ABRAHAM,

THE CITY OF UR,

AND THE
PATRIARCHAL
PERIOD
Part 1B
 OLD AKKADIAN PERIOD
• SAGON THE GREAT (CA. 2334–2279 BC) BEGAN THE OLD AKKADIAN
PERIOD IN CA. 2300 BC WHEN HE CONQUERED SUMER
• SARGON THE GREAT’S GRANDSON NARAM-SIN (CA. 2254-2218 BC)
EXPANDED EMPIRE OVER ALL OF MESOPOTAMIA
• PERIOD OF GREAT PROSPERITY AND TRADE IN ALL OF MESOPOTAMIA
• ENDED BY THE INVADING GUTI PEOPLE FROM THE ZAGROS MOUNTAINS
TO EAST IN CA. 2200 BC. CITY OF UR DROVE GUTI OUT OF THEIR LAND.
• BRIEF SUMERIAN REVIVAL CALLED THE UR III PERIOD (CA. 2180-2000 BC).
ABRAHAM PROBABLY LIVED IN UR WHEN IT BEGAN.
• UR III PERIOD ENDED WITH THE INVASION OF THE AMORITES IN CA. 2000
FROM CENTRAL SYRIA. SOME AMORITES HAD INVADED CANAAN EARLIER
IN CA. 2200-2100 BC.
• THE AMORITE PERIOD IN MESOPOTAMIA LASTED FROM CA. 2000-1595 BC
• AMORITE INVADERS CAME FROM CENTRAL SYRIA AND ADOPTED THE
AKKADIAN LANGUAGE AND MUCH OF SUMERIAN CULTURE.
 THE AMORITE PERIOD
• AMORITE PERIOD IN SUMER LASTED FROM CA. 2000-
1595 BC.
• AMORITES TOOK THE CITY OF BABYLON AND MADE IT
THEIR CAPITAL IN CA. 1900 BC.
• FAMOUS HAMMURABI (CA. 1798-1750 BC) THE LAW-
GIVER WAS AN AMORITE
• AMORITES IN MESOPOTAMIA ADOPTED SUMERIAN
CULTURE AND THE AKKADIAN LANGUAGE
• NOTE THAT THE THREE BROTHERS WHO WERE THE
ALLIES OF ABRAHAM WERE AMORITES
• AMORITES INVADED INTO CANAAN IN 2200-2100 BC AND
THEIR LANGUAGE REPLACED THE ABORIGINAL
LANGUAGE OF THE CANAANITES.
 LAW CODES IN MESOPOTAMIA
• NOTE THAT SLAVERY EXISTED AND THAT THE SOCIAL CLASS
OF VIOLATOR AND VICTIM WAS A MAJOR FEATURE IN
SUMERIAN AND BABYLONIAN LAW.
• LESS PENALTY FOR ACCIDENTAL HARMING OF A VICTIM THAN
FOR INTENTIONAL HARMING.
• THE LAW CODE OF ESHNUNNA HAD PRICE CONTROLS.
• THE PENALTY FOR RAPE IN THE LAW CODE OF ESHNUNNA
WAS DEATH
• THE PENALTY FOR A WOMAN IN THE LAW CODE OF ESHNUNNA
WHO COMMITTED ADULTERY WAS DEATH.
 THE LAW CODE OF
HAMMURABI
• MADE IN CA. 1775 BC BY HAMMURABI THE AMORITE KING
OF BABYLON.
• LAWS SUPPOSEDLY GIVEN TO HIM BY SUN GOD SHAMASH
BEFORE WHOM HE IS DEPICTED ON HAMMURABI’S STELE.
• HAMMURABI’S LAW-CODE STELE WAS FOUND IN ELAM.
• ABOUT 50% OF HAMMURABI’S CODE DEALS WITH
CONTRACT AND BUSINESS LAW
• ABOUT 30% DEALS WITH FAMILY LAW.
• ABOUT 20% DEALS WITH CRIMINAL LAW
• HAS LEX TALIONIS LAW, “EYE FOR AN EYE.”
 READING QUESTIONS
ON LAW CODES
WHAT ARE THREE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE
SUMERIAN AND BABYLONIAN LAW CODES AND
THE LAWS OF MOSES?

WHAT ARE THREE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE

SUMERIAN AND BABYLONIAN LAW CODES AND
THE LAWS OF MOSES?
 THE HISTORICAL AND
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
SUGGESTS THAT THE LAW CODES OF
ANCIENT SUMER AND BABYLONIA WERE
SUPPOSEDLY GIVEN TO KINGS BY A
GOD OR GODS. AS WILL BE SEEN,
THERE HAVE BEEN NO ANCIENT LAW
CODES FOUND IN EGYPT. THERE WAS
NO NEED FOR A LAW CODE GIVEN BY A
GOD IN EGYPT BECAUSE THE PHARAOH
WAS HIMSELF A GOD.
 END OF THE AMORITE
PERIOD IN MESOPOTAMIA
• AMORITE PERIOD ENDED IN CA. 1595 WHEN THE INDO-
EUROPEAN HITTITE KING MURSILI I (1620-1590 BC) OF
CENTRAL ASIA MINOR INVADED IN A MASSIVE MILITARY
RAID THROUGHOUT MESOPOTAMIA
• MURSILI I WAS ASSASINATED BY HIS SISTER AND
BROTHER-IN-LAW IN CA. 1590 BC WHICH LEFT
MESOPOTAMIA IN CHAOS WITHOUT A LEADER.
• THE AREA OF SUMER LEFT WEAK, AND A PEOPLE
CALLED THE KASSITES MIGRATED OUT OF THE ZAGROS
MOUNTAINS AND BASICLLY TOOK OVER BABYLONIA,
MAINLY PEACEFULLY, IN CA. 1590 BC
• NORTHERN AREA OF MESOPOTAMIA CAME TO BE
DOMINATED BY THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI WHICH IS
MENTIONED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AS NAHARAIM
 ABRAHAM,
THE CITY OF UR,
AND THE
PATRIARCHAL
PERIOD
End of Part I