Page 6 - Biblical Backgrounds

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ziggurat makes the layout plainer. It is important to note that, based on all that is currently known
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regarding the Tower of Babel, it is almost certain that it was a ziggurat.

Religious thought in the time varies. One of the gods’ names was Nanna, god of the moon. Nanna was
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the god the Sumerians looked to for fertility and prosperity. This was an official god that was
worshipped by the religious structure and the government. There were gods that the state worshipped,
and there were gods that individuals worshipped in addition to the state gods. Abraham likely
worshipped many gods as well before Yahweh became his only God. Yahweh likely became the personal
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God of Abraham when he was in Haran. Yahweh told Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, “Now the LORD said
to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show
you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you
will be a blessing. will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all
the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Abraham viewed Yahweh as his personal God who would
bring him blessing. As a result, Abraham followed Yahweh without knowing where he was being led. The
difference was that Yahweh would not allow His followers to worship other gods. We know throughout
the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, that the children of Abraham struggled to
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comply with this expectation from Yahweh.

Much more could be said, but let’s move on to the social and commercial backgrounds of ancient
Mesopotamia.

Social order in Ancient Mesopotamia:
In the time of Abraham, families lived together in communities. Abraham traveled with his father, Terah.
He is also seen as having his nephew Lot working with him until the two decided to part ways. Marriage
was important in these societies as well. As was true in many ancient societies, marriage was more often
a contract between families than it was an issue of desire between the man and
woman. We see Abraham use marriage in this way. The goal of marriage was to
have sons to carry on the lineage. Sons were educated, daughters were not. In
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school, students would copy lessons from their teacher. Many of these copied
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lessons have been found in various archaeological dig sites. These students
would grow up to work in a trade, as a merchant, as an administrator, a priest, a
scribe, or what we today call a government employee.

This example of a student’s cuneiform tablet is from the city of Nippur during the Hammurabi Dynasty.
Abraham was likely an educated man for the time. Most believe he could at least read and write. Vos
speculates that because of his background and ability to move his entire family and all his herds, he was
likely a wealthy man as well.

5 John Holmes. Biblical Backgrounds Course Notes.
6 John H. Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament, 80.
7 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 10.
8 John H. Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament, 112-113.
9 Ibid., 72.
10 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 17.
11 Penn Museum. About Cuneiform Writing. https://www.penn.museum/games/cuneiform.shtml

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