Royal Tombs of Ur
The wealth of the city Avraham's family left behind
Found 1926 — Sir Leonard Woolley (joint British Museum–University of Pennsylvania expedition, 1922–1934)
Where Tell el-Muqayyar (ancient Ur), Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq (Iraq)
Dates from c. 2600–2450 BCE · Early Dynastic IIIA · Centuries before Avraham (Abraham) left Ur
Now at British Museum, London; Penn Museum, Philadelphia; Iraq Museum, Baghdad
How Royal Tombs of Ur was found
Woolley's team dug the Royal Cemetery from 1926 to 1932, finding about 1,850 graves including 16 'royal' tombs with attendants, the Standard of Ur, Queen Puabi's headdress, and the 'Ram in a Thicket'.
What it is
A cemetery of shaft and chamber tombs beside the sacred precinct of Ur. The richest held gold vessels, lapis lazuli jewelry, lyres, gaming boards, the mosaic 'Standard of Ur', and rows of retainers buried with their rulers.
Why it matters for the Bible
Genesis calls Avraham's home 'Ur of the Chaldeans'. Woolley's finds showed Ur was a rich, sophisticated city with a long history, not a village. The identification of biblical Ur with this southern Ur is widely accepted, though some scholars argue for a northern Ur (Urfa/Ura) closer to Haran. Woolley also found a thick flood silt layer here, which he tied to Noach's flood; that link is no longer accepted, since the silt is local and dated differently at other sites.
The Hebrew word: OOR
אוּר
אוּר is pronounced OOR and means Ur (place name; also 'flame, light') (Strong's H218).
People this discovery connects to
- Abraham — אַבְרָהָם (av-rah-HAHM) — father of a multitude
- Terah — תֶּרַח (TEH-rach) — station, delay
Places
- Ur of the Chaldeans — אוּר כַּשְׂדִּים (OOR kas-DEEM) — Ur of the Kasdim
Events
Terach's family leaves Ur for Haran · YHVH calls Avram out of Ur
Royal Tombs of Ur in Scripture
Genesis 11:28 First mention of Ur of the Chaldees in Scripture.
Genesis 11:31 Terach takes Avram, Sarai, and Lot out of Ur of the Chaldeans toward Canaan.
Genesis 15:7 YHVH identifies Himself as the One who brought Avram out of Ur.
Questions people ask
What is Royal Tombs of Ur?
A cemetery of shaft and chamber tombs beside the sacred precinct of Ur. The richest held gold vessels, lapis lazuli jewelry, lyres, gaming boards, the mosaic 'Standard of Ur', and rows of retainers buried with their rulers.
When was Royal Tombs of Ur discovered?
It was found in 1926 by Sir Leonard Woolley (joint British Museum–University of Pennsylvania expedition, 1922–1934), at Tell el-Muqayyar (ancient Ur), Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq.
Where is Royal Tombs of Ur today?
British Museum, London; Penn Museum, Philadelphia; Iraq Museum, Baghdad.
Which Bible verses does Royal Tombs of Ur relate to?
Genesis 11:28, Genesis 11:31, Genesis 15:7.
Related discoveries
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- עֲנָקִיםHebron (Tell Rumeida)Caleb's city, with Bronze Age walls and Late Bronze occupation
- כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּיםBeni Hasan Tomb Painting of SemitesA caravan of 'Asiatics' entering Egypt in the days of the patriarchs
- חֶבְרוֹןHebron (Tel Rumeida)Cyclopean walls of the Canaanite city where Avraham settled
- אֵל עֶלְיוֹןGenesis Apocryphon (1QapGen)An Aramaic retelling of Genesis with Lamech, Noah and Abraham speaking in their own voices