Page 6 - Biblical Backgrounds student textbook

Government in Ancient Mesopotamia:

Despite the seeming backwardness we often seem to assume was the case in
ancient civilizations, Ur was at the forefront of technology and power when
Abraham would have known it. Voss tells us that its leader, Ur-Nammu, had
managed to take Uruk from its leader and founded what became known as the
third dynasty. Ur-Nammu conquered the regions of Sumer and Akkad as well as
regions beyond. He established various regions which were administered by
military leaders he had selected. They would rule under his authority. Voss notes
that a system of roads existed which made travel and carrying messages much
easier. As a result, in Abraham’s time, Ur seems to have been in control of trade
and commerce. The government often codified laws similar to what they do today.
Once such law code we have was carved in stone and was found by archeologists.
This stone is the famous Code of Hammurabi seen in the picture above. If you look
closely below the two figure there is ancient writing recording the laws.

Now let’s look at the religious practices and thought of Ancient Mesopotamia.

Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia:
In the time of Abraham the people of Mesopotamia, specifically in Ur, were polytheistic. This means
they worshipped many gods. We are told that Abraham’s own father had many gods he worshipped.
Joshua 24:2 confirms this “And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long
ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they
served other gods.” (ESV) According to John Walton, these gods were formed through function. If it did
not rain you would try to identify the God that needed to be appeased. If the appeasement worked, and
it rained, you added that god to your list of gods. Many in ancient Sumer had family and personal gods.
If following a personal god paid off, you kept following that God. This practice can help us understand
why when Abraham was told by God to leave and go to a place God would show him, Abraham obeyed.
In their culture this may not have been unusual.

Religious life centered around the temple. In the time of Abraham there were resting places for the
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God’s known as Ziggurats. This picture is an aerial view of the ziggurat at Ur.

It is a common misconception that the ziggurat
was a temple. According to John Walton, the

3 John Holmes. Biblical Backgrounds Course Notes.

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