Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Houses of Ur

Abraham and Sarai  gave  a great deal of comfort when they responded to God's command to leave their homes in Ur and spend the rest of their lives as nomads living in tents.


When Leonard Woolley excavated the site of ancient Ur  between 1922 and 1934 he found at least 73 two-story homes that had  built of brick -- not clay or other less durable materials.


These homes he found which featured up to a dozen rooms or more and featured whitewashed walls, a drainage system and others features  were the homes of the middle- class such as "shopkeepers , petty mer chants, scribes, and so on, "


Many of these homes were constructed with the rooms opening onto a paved central courtyard. This courtyard sloped gradually towards a central drain for carrying away waste and rain water -- a style also used by the Romans


In addition to these features,   many of the larger homes featured  en-suite lavatories in the guests rooms  on the ground level of the house.


Other rooms on the ground or main level contained  slaves quarters  and kitchens with fireplaces for cooking and heating.


The family slept in the upper rooms which were at the top of a staircase.  These family bedrooms were  entered through  a wooden balcony which were built around the upper walls of the courtyard below.  A very attractive and practical design very similar to the way  some townhouses and even office building are laid out today.

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