what happened to Sumerian beer?!

Anthropologists and archaeologists believe the first man to win the big leap from a nomadic tribe in a civilized and sedentary existence were the Sumerians, a 80,000 to 10,000 years. The place was in Mesopotamia (now the southern part of modern Iraq). Apparently, there was the Sumarians emigrated from India. Once established in the Middle East, they build whole communities, grouped in the prosperous city-state, and surrounded by fertile fields, they kept lush by communal irrigation from the Tigris and Euphrates. the best of their urban centers was Babylon on the banks of the Euphrates below. The Sumerians are considered the world's leading manufacturers, farmers and writers - and we know from the archaeological discoveries, probably leading brewers, too. The beer was the center of their religious rites. Their highest deity was the goddess of fertility and beer. It is a measure of the importance of the beer in Sumerian society that eventually about half of their corn was discovered in their beer.

The official history of the output of Sumerian history
The Sumerians' ingenuity and wealth soon became a magnet for other people other than beer around them. Newcomers, most of the Semitic tribes of the north and west, began to invade Mesopotamia - Sumerians peacefully with sometimes mixed, sometimes those who make war for supremacy. Accordingly, the Sumerians eventually began to be absorbed by their neighbors and many missing as a distinct culture. At the beginning of the third millennium BC, Sumer had almost completely forgotten. Instead came a new culture, which historians call Babylon.

The new masters of Mesopotamia centralized power away from the city scattered many states governed by kings, queens and priestesses, to name just one center, Babylon, and brought together the loose clusters of colonies Sumerian settlement in a territorial state and government. This new comprehensive regional organization, Babylonia, was essentially the first sovereign country in history.

After the Babylonians to consolidate their power internally, they turned their attention to external conquest. They poured their resources into building a powerful army, they moved westward along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in northern Armenia, eastward into Persia, Arabia and south Persian Gulf islands. In the process, they built the first true empire in history - the king of Babylon, as the king of all, or the king of the four regions. He ruled an empire that all four corners of the known world overwrought.

This is the official history of the demise of the Sumerians and Babylonians takeover of their country, at least as it is written in history books. However, the common account of the story always seems to focus on political and military events, while the less volatile forces of social evolution often receive little attention. What we do not learn from the quicksands of military power in Mesopotamia, what happened to beer so important Sumerian Sumerian society changed under the weight of conquest! Born of the Night of prehistory as the twin brother of the company itself, has beer to survive in the new order? It is a question historians rarely address.

The real story: a target of beer governance
While Sumerian social and religious rituals were hedonistic and expansive, the rituals of Babylon was based on an austere, military Panache - Spartan drill more spiritual. In the zero-sum game of power between the rulers and the ruled, and the concentration of power in few hands, the political stakes were high. The rich are now less dependent on the generosity of the crop on the vicissitudes of war and control of others. These new virtues, however, the Babylonians were eventually to find out, it can be more fickle whims of a goddess of beer.

Originally, the future of beer in Babylonia seemed assured because the new rulers of Mesopotamia, like any good conquerors usurped the achievements of the vanquished themselves. The Babylonians continued the Sumerian tradition of making beer, but she could not stay quiet. Although beer in Sumeria was mostly a matter of religion and economics, beer in Babylonia became essentially a matter of policy. This change in the vision of the event in a novelty that has since been copied by almost all governments, even to this day: The Babylonians were the first beer Institute of regulation.

In comparison with the social rules with the Sumerians Happy-Go-Lucky, the laws of power and control of Babylon were severe. In the new Babylon, no facet of life, tyranny of the bureaucracy to escape, and the beer is no exception, especially after Hammourabi (1728 -1686 BC) The sixth king of the first Babylonian dynasty, took succession. Hamurabi ran his empire with an iron fist and incorporated in its actions that the new order represented. Life was governed by a set of written rules, now known as the Code of Hammurabi, the first body of humanity legislation. The code consisted of 360 members, which were carved into a seven-meter-high column of diorite, a dark gray to greenish igneous rock. The column was discovered in 1901 near Susa (modern Khuzestan) and has been in Iraq for France, where he is now in the Louvre.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image ... Rabi-1.jpg

