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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

IntroIndex©

SUMER*, SUMERIANS*

Sumer was a region settled before 3500 BC in the lower part of Mesopotamia, now called Iraq. The Sumerians had a highly civilized society, developing cuneiform (a type of writing), medicine, mathematics, and astronomy. Thousands of clay tablets discovered in this region reveal their cultural, religious, and political endeavors. The Sumerian culture was absorbed by Semitic invaders who moved into Mesopotamia and slowly took over. By 2000 BC they had lost their political powers. Nevertheless, their culture formed the basis for the great Babylonian and Assyrian civilizations that developed there later.

See also Mesopotamia.