Page 3 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

Chapter 1: Ancient Mesopotamia and Abraham
(Genesis 11-12)

Connect…

Have you ever had to live by faith alone? God told you to do something or go somewhere, and you
could not figure out how obedience was logically possible. Over the centuries, God has asked people to
launch out into ministry, but they had no means of support. God told Hudson Taylor to go to China, but
he had no money or means of support. Yet he went, and thousands, if not millions, have come to Christ
directly or indirectly because he was willing to walk with God by faith.

God spoke to Abraham and asked him to leave his home and go to a place that he did not know. As we
will see in this lesson, Abraham had a comfortable and secure life in Ur. Why should he take his family
to a foreign country? In this chapter, we will focus on the world that shaped the life and actions of
Abraham. You will find that understanding this information brings the Bible to life. Let’s get started.

Objectives…

1. The student will be able to summarize the location and government of Ancient Mesopotamia.

2. The student will be able to explain some of the religious thought of Ancient Mesopotamia and how it
informs the book of Genesis and the story of Abraham.
3. The student will be able to explain the basic social and economic backgrounds of Ancient
Mesopotamia and how they shed light on the biblical story.

The Lesson ...

Ancient Mesopotamia and Abraham.

Ancient Mesopotamia is in the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The culture that arose
there is considered the birthplace of civilization. The name Mesopotamia is not the name it was
originally known by. Mesopotamia simply means “the land between the rivers.” This region is known for
having invented writing, the wheel, architecture, irrigation systems, and metalworking abilities. In what

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