Any important in society was governed by its code of Hammurabi ... code and has much to say about beer. In paragraphs 108-111, which she describes as beer in 20 different categories, each of which we today call a style of beer. Eight styles were made only from barley, but most were made from a mixture of cereals, with bucket (a grain-like fate) is the most important. The most valuable and the style of beer most expensive among the Babylonians was pure bucket of beer. There were also pure wheat beers, small beer, red beer, beer and black - like an old beer for export, mainly to Egypt, where beer is poured bug happy too. Indeed, by defining the categories of beer in the Judicial Code, Hammurabi was the first production of beer to settle. The consumption of beer can not escape the regulations. Hamurabi control prices and simply click on the Irish Brewers Inn - another "first" in human history.

Babylonian beer must be pretty strong, probably because it was often enriched with honey or Boysenberries. We can draw its power from the fact that the parties drinking Babylon, guests were generally offered various preparations against hangovers. These drugs tend to take liquid form, dissolved ... in beer!

Beer and social class in Babylon
While the Sumerians have always enjoyed the beer as a happiness-inducing social beverage to be shared by all, high and low, the Babylonians saw beer as an instrument of social distinction, as a means of connection between members elite to confirm. Society in Babylonia was strictly stratified, such as the distribution of beer on the basis of social rank. At the bottom of society were the slaves of sport, whose ranks were often supplemented from abroad, either by war or by purchase. They tended the fields and doing the dirty work in the shops and temples, but the beer was only the caprice of their masters.

Depending on the scale of social workers were free. They had written contracts with their employers, that the length of time of employment and remuneration, usually composed of two small (maybe a liter) of beer per day. The members of the middle layer of society, businessmen and civil administrators, were allowed three beers a day Crocks included, are regular women priests and officials. Upper echelons of the bureaucracy and priesthood could claim five Crocks day in their remuneration. The religious feast days, these rations were increased by decree, for the population of the affection of the gods and especially to strengthen the leadership.

Hammurabi in Babylonia, as in Sumer, the women ran the breweries and pubs. But while they were worshiped by the Sumerians, the Babylonians were really for females. Paragraph 282 of his code, Hamurabi decreed that Brewster or waitress was drown in the beer if it was diluted liquid. She met the same fate if they pay for his potion coin. If they served beer spoiled, has force feed them with her until she was dead from suffocation. Like all good dictators, Hammurabi was not too fond of freedom of speech and public expression of political views. It simply prohibits all points of political debate. Therefore, if an alewife who are its customers about a pitcher of beer or a policy problem for the authorities consider subversive, it was to deliver the heretics to the police. On the other hand, if they tolerated such as voice, she was killed. Although Sumerian priestesses under the rule was forced to run as part of the temple Hamurabi brewpubs, they were burned alive when they were caught even just visiting one. However, brewers male (and cooks) were held in high esteem in Babylonian society, attained high social status and were even exempt from military service. Brewster, the Sumerian goddess of pleasure would not be happy!

Beer expelled from the country of his birth
Shortly after the peak of the power of Babylon under Hammurabi in the fifteenth century BC, the ominous clouds of change began to emerge on the horizon Mesopotamian two directions, north and west. These clouds appeared as Babylon had consolidated its hold on the region - and perhaps overplayed his hand, too. In the north, a rival center Semitic called Nineveh, dominated by the Assyrians was created on the upper Tigris River, while to the west, the Egyptians - a civilization of great importance for the future of both the history of beer and the path of human progress - were sufficiently well organized along the Nile to consider expanding to the east. The Assyrians and the Egyptians are now ready to hegemony of Babylon.

The political horizon for all actors in the Middle East has been slowly expanding. In the Sumerian period, Mesopotamia was a mosaic of almost apolitical self-sufficient city-state. During the Babylonian domination, had become a uniform, relatively unchallenged territorial state. But with the turnout, it was also the crucible of political and expansionist impulses between the rival countries. The center of the universe was slowly increased from the Mesopotamian civilization to the birth of adjacent crops have been rapidly catching up. Historically, international politics as the struggle between peoples and countries have started right then and there.

