Jump to: Hitchcock's • Smith's • ATS • ISBE • Easton's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia Geographical and Historical Context: Mesopotamia, often referred to as the "Cradle of Civilization," is a historical region located in the eastern Mediterranean, bounded by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This area corresponds to present-day Iraq, parts of Iran, Syria, and Turkey. The name "Mesopotamia" is derived from the Greek words "mesos" (middle) and "potamos" (river), meaning "land between the rivers." It is renowned for being one of the earliest centers of human civilization, where writing, agriculture, and urbanization first emerged. Biblical Significance: Mesopotamia holds significant importance in the biblical narrative. It is often associated with the early chapters of Genesis and the origins of humanity. The region is traditionally identified with the location of the Garden of Eden, as described in Genesis 2:10-14, where a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden and divided into four headwaters, including the Tigris and Euphrates. Patriarchal Connections: The patriarch Abraham, a central figure in the Bible, hailed from Ur of the Chaldeans, a city located in southern Mesopotamia (Genesis 11:31). God called Abraham to leave his homeland and journey to the land of Canaan, marking the beginning of the covenant relationship between God and the people of Israel. This call is recorded in Genesis 12:1-3, where the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you." Cultural and Religious Influence: Mesopotamia was a melting pot of cultures and religions, influencing the surrounding regions, including the biblical lands. The Mesopotamian civilization contributed significantly to the development of writing, law, and governance, which had indirect impacts on the biblical world. The Code of Hammurabi, for instance, is one of the earliest known sets of laws and reflects the legal traditions that would later influence Israelite law. Exile and Prophecy: The Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires, both centered in Mesopotamia, played pivotal roles in the history of Israel and Judah. The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, leading to the dispersion of the ten tribes. Later, the Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, captured Jerusalem in 586 BC, resulting in the Babylonian Exile of the Judeans. This period of exile is a significant theme in the prophetic books, where prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel ministered to the exiled community, offering hope and calling for repentance. New Testament References: In the New Testament, Mesopotamia is mentioned in the context of the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:9 lists "Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia" among those present in Jerusalem who heard the apostles speaking in their own languages, signifying the widespread reach of the early Christian message. Conclusion: Mesopotamia's rich history and its interactions with the biblical narrative underscore its importance as a backdrop for many significant events in Scripture. Its influence is seen in the lives of the patriarchs, the legal and cultural developments of the ancient Near East, and the prophetic messages that shaped the faith and identity of the Israelite people. Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary MesopotamiaSmith's Bible Dictionary Mesopotamia(between the rivers), the entire country between the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. This is a tract nearly 700 miles long and from 20 to 250 miles broad, extending in a southeasterly direction from Telek to Kurnah . The Arabian geographers term it "the Island," a name which is almost literally correct, since a few miles only intervene between the source of the Tigris and the Euphrates at Telek . But the region which bears the name of Mesopotamia, par excellence , both in Scripture and in the classical writers, is the northwestern portion of this tract, or the country between the great bend of the Euphrates, lat. 35 degrees to 37 degrees 30, and the upper Tigris. We first hear of Mesopotamia in Scripture as the country where Nahor and his family settled after quitting Ur of the Chaldees. (Genesis 24:10) Here lived Bethuel and Laban; and hither Abraham sent his servants to fetch Isaac a wife. Ibid. ver. 38. Hither too, a century later, came Jacob on the same errand; and hence he returned with his two wives after an absence of twenty-one years. After this we have no mention of Mesopotamia till the close of the wanderings int he wilderness. (23:4) About half a century later we find, for the first and last time, Mesopotamia the seat of a powerful monarchy. (Judges 3:1) ... Finally, the children of Ammon, having provoked a war with David, "sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria-maachah, and out of Zobah." (1 Chronicles 19:6) According to the Assyrian inscriptions Mesopotamia was inhabited in the early times of the empire, B.C. 1200-1100, by a vast number of petty tribes, each under its own prince, and all quite independent of one another. The Assyrian monarchs contended with these chiefs at great advantage, and by the time of Jehu, B.C. 880, had fully established their dominion over them. On the destruction of the Assyrian empire, Mesopotamia seems to have been divided between the Medes and the Babylonians. The conquests of Cyrus brought it wholly under the Persian yoke; and thus it continued to