top of page

Here I Stood: The Sumerian He-Goat

davidl5012

Historians are in agreement that the first known civilization in the world was Sumer in the fertile crescent (Mesopotamian) area. They did not name themselves, because at first there was no need to discriminate them from another civilization. Because there is no point of reference for the first civilization, it is unknown when it began. I have heard dates as early as 4500 BC and as late as 3000.


When they were invaded by the Akkadian tribes around 2400 BC, they were subsequently known as Sumer, an Akkadian word for dark or black, suggesting that they were of darker skin color than their invaders. They continued as a civilization until around 1900 BC when Mesopotamia was conquered by the Amorites who established the kingdom of Babylon.


The capital city of Sumer was Ur, the very city named in the book of Genesis from which Abraham came. Excavations were done at Ur by the British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley, and remains of large and imposing houses were found, suggesting that Ur was a wealthy and well-built city. This information would coincide with Abraham’s wealth, for Scripture records that he had flocks and herds, tended by his son-in-law Lot.


God called Abraham from Ur and commanded him to go to a land he would show him, and thus, the story of Israel began. Abraham’s belief in the promises of God led to his justification and the means by which God would continue to count people as righteous in His sight.



One of the finest artifacts from the Sumerians is to be found in the British Museum in London. It is a porcelain he-goat of exceptional beauty. What is interesting as we compare Sumer with subsequent civilizations is that there is a cultural decline in terms of sophistication, morality, and accomplishment. The obvious implication is that the original civilization was derived from God, and with the development of sin, there was a subsequent deterioration of civilizations. This pattern is entirely consistent with Scripture!



2 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page