Amorites Discussion

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The Amorites were nomads originating in Canaan and northwestern Syria who migrated into Mesopotamia bringing an advanced culture. The word Amorite derives from the Akkadian term Amurrum which means West. They spoke a Semitic language and were first mentioned in Sumerian text from 2500 BC as nomadic invaders who ate raw meat and did not bury their dead. This view changed quickly as Amorites began establishing villages in the region and became a threat to the Akkadian leader Sargon the Great who defeated them. After the fall of the Akkadian Empire the Amorites began to seize control of the cities in the region including Larsa, Kish, Sippar and Babylon. They intermingled with the local Baylonian people and even worshipped their gods. Perhaps the most famous Amorite King was Hammurabi who spread Babylonian culture throughout the Near East.