• Neolithic Age
• Chalcolithic (copper, stone) -
  4500-3300 BC
• Early Bronze Age (bronze) -
  3300-2000 BC
• Middle Bronze Age -
  (Abraham to Moses)
  2000-1550 BC
  

< Obverse

Cuneiform text on side of tablet. Could be for reference to the document while setting on a shelf like the title of a book on the spine of the book. >

< Flood Table or Gilgamesh Table (Britism Museum)

The Gilgamesh Epic of the king of Uruk from around 2800 BC were written down around 2100 BC. The plaque to the right shows Gilgamesh standing in victory on the slain head of Humbaba which is recorded in the fifth tablet (OIM). >

< Clay tablet the the account of Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Netherworld recorded in cuneiform around 1750-1740 BC. The translation would read:

"The waves at the prow of the boat were devouring
the king (Gilgamesh) like a pack of wolves.
The waves at the stern of the boat were attacking
Enki (Enkidu) like lions."
(OIM)

(Click on all photos to open a larger image.)

2200 BC-900 AD

< Oil Lamps from the time of the Bible

"Let them summon Aruru, the great one,
she it was created numerous mankind.
Let her create his equal, to be one mighty in strength,
let him vie with him and so let Uruk be rested!"

"This fellow - how similar to Gilgamesh he is in build,
he is tall in stature, majestic in battlement.
For sure he was born in the hills,
his strength is mighty as a lump of rock from the sky."

"Gilgamesh heard the word of his companion.
He took up his axe in his hand,
he drew forth the dirk from his belt.
Gilgamesh smote him in the neck,
his friend Enkidu gave encouragement.
Humbaba the guardian he smote to the ground,
He slew the ogre, the forest's guardian." >

< Mesopotamian Temple Statue of a male worshipper was placed in the temple before the god Sin (or, Nanna) the moon god to continually represent the worshipper. This is from the time period of Abraham's forefathers 2900-2300 BC and was excavated in 1933-34 at Khafajah, Iraq. (OIM, Chicago)

Mesopotamian Temple Statue of a female worshipper was placed in the temple before the god Sin (or, Nanna) the moon god to continually represent this woman worshipper. This is from the time period of Abraham's forefathers 2600-2300 BC and was excavated in 1933-34 at Khafajah, Iraq. (OIM, Chicago) >

More personal statues left in Mesopotamian temples by worshippers of the gods in
2900-2300 BC below:

< Cuneiform script is written left to rightusing a reed stylus to first divide the clay tablet into lines and then to form the letters or cuneiform signs. This clay tablet is from the time of Abraham and is dated to 2046 BC in Iraq. The text is a recording about sheep, lambs and one goat. (OIM, Chicago)

An example of cuneiform script being engraved into stone by a scribe skilled at stonecutting. This is piece of stone contains a dedication inscription which was placed in the foundation of a building around 2094-2047 BC. (OIM, Chicago) >

< From 2004-1595 BC a clay cylinder with multiplication tables arranged in 13 columns forming a table of reciprocals followed by 37 multiplication tables. There is a hole running through the center of this cylinder so that it could be placed on a column to be rotated like a globe on the scribe's desk.

A tablet preserves a list of concise and abstract mathematical problems. >
Each section has the definition of a principal expression,the result of its interation and the secondary expression.

One of the sections can be translated with our modern notation:

P = 1/7 x 1/11 x {2,29 + [ length = width + 2 x(length - width) ] }

< Hammurabi Code Fragment from a stele dedicated by a high official of Hammurabi's named Itur-Ashdum to the goddess Ashratum. This is only a fragment of one of the stele, but the goddess's hand can still be seen extending from the right side of this broken stele. This is from 1760-1750 BC. (British Museum)

King Hammurabi (1792-1750) is the carved figure standing to the left of the cuneiform inscription. Hammurabi is facing the goddess Ashratum who is seated and giving Hammurabi the law or this legal code. Hammurabi is receiving the law/code and worshipping the goddess.

Hammurabi Code on a stele (OIM)
dated to 1754 BC

Neferhotep I reigned in Egypt 1747-1736 BC. This is a quartzite statue found in Osiris Temple in Abydos, Egypt. Neferhotep is shown wearing the royal dress which included a striped fabric head cover (nemes) which was striped blue and gold. The deity protecting the Pharaoh is the cobra (uraeus) which decorates the forehead and spit fire at Pharaoh's enemies. This is the time right after Joseph's death and may be the pharaoh mentioned in Exodus 1:8 that no longer remembered Joseph and oppression of the Hebrews followed.

Amenemhat III was Pharaoh (1860-1814 BC) while Joseph was still alive in Egypt. Amenemhat III reign was the golden age of the 12th Dynasty in the Middle Kingdom. His father was Sesostris III.

Photos were taken by Galyn Wiemers of
Generation Word Bible Teaching Ministry
of images on location in Israel or
on display in a public library or
from Galyn's personal collection.

All images may be downloaded, published, uploaded or freely used for further study and Bible teaching.

For Bible teaching audio, video, notes and
study tools visit Generation Word's
home page at www.generationword.com