Long ago, 4500 BC, there was a civilization, the very first civilization in Mesopotamia. The civilization began when everybody came together to farm and build. Men and women dug ditches in the ground for irrigation. They had to fight and hunt for their food. Everyone was split into three social classes, even children. If you broke a law you would suffer harsh consequences. Thousands of Mesopotamian people lived like this and you could have been one of them.
“Why did the Mesopotamians develop between the two rivers?”you ask. Well the soilfertile in Mesopotamia gave humans a reason to settle there. The fertile soil was very good for farming and harvesting crops. When the Tigris and Euphrates River flooded, people began using the surrounding land for constructing buildings. Mesopotamia was situated between two rivers which allowed agriculture. Three very important ways to survive in Mesopotamian times were hunting, gathering veggies and fruit,and making clothing out of sheep wool.
In Mesopotamian times, there were three social classes. In fact the leader at that time split everyone into the social class he/she belonged in. The three social classes are, the upper class, lower class, and the slaves. You would not want to be a slave.
Each class had their own expectations. Like the upper classes, they were expected to buy and own the slaves and dress in fine clothes and jewelry, eat fine meals and they don't have to work. Next, the lower class works for money. Some of the job choices are pottery, fisherman, and could be a farmer. If a lower class man fell into debt the man of the house would have to pay off the debt ( if he had enough money). However, if he could not pay the debt with money, he would have to sell his wife and children into slavery and use that money to pay off the debt. The slaves worked but did not get payed for their work but received free lodging and poor food. Slavery was a common duty back then. Their job was to work for their owner and make their owner happy. After a slave had worked for about three years or paid off the debt, they would be set free again.
Most of the laws in Mesopotamia were very straightforward and some violent. The king (at that time) contains important ideas like having people provide evidence of crimes. Whoever was thought to be a criminal was innocent untill proven guilty, and is provided shelter, food, and protection for a week. Some of the laws they had in Mesopotamia were very violent. Before Hammurabi came to leadership, the person in leadership bent the rules. If one of their friends broke a law they’d say “ well this man is my friend so he's ok” but if the man in leadership did not know the man who broke the law, he would give him the punishment he/she deserves. If a man were to commit homicide, the man would be killed. If a man acts lawlessly, that man would also be killed. At that time the king determined who broke the law and how they broke it.
Mesopotamians had many different beliefs. Some of the Mesopotamians believed in one god (monotheism) and others believed in multiple gods (polytheism). But the three main gods they believed in were “An,” who was the sky god, “Elil,” who was known to bring storms and help mankind contain himself and lastly, “NIN-KHURSAG,” who was the fertility god. Those three gods were the top three gods according to Mesopotamian people.
In conclusion, Mesopotamians lived a hard life. They couldn't be lazy and sit around and watch Netflix on their beds, they had to work to make a living. Unless you were a slave, you'd still work but not get any money and hunt to get food for your family. When you broke a law you’d suffer the consequences. Millions’of Mesopotamian people died because they broke the law. Aren't you glad you aren’t one of them?