the roots of modern mankind in Noah and his three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.   The term "Semitic" means "pertaining to the descendants of Shem," and includes Assyrians, Chaldeans, Aramaeans, Sabaeans, and Hebrews (now known as Jews).  Semitic languages include Hebrew and Arabic.  Semitic religions include Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  One of Noah's descendants was Abram, who later changed his name to Abraham to reflect his covenant with God.

Genesis Chapter 10 places the roots of modern mankind in Noah and his three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. The term "Semitic" means "pertaining to the descendants of Shem," and includes Assyrians, Chaldeans, Aramaeans, Sabaeans, and Hebrews (now known as Jews).  Semitic languages include Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic.  Semitic religions include Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  One of Noah's descendants was Abram, who later changed his name to Abraham to reflect his covenant with God.

Both the Bible and many independent sources describe a Great Flood (or "Deluge"), which historians date at about 3300 or 3000 B.C.  Very little of any history, including writings and civilization, has survived from before that time.  The biblical account of the Flood is at Genesis 5-8, describing an ark having reasonable dimensions similar to modern ocean steamships.  A non-biblical Sumerian (from Sumer in Mesopotamia) account of the Flood was found in the last hundred years, and that account was apparently written about 1600 B.C.  Even better, a cuneiform tablet from Babylon was found dating from 3000 B.C., which also described a massive flood in great detail.  There are many other ancient accounts of a massive flood found in most other cultures around the world.  Fossils and limestone (the result of ocean sediment) are found today on mountaintops and land worldwide at all altitudes.  Independent accounts of a great flood can be found in ancient works of China, India, Britain (Druid) and American Indians, all having striking similar details.<ref>See, e.g., http://www.searchgodsword.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T2631</ref>  Recently two scientists at Columbia University published a widely praised book that proved that the Flood did occur, entitled "Noah's Flood," which concludes that the biblical Flood "is surely a true story of the permanent destruction of a land and its people ...."<ref>Ryan & Pitman, "Noah's Flood," (Simon & Schuster, NY: 1998), p. 251.</ref>  Yet no public school textbook ever mentions a massive flood.

Both the Bible and many independent sources describe a Great Flood (or "Deluge"), which historians date at about 3300 or 3000 B.C.  Very little of any history, including writings and civilization, has survived from before that time.  The biblical account of the Flood is at Genesis 5-8, describing an ark having reasonable dimensions similar to modern ocean steamships.  A non-biblical Sumerian (from Sumer in Mesopotamia) account of the Flood was found in the last hundred years, and that account was apparently written about 1600 B.C.  Even better, a cuneiform tablet from Babylon was found dating from 3000 B.C., which also described a massive flood in great detail.  There are many other ancient accounts of a massive flood found in most other cultures around the world.  Fossils and limestone (the result of ocean sediment) are found today on mountaintops and land worldwide at all altitudes.  Independent accounts of a great flood can be found in ancient works of China, India, Britain (Druid) and American Indians, all having striking similar details.<ref>See, e.g., http://www.searchgodsword.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T2631</ref>  Recently two scientists at Columbia University published a widely praised book, entitled "Noah's Flood," which proved that the Flood did occur.  This book concludes that the biblical Flood "is surely a true story of the permanent destruction of a land and its people ...."<ref>Ryan & Pitman, "Noah's Flood," (Simon & Schuster, NY: 1998), p. 251.</ref>  Yet no public school textbook ever mentions a massive flood.

The conflict between the Hebrew (Jewish) and Arab peoples in the Middle East and throughout the world is described by some as a family feud.  They are descended from the same father, Abraham, as described in Genesis 16.  But Jewish and Arab peoples trace their lineage from different sons of Abraham who were rivals for their father's love.  The Bible states that Jewish people are descendants of Isaac, the child of Abraham and Sarah.  The Koran (the main holy book of Islam) states that Arabs are descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham (then Abram) and the Egyptian woman Hagar.  The Old Testament teaches that Abraham offered to sacrifice Isaac to the Lord, while Islam teaches that Abraham's sacrifice was of Ishmael.  Islam teaches that Ishmael helped Abraham build a mosque in Mecca (the venerated Kaaba).  Regardless, Ishmael went a different way from the rest of Abraham's family, and there have been hard feelings by Ishmael's descendants ever since.  The Bible's version came first, preceding the Koran by over a thousand years.

Civilization prospered in Sumeria, and wars soon broke out.  The northwest (Akkad) was constantly fighting the southeast (Sumer), and eventually an Akkadian warrior named Sargon conquered Mesopotamia.  Sargon was the first person in recorded history to create an empire or multi-ethnic state, from 2334 to 2279 B.C.  His empire included the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and also part of what is Turkey today.  The capital of his empire was Agade in Akkad.  But like many military rulers, his empire collapsed when he died.  He did not have a civil (non-military) form of government to pay his soldiers and sustain his empire.  Instead, he could only survive as long his soldiers continued to capture and loot.  Once the empire stopped expanding upon his death, it collapsed.  At the time, the city of Ur in Sumer was the leading city.

Civilization quickly prospered in Sumeria, the northwest (Akkad) was constantly fighting the southeast (Sumer), and eventually an Akkadian warrior named Sargon conquered Mesopotamia.  Sargon was the first person in recorded history to create an empire or multi-ethnic state, from 2334 to 2279 B.C.  His empire included the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and also part of what is Turkey today.  The capital of his empire was Agade in Akkad.  But like many military rulers, his empire collapsed when he died.  He did not have a civil (non-military) form of government to pay his soldiers and sustain his empire.  Instead, he could only survive as long his soldiers continued to capture and loot.  Once the empire stopped expanding upon his death, it collapsed.  After Sargon's death, the city of Ur in Sumer was the leading city.

The Sumerians established many of the things that define civilization today: buildings, engineering, legal codes, written language and a military.  The Sumerians also had literature:  in 2000 B.C., they wrote "The Epic of Gilgamesh," considered to be oldest fictional story ever written.  The Epic of Gilgamesh was based on a real person who ruled a city-state in Sumer.  He struggles with religious issues in the form of multiple gods, and the story seems to draw on some of the wisdom of the Bible.  This non-biblical source also describes a great flood.

 

In sum, the Sumerians established many of the things that define civilization today: buildings, engineering, legal codes, written language and a military.  The Sumerians also had literature:  in 2000 B.C., they wrote "The Epic of Gilgamesh," considered to be oldest fictional story ever written, although some say the Book of Job is also that old, and the Book of Genesis may be based on earlier versions that are just as old.  The Epic of Gilgamesh was based on a real person who ruled a city-state in Sumer.  He struggles with religious issues in the form of multiple gods, and the story seems to draw on some of the wisdom of the Bible.  This non-biblical source also describes a great flood.

Each civilization or culture had its inventions.  We can thank Mesopotamia (probably Ur) for inventing the wheel in about 3500 B.C., which is the single greatest invention of all time.  It is used for much more than transportation.  The wheel is essential to manufacturing and even pre-digital watches.  No Native American civilization had the wheel until the Europeans brought it to them.

Each civilization or culture had its inventions.  We can thank Mesopotamia (probably Ur) for inventing the wheel in about 3500 B.C., which is the single greatest invention of all time.  It is used for much more than transportation.  The wheel is essential to manufacturing and even pre-digital watches.  No Native American civilization had the wheel until the Europeans brought it to them.