the time of Alexander. Since 1516 it has formed a part of the Turkish empire. It is full of ruins and mounds of ancient cities, some of which are now throwing much light on the Scripture. ATS Bible Dictionary MesopotamiaBetween the rivers, the Greek name of the country between the Euphrates and the Tigris, called in Arabic, Al Jezira, the island. See ARAM 2, and PADAN-ARAM. In its fullest sense, Mesopotamia extended from the Persian Gulf to mount Taurus; but the name usually denotes only the tract above Babylonia, now called Dearbekr and celebrated for its exuberant fertility; while the part below, now Irak-Arabi, is sterile and without water. Mesopotamia was including the territories of the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Macedonian, and Roman empires successively, and belongs now to that of the Turks. This region is associated with the earliest history of the human race both before and after the flood. Eden was not far off; Ararat was near to it on the north, and the land of Shinar on the south. The traveler here reaches what is truly "the Old World," and is surrounded by objects compared with which the antiquities of Greece and Rome are modern novelties. This was the home of the patriarchs who proceeded Abraham-Terah, Heber, Peleg, etc. Here Abraham and Sarah were born, and the wives of Isaac, and Jacob, and most of the sons of Jacob, the heads of the twelve tribes. Mesopotamia is also mentioned in Scripture as the abode of the first oppressor of Israel in the time of the judges, Jud 3:8-10; in the history of the wars of David, 2 Samuel 10:16; and as furnishing a delegation of Jews, and perhaps proselytes, to attend the Passover at Jerusalem, Acts 2:9. Easton's Bible Dictionary The country between the two rivers (Hebrews Aram-naharaim; i.e., "Syria of the two rivers"), the name given by the Greeks and Romans to the region between the Euphrates and the Tigris (Genesis 24:10; Deuteronomy 23:4; Judges 3:8, 10). In the Old Testament it is mentioned also under the name "Padan-aram;" i.e., the plain of Aram, or Syria (Genesis 25:20). The northern portion of this fertile plateau was the original home of the ancestors of the Hebrews (Genesis 11; Acts 7:2). From this region Isaac obtained his wife Rebecca (Genesis 24:10, 15), and here also Jacob sojourned (28:2-7) and obtained his wives, and here most of his sons were born (35:26; 46:15). The petty, independent tribes of this region, each under its own prince, were warlike, and used chariots in battle. They maintained their independence till after the time of David, when they fell under the dominion of Assyria, and were absorbed into the empire (2 Kings 19:13). International Standard Bible Encyclopedia MESOPOTAMIAmes-o-ta'-mi-a. Greek 3318. Mesopotamia -- Mesopotamia, a region through which the ... ... 3317, 3318. Mesopotamia. 3319 . Mesopotamia, a region through which the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flow. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3318.htm - 6k 5488. Charran -- Haran, a city in northwest Mesopotamia 897. Babulon -- "gate of god(s)," Babylon, a large city situated ... Strong's Hebrew 2012. Hena -- a city in Aram (Syria) or Mesopotamia... 2011, 2012. Hena. 2013 . a city in Aram (Syria) or Mesopotamia. Transliteration: Hena Phonetic Spelling: (hay-nah') Short Definition: Hena. ... /hebrew/2012.htm - 6k 2024. Hara -- a region of N. Mesopotamia 8515. Telassar -- a city in Mesopotamia 2771a. Charan -- "crossroads," a city in N. Mesopotamia 1470. Gozan -- a city and area in Mesopotamia 2771. Charan -- "crossroads," a city in N. Mesopotamia 763. Aram Naharayim -- "Aram of (the) two rivers," a district of ... 758. Aram -- Syria and its inhab., also the names of a son of Shem ... 3529. Kebar -- a river of Bab. 5729. Eden -- a territory conquered by Assyr. Library Add??us Preached at Edessa and in Mesopotamia How Throughout Palestine and Mesopotamia a Daily Service is ... Of Jacob's Mission to Mesopotamia to Get a Wife, and of the vision ... Concerning Jacob's Flight into Mesopotamia, by Reason of the Fear ... Why, in the Account of Terah's Emigration, on his Forsaking the ... And Jacob, when He Went into Mesopotamia, Saw Him in a Dream... Propagation of Christianity among the Persians by Maruthas Bishop ... Of the Fall and Deception of a Monk of Mesopotamia. Of the Time of the Migration of Abraham, When, According to the ... Psalm LX. Thesaurus Mesopotamia (8 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MESOPOTAMIA. mes-o-ta'-mi-a. See SYRIA. Multi-Version Concordance Mesopotamia (8 Occurrences). ... /m/mesopotamia.htm - 11k Mesopota'mia (7 Occurrences) Naharaim (5 Occurrences) Chushanrishathaim (2 Occurrences) Chushan-rishathaim (2 Occurrences) Othniel (7 Occurrences) Cushan-rishathaim (2 Occurrences) Aram-naharaim (5 Occurrences) Ur (5 Occurrences) Parthians (1 Occurrence) Resources Where did Noah live? | GotQuestions.orgWho were the Sumerians? | GotQuestions.org Who was Abraham in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Mesopotamia (8 Occurrences)Acts 2:9 Acts 7:2 Genesis 24:10 Deuteronomy 23:4 Judges 3:8 Judges 3:10 1 Chronicles 19:6 Psalms 60:1 Subtopics Mesopotamia: Abraham a Native of Mesopotamia: Chariots Hired From, by the Ammonites Mesopotamia: Delivered From, by Othniel Mesopotamia: People of, Present at Pentecost Mesopotamia: People Who Lived In, Called Syrians Mesopotamia: The People of Israel Subjected To, Eight Years Under the Judgments of Gog Related Terms |
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