The WaterBlog

From the Harran Plain: the cradle of agriculture

By Frank van Steenbergen This is the Harran Plain, with a biblical name unchanged in 4000 years. This is the cradle of agriculture, the area where sheep were first domesticated, and agriculture was invented more than 10,000 years ago. In this fertile crescent according to Simcha Lev-Yadun, Avi Gopher and Shahal Abbo (2000)[1] the wild progenitor seeds of all main neolithic founder crops have been found – einkorn wheat, emmer wheat, barley, lentil, pea, bitter vetch, and chickpea as well as flax. This predates similar crops elsewhere with 2000 years. According to the Old Testament, Harran was also the place where Terah and his son Abram his grandson Lot and Abrams wife Sarah and other relatives went after leaving Ur – very likely current day Urfa – with his family. They stayed several years. After his father died, God called him, and Abram continued his journey to Canaan. He was blessed by God who changed his name to Abraham. “So… Continued