There are various claims in this part of the world to being the oldest continuously inhabited spot. I’ve heard Damascus. I read about Aleppo earlier today while waiting in Amman for my connecting flight to Damascus and watching folks ignore the no smoking signs. And the public address tape loop pointing out the smoking prohibition. Who says those in the Middle East don’t have or express individual rights?
In “Understanding Iraq”, William R. Polk writes about Uruk, a big city state in Mesopotamia around about 2500 BC, growing to the point of building walls around the city to protect the citizens. He goes on to point out that the growth of the cities also forced the powers that be to create deeds or laws “to bring order into the distribution of goods among the inhabitants”. This led, in Polk’s view, to the development of bureaucracies and eventually laws.
The plane from Chicago was crawling with American contractors – beefy guys with an air of of friendly menace. One guy was sitting in the same row as a woman dressed head to to toe in black, just her eyes showing.
Damascus is cold and damp tonight. I’m looking forward to getting started.
