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Basham 7 September 2005

Not far from the home of the Tennessee Army National Guard's 194th Engineer Brigade in Iraq once stood the city of Ur, which thrived around 2100 B.C. The king at that time was a man by the name of Ur-Numma. Most would remember this place from our history books and the bible. The soldiers of the 194th have the opportunity to witness this great city and climb the steps of the mighty ziggurat that lies within the city walls.

A ziggurat is a stepped pyramid and is solid, with a temple at the top. Unlike the pyramids of Egypt, the Ziggurat of Ur was used as a temple, not burial purposes. The temple that was atop the ziggurat was used to worship the moon god Nanna also called Sin. After several hundred years, the city was lost with no landmarks except the ruins of the ziggurat. An English archeologist, Leonard Wooley, lead a team to excavate the city's ruins between 1920 and 1930. Leonard uncovered much of the city, but there is still a lot that is yet to be uncovered.

Standing at the top of the ziggurat where the temple once stood, you can see yet another temple. The foundations of the Royal Palace, burial tombs and in the distance not too far away you can see the reconstructed home of the prophet Abraham.

The unit ministry team, Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) David White and Chaplain's Assistant (Staff Sergeant) Mickey Basham, coordinate weekly tours of Ur for the soldiers. Upon arriving at the ziggurat, the soldiers are met by Diehf, the guide and caretaker of the city. His family has been involved with Ur for three generations. His grandfather and father both assisted in the excavations of the city. Diehf himself is going to be part of another excavation that will run from 2006 to 2007. His brother runs the souvenir stands just outside the ziggurat. To show our gratitude for Diehf and his brother allowing us to tour the ancient city, Alpha Company, 230th Engineer Battalion, McKenzie-Milan, Tennessee built a staircase to improve access to some parts of the city that has crumbled over the years.

There have been many firsts attributed to this civilization such as the first use of the archway, which is in the entrance of one of the temples. Around the entire site you can find bricks or stones that have the first form of writing on them called Cuneiform. The drainage systems that existed in the houses found on this site are an example of the ingenuity these people possessed. Also found here were examples of the first use of the wheel and written laws. When this civilization was a thriving community the Euphrates River flowed nearby, which made this a beautiful area to live in with its lush trees and grass. Whereas, today, with the river having been moved 15 kilometers north over time and with the former rulers attitude toward this part of the country, it is nothing but open desert and dry lands.

As unique as this site is, I believe that the focal point for most who make the trip there is the home of Abraham, or actually Abraham's father. Abraham lived around 1900 B.C. and is the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and the Islamic religion. This site is recognized by all three of the religions as the place where Abraham began his service to God. This past Easter we had a sunrise service at this home with over 750 people present.

All in all this is a spectacular site that we are privileged to go to. It is maintained very well by the curators that live here and who are more than happy to share this experience will all people who make the journey to "Ur of the Chaldeans".

Abraham's house

Burial Gounds

194th Engineer Brigade Unit Ministry Team,
Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) David White (left)
and Chaplain's Assistant (Staff Sergeant) Mickey Basham

Oldest Archway

Soldiers tour the ziggurat

The Ziggurat of Ur

Submitted by SSG Mickey Basham
Chaplain's Assistant
Unit Ministry Team
194th EN BDE TNARNG
APO AE 09331

LTC David White is the Chaplain for the 194th Engineer Brigade (TA), Tennessee Army National Guard, Jackson. He is a resident of Johnson City.

SSG Mickey Basham is the Chaplain's Assistant and is a resident of Murfreesboro.

The 194th has been deployed to Iraq since January of this year.