The Legacy of Mesopotamia

Abstract What have the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia bequeathed to us? What is their legacy to us, the inhabitants of a world they never could have imagined? In his book, History Begins at Sumer, Samuel Noah Kramer lists 39 “firsts” in recorded history that can be credited to the Sumerians and the culture they created. Many of these belong to the field of religion: “Man’s First Cosmogony and Cosmology,” “Man’s First Golden of the field of religion: “Man’s First Cosmogony and Cosmology,” “Man’s First Golden Moses,”‘ “The First ‘Job,”‘ “The First Liturgic Laments,” “The First Messiahs,” “The First Mater Dolorosa,” “The First Funeral Chants,” “The First Tale of Resurrection,” and “The First ‘St. George.”‘ Others are landmarks in literature: “The First ‘Farmer’s Almanac,’” “The First Animal Fables,’’ “The First Proverbs and Sayings,’’ “Man’s First Epic Literature,’’ “The First Historian,’’ “The First Love Song,’’ “The First Sex Symbolism,’’ “The First Literary Portrait of the Ideal Mother,’’ “The First Lullaby,’’ “The First Literary Imagery,’’ “The First Case of Literary Borrowing,’’ “The First Literary Debates,’’ and “The First Library Catalogue.” Still others are milestones in social history: “The First Legal Precedent,’’ “The First Bicameral Congress,’’ “The First Case of Tax Reduction,’’ “Labor’s First Victory,’’ “The First ‘War of Nerves,’” “The First ‘Sick Society,’” “The First Schools,’’ “The First Case of ‘Apple-Polishing,’” and “The First Case of Juvenile Delinquency.” Rounding out the 39 are “The First Aquarium,’’ “The First Experiment in Shade-Tree Gardening,’’ “The First Long-Distance Champion,’’ and “The First Pharmacopoeia.”