The Ancient Near East refers to early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East. The ancient Near East is considered the cradle of civilization. 3450 BCE in the Ancient Near East the world's first cities appear along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers just north of what is now the Persian Gulf.
Collectively, these cities make up the Uruk culture, named after the principal city, Uruk, which is the Biblical Erech. This culture invents writing and the lunar calendar, uses metals extensively, develops a practice of medicine, and builds monumental architecture. Even so, no unified government links these cities, and they remain independent for almost one thousand years.
From the Near East comes the Old Babylonian account of the life and death of GILGAMESH. There was a real Gilgamesh, a king who ruled some 2700 years before Christ lived and the Romans consolidated their vast empire.
The character and the exploits of this king were preserved in the form of stories that circulated for many years after the king's death. Some of these tales, more than 600 years after Gilgamesh's rule, were collected by a story teller and were put down in the form of an epic poem. This poem is what we know today as The Epic of Gilgamesh. This area is now known in modern times as the Middle East.
Free Bible Map of Ancient Near East Map in Old Testament
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