The Assyrians, geographically the closest contenders to the throne of Babylon, sent troops into the country between the upper and the lower Tigris and Euphrates to the Babylonians harassed on their northern border. Simultaneously, the Egyptian pharaohs sent their armies across the Arabian Peninsula and plated on the western border of Babylonia. Finally, the two invaders were joined forces in an alliance, through the Babylonian empire in a bar situation is most precarious. Since Babylon had to divide his army between two fronts, it soon became exhausted. Around 1250 BC, the city of Babylon fell to the invading Assyrians.

The Assyrians soon, however, that the conquest of an empire is one thing, but stick with it was something else. The Babylonians were defeated, but, unlike the Sumerians overcome before simply refused to fade into oblivion. The battle between the Assyrians and Babylonians native just turned, as we say today, from a stranger in a civil war. Ultimately, the Assyrian interlude in Babylonia lasted about four centuries ... perhaps a long time by modern standards but not so long ago, at an age where the pace of social change was even slower. In 600 BC Babylon power was clear. The Babylonians, Assyrians sent packing, then after them and destroyed the capital of Nineveh. The Metropolis of the Euphrates returned to its former glory ... but under this rule, and what about beer?

Currently in the stage of history a bon vivant, a king quite different from the rule-maker strict and austere Hammurabi. His name was Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC). As the new ruler of Babylon, he was a man both military discipline and earthly pleasures. His reign is usually designated as the culmination of the so-called neo-Babylonian. Currently, he is probably best known as the builder of the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. But most important for our history, in contrast to Hammurabi, Nebuchadnezzar was a friend of beer.

http://www.bible-history.com/babyl ... abylon.htm
http://www.bible-history.com/babyl ... abylon.htm

Like the Sumerians, Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of life in the collective culture of grain for bread and beer have seen, but unlike the Babylonians, it also saw the major objectives to reconsider its military force. He scored many victories over the Egyptians and Syrians. At the height of its power in 586 BC, he has even conquered Jerusalem, destroying the temple of the city and drove the Jews to Babylon as a slave.

His political power, not less hedonistic ritual kiss of the drink. Unlike Hammurabi, who often prefer people drown in beer instead of drinking, Nebuchadnezzar missed this guy is tense and secular compared to the fermented beverage. Instead, as the Sumerians, it has promoted its enjoyment by all. Under his reign, the priestesses could again drink lots of beer during sacrifices - to their gods to please and to their king. On his return from military campaigns, he celebrated his success by virtually flooding the altars of the temple with rivers of beer. Rather unfortunate, but as Hammurabi, he forbade his priestesses pubs to open or even put one foot in one.

The reign of Nebuchadnezzar, he turned, sounded the last lap for the Golden Age of Mesopotamia. The forces that had gathered around him were not kept out forever. This was the moment of awakening, not only Egyptians but also for the Persians, and more consistent, the Greeks and Romans. Little Mesopotamia, the first civilization to begin with, was also the first to be swallowed by success. Mesopotamia had shown the world what could be achieved if humanity had understood how to use their individual potential for collective action. Soon other, larger tribes had the same lesson, and the Mesopotamian empire literally changed from master to slave. The first "new" strain on its website about Mesopotamia, Persia has been created. Ironically, in 538 BC, less than two decades after Nebuchadnezzar had the tribe of Israel as slaves in Babylon, Cyrus led the king of Persia, invaded the eastern city and sent the Jews back freedom.

The art of making beer, which has been so much at the heart of the Sumerian and Babylonian society, but in different roles, now dormant in Mesopotamia. Under the Persian occupation, which lasted nearly two centuries of turmoil, Mesopotamian society was shocked. There simply was not the dominant force in the Middle East, which could have stabilized the region and provided the basic cultural and political beer again emerged as a dynamic force. The Middle East was ripe for a takeover, and when it came, it was with a vengeance. Mesopotamian society changed irrevocably, and he gets one last battle to make beer in the country where it began. The blow came from the superpower, and intellectual and military of ancient Greece.

