Page 7 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

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daughters were not. In school, students would copy lessons from their teachers. 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, an administrator, a priest, a scribe, or what we today call government employees.

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.

Commerce in Ancient Mesopotamia:

Howard Vos explains that commerce had many different
aspects. The Sumerians were engaged in growing plants
and animals for food, making bricks for personal and
industrial profit, growing and importing trees to be used
for decoration in dwellings and temples, and
metalworking, among other things. Metals such as gold
came from outside Sumer. These metals were used to
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make tools, weapons, crowns, statues of deities, jewelry,
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and other items. Other common metals included silver
and copper. Pottery was also important in the commerce
of the time. Like many cultures, today, the state and the
religion were often involved in orchestrating commerce.
The Sumerian rulers are known to have created factories
for the development of goods. Both the government and the temples owned land and used it to
produce commercially functional items such as those listed above. Individuals owned land as well but
did not produce on the level of the industrial operations.
Abram may have lived in this
area of town but perhaps
did worship this false god
when the Lord spoke
directly to him. However,
Abram was from the godly
line of Seth through Shem
and, contrary to his culture,
may have worshipped the
Lord. We really don’t know.

The common district was
filled with marketplaces,
schools, and libraries, and many of the people were very wealthy. People had very elaborate homes
with lush gardens and many conveniences for the day.

10 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 17.
11 Penn Museum. About Cuneiform Writing. https://www.penn.museum/games/cuneiform.shtml
12 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 20-22.
13 Public Domain Image. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/322903.

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