The history of Iraq in Biblical perspective
by Rit Nosotro
Change Over Time essay
The land of Iraq is mentioned in the Bible second in frequency only to the land of Israel. How has Iraq changed over time?

The location of modern day Iraq contains an enormously important history. Here are some claims and comments:

1. The garden of Eden was in Iraq. -Possibly. The two identifiable rivers from Genesis are the Tigris and Euphrates. This would suggest Turkey. But, given the diverse other localities from Genesis 2, the matter remains unsolved. Also, a long tradition places the garden around Eridu- a significant city-state near the ancient coastline. The ruins of Eridu lie in southern Iraq.

2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization! Affirmative. The descendents of Noah (and possibly Noah himself) migrated from the mountains of Ararat across modern Turkey and then Southeast down the river valleys. Here Nimrod began the construction of the major cities of Assyria and Babylonia.

3. Noah built the ark in Iraq. Possibly. The only fixed location associated with Noah is where the Ark landed- the Mountains of Ararat. These are in Eastern Turkey.

4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq. Yep. Babel is the same as the ancient city of Babylon.

5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq! Correct

6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq. As I understand the text, "the city of Nahor" is actually "Nahor's city." Thus, possibilities include Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. If we assume Haran is the city in question, then it is in Turkey.

7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq. Close, but more likely in Turkey or Syria since the modern Syrian border extends to the east and encompasses ancient Haran.

8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq. Correct

9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel. Correct

10. Amos cried out in Iraq! Amos's home was Tekoa- a small town in ancient Judah.

11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem. Correct

12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq! Correct

13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the fiery furnace!) I agree.

14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq. Again, correct.

15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq. Correct

16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq. Correct. The River Chebar is believed to be a huge irrigation canal near Babylon.

17. The wise men were from Iraq. Probably, traditionally Maji who studied the old Babylonian math and astronomy would likely have been from Iraq.

18. Peter preached in Iraq. I don't know.

19. The "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon, which was a city in Iraq! Correct. And you have probably seen this one. Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq! However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The name Iraq, means country with deep roots. Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. True.

No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq.


from <http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t1w04iraq.htm> ( )
Disclaimer:
This essay was donated to hyperhistory.net and may be in the process of revision to meet course standards.
It is published for the benefit of others to evaluate and improve upon.
Please inform of inaccuracies or plagiarism.
Map
Graph
Drawing
Original Source Document
Focus on Facts
Biography


off-site advertisement
Google
 
Web www.hyperhistory.net
Comparative Essays
Biographies
Doc. Based Questions
Change Over Time

Copyright © 2000-2007 www.hyperhistory.net, all rights reserved