Acquisition of the Hellenistic house Bear
The latest effort began in Mesopotamia in 337 BC when the Macedonian king Philip II (359 336) declares war on Persia. Just as the Babylonians in Mesopotamia had Philip had united all the Greek cities and had their military resources, economic, and intellectual power for the cause of the aggression against Darius III, king of Persia. In the year Philip had decimated the Persian army and was just on his victory, when running on the way home, he was murdered. This brings his young son, Alexander, said the Great, the head of the Greek army. Alexander immediately began one of the most remarkable achievements of the government building. In recent years, the world - since it was known in ancient times - Hellenistic was ... in flavor, culture, politics and the drink! In 330 BC, Alexander came to occupy in Babylon. He died seven years later at age 33 years.

The Greeks, unfortunately, like the Persians before them, were not very interested in beer. The fermented drinks from grain, often called the drink called the most democratic, does not strike in the cradle of democracy, because there was not enough grain reserves in the country of origin for Greek support a culture of beer. The climate and soils of most of Greece are more suitable for growing grapes and olives rather than cereals ... and what the Greeks, they put their cultural stamp on society.

This does not mean that the Greeks were unaware of the beer. There was a place where the Greeks had actually tried a number of beer in their hand, in the province of Thrace. Only in the Thrace barley grew better than the grape, and Dionysus - widely regarded as the Greek god of wine, the sun, and agriculture - has also been honored as the patron of beer . Even an unassailable authority as Aristotle (384-322 BC), philosopher and teacher of Alexander the Great, a kind word to say about the beer drinkers had, despite the general contempt for the Greek beer. Aristotle wrote that "those who drank beer fall on his back and found their faces, while those who drink wine in the fall in all directions." The Greek word for beer is Zythos, who survived to date in modern Greece, where the beer is always sythos name. From the etymology of Zythos, we suspect that the Greeks learned about beer from the Egyptians (which Alexander had conquered, too, in 332 BC), because the old Egyptian word for beer is zytum.

The beer was in ancient Mesopotamia flourished for at least five millennia before the Greek conquest, probably even more. With the Greeks in charge, however, make the beer was finished in the countries where it began. The beer was not his own, without a supportive policy environment and culture.

Mesopotamia is an example that was repeated everywhere now: In societies where there is enough grain, beer well, and there are a lot of beer, can not be ignored. Because beer is important in society, our public institutions have an eye on him, for better or for worse, whatever the precise place and time, the social order. This is the truth at the heart of the story of beer through the ages. Political battles as the Battle on the Rights of the infusion in medieval Europe or the battle to regain land in North America after the First World War, are not essentially different from Hamurabi violation of Brewster and his waitresses time.

The end of the beer ... Almost
As the center of power shifted in ancient times from Mesopotamia to a less favorable to beer - first to Greece and Rome - the wine, the favorite drink of the new government, replacing people drink beer. As civilization has progressed, however, and new world cultures are in the Mediterranean, the beer is finding new opportunities to move into new places. Plato in his Phaedo, once over the Mediterranean and a pond. "The earth is a great place," he writes, "... but we live in only a small part of the sea, like frogs around a pond." While the Greeks and Romans had their day in the sun around the pond, there were other crops, both in the pond and beyond, ready for a swim in civilization, and - as the pioneers Sumerian - Farm in the country, raise the grain, and beer. The end of the beer in Mesopotamia, does not mean the end of the beer in the world. The main supporting standard beer of the fall of Babylon until early centuries later time, growing the most productive grain growing from antiquity, the Hellenistic conquerors who had their word for beer. This culture has been Egypt.

For a report on the manufacture of beer in his new house in ancient Egypt, see Horst Dornbusch on Beer and Civilization # 7 Egyptian Beer for the living and the dead ... and the Gods.

For those interested in reading more about the ancient cultures of the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and Egyptians can visit the ancient Near East by Amelie KUHRT. The book can be read online at: books.google.com