Cylinder seal of the Sumerian king Shulgi (r. 2094 – 2047 BC).Under the unifying force of the Third

Cylinder seal of the Sumerian king Shulgi (r. 2094 – 2047 BC).Under the unifying force of the Third Dynasty of Ur, Sumer became a patrimonial state, constructed on the pattern of the patriarchal family ruled by a father figure.  The monarch was the “father figure” who guided his “children” along a path to prosperity.Shulgi, the son of Ur-Nammu, was the second king of the Third Dynasty of Ur.  He and his father made cultural advancement the goal of their administrations, and maintained peace, which allowed art and technology to flourish.Under Shulgi, a 250km-long wall was built to keep out the Amorites (Semitic-speaking tribes also known as the Martu or Tidnum).  His son, grandson and great-grandson strengthened and renovated the wall to keep the “barbarians” out.But the wall, as impressive as it was, couldn’t be properly manned or maintained.  It wasn’t anchored to any solid barrier at its end-points – so the invaders could just go around it.In c. 2004 BC, the neighbouring Elamites breached the wall, marched to Ur and sacked it, and carried off the king.The Amorites now established themselves in the land, and many Sumerians migrated northwards after the fall of Ur.  However, many of the Amorites ended up migrating southwards because of a severe famine that was caused by climate change and overuse of the land.  One of these Amorites may have been Abram (Abraham), leaving Ur to settle in the land of Canaan. -- source link

More pics about