THE FIRST MAJOR CITY

THE FIRST MAJOR CITY

Erech is the biblical form of Uruk, a Sumerian city on the Euphrates river in ancient Mesopotamia. Although Erech is cited only in Genesis 10:10 and  Ezra 4:9, its historical importance far exceeds its scant biblical mention. It played a major role in the development of urbanization and was one of the world’s great religious centers.

The first evidence of public architecture, cylinder seals, and the origins of writing come from Erech, and building projects included the earliest known ziggurat. Late in the fourth century B.C., the population of Uruk began to expand its culture and controlled the major trade routes and the surrounding regions economically.