Ancient Ur

A volunteer crew was put together to transport the chaplain and his guests to Tallil, located in southern Iraq, for a tour of the ancient Sumerian city of Ur. The City Of Ur was originally inhabited around 3000 BC, which is near the beginning of recorded history. According to one estimate, Ur was the largest city in the world (estimated population 65,000) from 2030 to 1980 BC. Ur is mentioned in the Bible (Book Of Genesis) as the birthplace of the patriarch Abraham.

Abraham is a key figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islamic religions. Jews and Christians consider him father of the people of Israel through his son Isaac. Muslims regard him as the father of the Arabs through his son Ishmael. In Christian belief, Abraham is a model of faith, and his intention to obey God by offering up Isaac is seen as a foreshadowing of God's offering of his son, Jesus. In Islam, Abraham obeyed God by offering up Ishmael and is considered to be one of the most important prophets sent by God in the Koran…how ironic that conflicts from today can be traced back to biblical times.

The City of Ur is marked by the ruins of the Ziggurat, which was constructed in the 21st century BC and is still largely intact after 4,000 years. The ziggurat in Ur, is a temple of Nanna, the moon deity in Sumerian mythology. The whole area is an active archealogical site--much of the ruins are still yet uncovered and pottery shards cover the ground—to move freely through this site was a unique opportunity.