The Sumerians were an ancient civilization that emerged around 4500-4000 BC in Mesopotamia, in modern day Iraq. They are considered one of the first urban civilizations and are credited with many important firsts in human history including the invention of writing, the wheel, agriculture, irrigation, laws and government, mathematics and literature. The Sumerians referred to themselves as the “black headed people” and their land was known as the “land of the civilized kings”.
The Bible does not explicitly mention the Sumerians by name. However, it provides some clues about civilizations existing in Mesopotamia during the time periods associated with the Sumerians. Genesis 10 lists some descendants of Noah’s son Ham who settled in the region of Shinar (Mesopotamia) including Nimrod who founded the cities of Babel, Erech and Accad (Genesis 10:8-10). These names are associated with important Mesopotamian cities that were part of the Sumerian civilization – Babel refers to Babylon, Erech to Uruk, and Accad possibly to Agade. The Tower of Babel account also places the founding of Babylon very early after the flood (Genesis 11:1-9).
During the time of Abraham, the Bible refers to civilized urban kingdoms existing in Mesopotamia that Abraham interacted with, particularly mentioning the kings of Shinar (Gen 14:1). The sophisticated legal code of Hammurabi, one of the most famous artifacts from the Sumerian civilization, is dated to around the time of Abraham. Sumerian art, architecture, literature and law codes paint a picture of an advanced urban society consistent with some of the scant mentions of contemporaneous Mesopotamian peoples in Genesis.
While the Bible does not record the term “Sumerians”, it does record a clear awareness of advanced civilizations in the Tigris-Euphrates area very early in human history after the flood. This is consistent with the time periods associated with Sumerian culture. The biblical Table of Nations indicating civilizations founded by descendants of Ham in Mesopotamia, Abraham’s interactions with advanced city kingdoms, and evidence of early sophistication like the Tower of Babel, all fit with known history about the Sumerian civilization emerging around 4500-4000 BC.
Some key contributions and aspects of Sumerian civilization include:
- Invention of cuneiform writing – they inscribed clay tablets with wedge shaped symbols to record information and literature.
- Invention of the wheel
- Invention of the sailboat
- Invention of the plow and agriculture – they domesticated animals and cultivated crops
- Irrigation and water management – they built canals and irrigation systems
- Bronze working
- Math and astronomy – including early geometry and calculations of pi, developed a numeric system and a 12 month calendar based on the moon
- Temples and ziggurats – they built large temple complexes with towers called ziggurats, believed to be home for their gods
- Epic literature like the Epic of Gilgamesh
- Cylinder seals and art depicting daily life and mythological narratives
- Social stratification between nobles, commoners and slaves
- Developed large city-states with kings and bureaucracies
- Code of laws – oldest known written law code was by King Ur-Nammu
- Gods and priests – polytheistic religion focused on forces of nature, with each city-state devoted to its own patron god
- Trade networks between city-states and neighboring cultures
The Sumerian civilization emerged in Mesopotamia, which was an ideal location for early civilization. The fertile lands between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers allowed large crop yields, while the rivers also provided fish and water for irrigation. This agriculture surplus allowed the population to expand and people to pursue activities other than food production. The river valley flooding was unpredictable, necessitating irrigation systems and communication between distant towns. The rivers also allowed trade between cities. Mesopotamia lacked natural defenses, necessitating walled cities for protection from raiders. All of these factors drove Sumerians to find innovative solutions in engineering, organization and administration.
Sumerian city-states included Eridu, Uruk, Ur, Lagash, Kish, Nippur, Babel and others near the Persian Gulf. They were based around temples of patron gods and rice irrigation. Nobles ruled over the city and surrounding villages and land. Sumerian rulers often waged war against each other for control of additional territory and people. Major Sumerian cities exercised dominance during different periods:
- Eridu – believed to be the first city settled around 5400 BC
- Uruk – gained prominence around 4000 BC under control of Gilgamesh, famous for architecture and epic literature
- Ur – emerged as an influential maritime trading city around 2500 BC
- Akkad – Sargon of Akkad conquered Sumerian city-states around 2350 BC forming the Akkadian Empire
- Gutians, Elamites and Amorites – Invaded Sumer periodically weakening cities from 2200-2000 BC
- Ur III – Sumerian revival around 2100-2000 BC under King Ur-Nammu who established the first law code
- Isin and Larsa – prominent cities around 2000-1800s BC until Babylon conquered the region
Sumerian civilization declined around 1750 BC as they were invaded by the Babylonians. Sumerian language died out as a spoken tongue around 2000 BC but continued to be preserved as a written classical language until around 100 AD. However, even after Sumerian cities lost political dominance, Mesopotamian culture continued to be strongly influenced by the innovations of the Sumerians for the rest of the region’s history. Their models of architecture, literature, government, technology and law were foundational and set the pattern for future civilizations in Mesopotamia.
Some key reasons why the Sumerian civilization declined include:
- Invasions – Near constant conflicts with neighboring peoples like Elamites and Amorites weakened Sumerian city-states over time, making them vulnerable to major invasion.
- Environmental factors – Increased salinity from irrigation damaged crop yields, possibly contributing to famine and unrest.
- Administrative complexity – Competition and conflicts between numerous city-states made it difficult to form a unified Sumerian identity and stable centralized government.
- The Akkadian empire – Sargon of Akkad conquered the disjointed Sumerian city-states around 2350 BC to create history’s first empire.
The legacy of Sumerian civilization was profound and lasting, even as their cities eventually lost power. Sumerians are considered the inventors of civilization – they created the blueprint for an urban society where people could pursue arts, culture, science and technology. Some of their most important legacies include:
- Written language – Cuneiform writing was their most enduring achievement. It recorded Sumerian literature, law codes, math, history and business transactions.
- Agriculture – They developed large scale irrigation and farming to support city populations.
- Technology – They pioneered fundamental tools like the wheel, sail, and plow that transformed civilization.
- Literature – They produced one of the world’s oldest known pieces of literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh.
- Laws – They established the idea of formal written law codes upheld by rulers.
- Architecture – Their large multi-level brick complexes influenced architecture for thousands of years.
- Government and bureaucracy – Their organized city-states with bureaucratic structures set the pattern for future civilizations.
In conclusion, the Sumerians were a groundbreaking civilization that emerged around 5000-4000 BC in Mesopotamia and pioneered many fundamentals of society including written language, technology, architecture, agriculture, literature and organized government. This advanced society was consistent with biblical accounts of civilizations developing very early in Mesopotamian history after the flood. The Sumerians dominated Mesopotamia until around 1750 BC when invasions weakened their city-states, but their concepts and innovations went on to influence all future civilizations in the region.