Mesopotamia, the cradle of modern civilization, also known as “the land between two rivers,” was a vast and fertile region situated between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, in present-day Iraq. Mesopotamia was the birthplace of many inventions that enabled human civilization to develop. It bore the invention of the wheel, the advancement of mathematics and astronomy, and the initial cultivation of grain crops that remain staple foods to this day. It was also the birthplace of a man named Abraham.

Up until that time, the atmosphere in Mesopotamia had been relatively peaceful. As the Bible describes it, “The whole earth was of one language and of one speech” (Genesis 11:1). People felt close to one another, like one large family. Then suddenly, each person’s ego—the desire to enjoy at the expense of others—began to grow rapidly, as symbolized by the story of the Tower of Babel. This saw the emergence of destructive competition, harmful envy, power struggles, exploitation, and hatred.

Abraham studied what was happening and understood that humanity was facing a critical test: Would people realize that they must rise above narrow egoism and build harmonious relationships with one another, or would they choose to separate? He tried to explain that nature is unified, that life develops through connection and harmony between opposites, and that human beings must also learn to live in peace with each other. However, most people were not ready to grasp the idea of universal unity.........

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