III.

Role in History

In the Bible the Euphrates is referred to in Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7 and 11:24; and Joshua 1:4. Historically, the river is one of the most important in the world. The Tigris-Euphrates Valley was the birthplace of the ancient civilizations of Assyria, Babylonia, and Sumer; the cities of Babylon and Ur were built on the river. For centuries the river formed the eastern limit of Roman control, and during the supremacy of the Eastern Roman Empire (see Byzantine Empire), numerous towns and centres of art and literature flourished along its banks. Much historical data has been yielded by archaeological excavations on the banks of the Tigris and the Euphrates.