The Great Ziggurat of Ur

This is the Ziggurat of Ur, built in the 21st century by King Ur-Nammu.  The call of Abram occured in 2091 B.C., so it is likely that this would have been newly built about the time Abram lived in Ur.  Ur was the dominant city in Mesopotamia at the time.   The ruling Third dynasty of Ur had achieved a high degree of prosperity and civilization arising out of the ashes of the collapse of the Akkadian empire.

The Ziggurat was dedicated to the moon god Nanna.  It is estimated it would have been 100 feet high or as high as a 10 story building.  The remains are still impressive today and certainly back then it would have been one of the greatest works of humanity.

A ziggurat was designed to reach heaven and provide a temple for god to dwell.  It is also likely that it provided practical security such as protection from flooding and an easily defensible structure to provide protection from invading armies.  Ziggurats would have been a source of prestige in the community and kings who built the largest ziggurats would have been respected.

It is likely that the tower of Babel was an early ziggurat.  Later ziggurats, such as the great ziggurat of Ur certainly shared with the builders of Babel a desire to reach heaven and to make a name for themselves.  Ziggurats were a physical representation of the desire of humanity for security and significance.

Abram would have grown up in the shadow of this work.  His family all had names that pointed to worship of the moon.  It is from this world that God draws out Abram promising Abram real security and significance.