Why Sumerians Formed Temple Communities
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Ancient Sumerians found themselves in a unique situation with respect to their community and its economy. They were "a complex urban society without coined money" (Burns 18). Moreover, they had no other established means of making commercial exchanges, either, leaving them dependent upon written records to accomplish the many tasks associated with land ownership and rentals, such as the measurement and allotment of land, the allocation of the correct amounts of seed grain, the assessment of taxes and rents in proportion to their yield, the maintenance of property and inventory records, and the distribution of rations (Burns 18). All of these written records naturally had to be written by someone literate, but unfortunately, Sumerians at large were an illiterate people. The only literate people in most of ancient Sumerian society were the priests of the temples. Therefore, the task of documenting the many financial transactions of the community fell to "a large specialized professional clerical establishment" (Burns 18). This exigency led to the formation of temple communities. Sumerians had another reason for forming temple communities, as well. They were a highly religious people that believed their lives were meant to be dedicated to serving their gods (Peltenburg 28). In the Babylonian Epic of Creation, a document that explains how Sumerians thought, it is stated that man "shall be charged with the service of the gods" (Peltenburg 28). Edgar Pelt
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yone received rations and allotments for their support (Frankfort 61). There were neither leisure classes nor serfs, although in rare instances, a few foreigners or prisoners of war were kept as slaves (Frankfort 61). The few slaves that did exist were not relegated to an oppressed condition but worked right next to the free men in the temple as porters or gardeners (Frankfort 61). There were greater numbers of female slaves than male ones, and these slave girls were kept to spin thread for the weaving of clothing (Frankfort 61). Some of them also worked as kitchen helpers, factory workers in the brewery, or to tend the pigs (Frankfort 61). These large numbers of Sumerian workers were not dispatched randomly but worked together cooperatively in an effort that was "minutely organized" (Frankfort 59). The result was "a planned society" in which everyone joined together to serve the gods (Frankfort 59).
Like any other primitive community, the Sumerian temple community required much manpower. In order to grow crops, they used dikes and canals, and as an agricultural society, there were many hands needed for tilling, sowing, tending, and harvesting the crops. The temple communities were a perfect solution to these need
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Approximate Word count = 1227
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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