# Babylonian history and culture



## Sparkie (Nov 20, 2011)

OK, this is for my fellow history buffs (if there are any who check these threads):

Does anyone have any knowledge they would like to share regarding ancient mesopotamian civilizations, particularly the Babylonians?  There's one particular historical event I have in mind, but any input at all is welcome.  I'll be doing research for quite awhile, and ideas for leads can really help.  History, religion, culture, geography, opinion, anything could prove useful.


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## Elder the Dwarf (Nov 20, 2011)

Well, for religion, the Babylonians thought of their kings as gods on earth.


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## Ravana (Nov 21, 2011)

Uhm… kinda broad. 

City-states; dynasties and empires following one another with great regularity (and almost never fully uniting the region); rivalry with other empires to the southwest (Egypt) and northwest (several: the Hittites were the most important); constant incursions from most other directions (primarily Indo-European tribes from the north and east, Semitic ones from the south); eventually got overrun by Persia and incorporated into that empire. Narrow sea outlet, but with trade that reached at least as far as India (or more likely, _from_ that far: don't recall that they were long on naval power). Intensive irrigation farming. Writing. The first recorded legal code–one that formed the basis of all modern Western ones. 

That's what comes to mind off the top of my head.


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## Hans (Nov 21, 2011)

I've read some books about the Sumerians, but that was some time ago and I don't have these books at hand here. But what do you want to know?

Some things from the top of my mind:

Babylon is a little bit later than Sumer, but still based on that culture. The old Sumer language was the "Latin" of that time. Already dead but still the language of scholars. I've seen a map labeled in two languages: Akkadian for the mundane areas, Sumerian for cultural, religious and military centers.
Babylon followed the sumerian tradition of having a city deity. Everything good or bad that happens to this city is projected on that god. For example, if a city conquers an other, the god was stronger.
Mundane and religious was not clearly divided. The people of that time felt the presence of their God in everything.
Temple property was often owned by the god, not the temple. This is a difference.
Slavery was common. The price for a slave roughly equaled a bit more than one year work of a peon. Many become slaves because they could not repay debts.
From the law texts it was clearly visible, that the kings had more than theoretical knowledge about agriculture. It might not have been uncommon, that higher nobility worked the fields themselves.
War campaigns usually were over in autumn. That is harvest time. Survival was more important than expansion.
Also debts could not be collected short before harvest time. The creditor had to wait until after that. That was a early form of  protection of debtors.

For anything else just ask.


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