Sumeria - Babylon
Sumeria - Babylon
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Description - The 'plain of the land of Shinar' is the territory which after 2000 BC became called Babylon. The Greeks named the region Mesopotamia (The land between two rivers), most of which lay in the modern state of Iraq.The Sumerian civilisation is believed to have come into existence in the 'second half of the fourth millenium'. (1) (Genesis. Ch.11) - 'And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the East, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there'.The early dynastic period of Sumer covers the part of the third millennium from 2,800 to 2,400 BC, and ends with the conquest of Sumer by a Semitic king of the north, Sargon I of Akkad. (1) Writing - The Sumerian writing known as cuneiform is often (mistakenly), cited as the oldest writing in the world. It was achieved by pressing a 'stylus' made of reed or wood into soft clay tablets. The first signs were pictographic, later improved upon by the Babylonians, who created a syllabic script.The first written documents, from around 3,500 BC, are receipts and lists of items . (1)
Other Sumerian 'Firsts' The Sumerians are known to have used the wheel on vehicles before 3,000 BC. (1) The first glass was Sumerian. (1) The oldest columns (brick), in the world are Sumerian. (1) References - 1). Glyn Daniel. The First Civilisations. 1968. Pelican books
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