Mesopotamian Thread

The Mesopotamian thread encompasses the civilizations of the Tigris-Euphrates river valley: Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria. This is the “cradle of civilization” where writing, law codes, and urban society first emerged.

Significance to Abrahamic History

Mesopotamia is deeply intertwined with biblical narrative:

• Origins: Abraham came from Ur of the Chaldeans, a Sumerian city. The Tower of Babel tradition locates human dispersal in this region.

• Cultural Parallels: The Code of Hammurabi predates Mosaic Law and shares structural similarities. Mesopotamian flood narratives (Gilgamesh, Atrahasis) parallel the story of Noah.

• Empire and Exile: The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel (722 BCE). The Babylonian Empire destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, initiating the Exile (586 BCE).

Key Events in This Thread

From Hammurabi’s law code to Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Jerusalem, Mesopotamian history repeatedly intersects with and shapes the Abrahamic narrative.