9781422281123

F ATHER OF T HREE F AITHS

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This building, called a ziggurat, is located in Ur, once the most important city in Mesopotamia. Ziggurats were tem- ples where the ancient Sumerians worshiped their gods; some scholars believe the ziggurat of Ur was dedicated to the moon god. This ziggurat was built around 2100 BCE and therefore may have been seen by Abraham, who is believed to have spent the early years of his life in Ur.

woman in these scriptural traditions, communicated with God. Modern scientists have different ideas about how the earliest religious thought may have developed among prehistoric humans during the Stone Age, a period that stretches back as far as 2 million years. Although it is impossible to know for certain how Stone Age humans lived and what they believed, there are generally accepted theories of behavior. Agriculture had not yet been developed, so humans had to hunt animals or gather wild fruits or grains. Humans spent all of their time trying to survive, so there was no time to develop the elements of civilization, such as written lan- guage or technology more advanced than simple tools made from stone or wood. Because people were constantly on the move, look- ing for new food sources or following wild animals, there were no cities or permanent settlements.