Changes

At first glance , it would appear that the ancient Mesopotamian Civilization shared many similarities with ancient Egyptian Civilization, and although while the two primary civilizations did have some affinities, a marked difference was that while Egypt was for the most part ethnically homogenous, Mesopotamia was comprised of many different ethnic groups. Little is known about the ethnic origins of the Kassite people before they came to Babylon. It is believed that they probably came to the region of Babylonia in Mesopotamia as mercenaries and agricultural workers before taking advantage of the chaos after the collapse of the First Dynasty of Babylon. <ref> Kuhrt, Amélie. <i> The Ancient Near East: c. 3000-330 BC.</i> (London: Routledge, 2010), p. 333 </ref> Even the Kassites’ early rule in Babylon is clouded in mystery because there are a lack of extant written sources that document the events and the limitations of modern archaeology in the area has been unable to help further. From what is known, the Kassites took control of the city of Babylon and the region of Babylonia sometime in the early sixteenth century BC, with their first king, Agum II, bringing the sacred statue of the city’s god Marduk back from its Hittite captivity around the year 1570 BC. <ref> Brinkman, J.A. “Foreign Relations of Babylonia from 1600 to 625 B.C.: The Documentary Evidence.” <i>American Journal of Archaeology</i> 76 (1972) p. 272</ref> Once the Kassites had established themselves as rulers of Babylon, though, apart from keeping their distinct names and their language in daily use, they became true Babylonians, worshipping Marduk and the other deities of the city and keeping the proper cultic rituals. <ref>Kuhrt, psome significant differences. 333</ref>

In an effort While Egypt was for the most part ethnically homogenous, Mesopotamia was comprised of several ethnic groups. Little is known about the ethnic origins of the Kassite people before they came to Babylon. It is believed that they probably came to the region of Babylonia in Mesopotamia as mercenaries and agricultural workers before taking advantage of the chaos after the collapse of the First Dynasty of Babylon. <ref> Kuhrt, Amélie. <i> The Ancient Near East: c. 3000-330 BC.</i> (London: Routledge, 2010), p. 333 </ref> Even the Kassites’ early rule in Babylon is clouded in mystery because there is a lack of existing written sources that document the events and the limitations of modern archaeology in the area have been unable to help further.  From what is known, the Kassites took control of the city of Babylon and the region of Babylonia sometime in the early sixteenth century BC, with their first king, Agum II, bringing the sacred statue of the city’s god Marduk back from its Hittite captivity around the year 1570 BC. <ref> Brinkman, J.A. “Foreign Relations of Babylonia from 1600 to 625 B.C.: The Documentary Evidence.” <i>American Journal of Archaeology</i> 76 (1972) p. 272</ref> Once the Kassites had established themselves as rulers of Babylon, though, apart from keeping their distinct names and their language in daily use, they became true Babylonians, worshipping Marduk and the other deities of the city and keeping the proper cultic rituals. <ref>Kuhrt, p. 333</ref> To keep cultural continuity in Babylon and no doubt to appear as legitimate rulers to non-Kassites, the Kassites continued the tradition of using the Sumerian and Akkadian languages in their inscriptions and religious rituals. <ref>Kuhrt, p. 338</ref> The Kassites, though, also offered one notable an important linguistic innovation to Mesopotamia as . The Kassites brought the dialect of Akkadian they used developed into Babylon which morphed into the “standard Babylonian” used by later groups such as the Assyrians and Neo-Babylonians. <ref> Mieroop, Marc van de. <i>A History of the Ancient Near East: ca. 3000-323 BC.</i> 2nd ed. (London: Blackwell, 2007), p. 177</ref> As the Kassites pursued a policy of cultural continuity in Babylon, they embarked on an aggressive campaign of conquest throughout the rest of Mesopotamia.