BeAmaZedd

I. Alulim

A. Ruled for 28,000 years.
B. Ruled over Eridu (Mesopotamia).

II. Alalgar

A. Alulim’s heir.
B. Ruled for 36,000 years.
C. A demigod like his father.

III. Climate and weather

A. 11,000 BC

• Regular rain.
• Ice caps build up.
• Oceans lowered.

B. Between 11,000 and 6,000 BC

• Warm.
• Ice caps melt.
• Oceans rose.

C. 6000 BC

• Rains only during winter.
• Too much water only once a year.
• Ground dried hard.
• People only had reeds and mud.
• Plain in the north of Britain was watered by the four rivers in Genesis:
  • Pishon
  • Gihon
  • Hiddekel
  • Euphrates

IV. Materials for shelter

A. Dried Mud
B. Reeds

V. Language

A. Sumerian language

• Words were mostly one syllable.
• Some two syllables.

VI. Semites

A. Language: Semitic

• Like Hebrew or Arabic.
• Sumerian is Semitic.

B. Origin

• From the south and west of Mesopotamian plain.

C. Contribution

• Settled with Sumerians.
• Lent them words—names of farming techniques.
• Learned these skills from Europe.
• Brought skills with them:
  • Leatherworker
  • Basketmaker
  • Carpenter

VII. Village life

A. Farming
B. More babies
C. Adults

• Left their overpopulated villages.
• They traveled elsewhere.
• Had their farming skills with them.
• Taught these skills to others.

VIII. Beginning of Civilization

A. Location

• Fertile Crescent, Eridu

B. Cause

• Life became so complicated.
• They needed a king to sort these problems out.
• To make sure that no one seizes too much food or water.
• Careful management is needed to survive.

C. Effect

• Alulim became king.

IX. Dumuzi

A. A shepherd.
B. “The Wooing of Inanna”

• Dumuzi—a shepherd, king, and had the blood of gods.
• Inanna finds Dumuzi unworthy.
• She objects to marrying Dumuzi; she wants to marry the farmer.
• The two families argued.
• Dumuzi wins by offering her fresh milk with cream.
• ‘He plowed her damp field,’ as a suggestion from her.

C. Connection with reality

• Herdsman and farmers needed each other.
• City dwellers and herdsmen scoffed and poked fun of each other.