The use of flax fibers dates back 30,000 years; linen, a refined textile made from flax fibers, was worn widely by ancient Sumerian priests more than 4,000 years ago.
The Sumerian poem of the courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi (Tammuz), mentions flax and linen. It opens with briefly listing the steps of preparing linen from flax, in a form of questions and answers between Inanna and her brother Utu. In ancient Egypt, linen was used for mummification and for burial shrouds. It was also worn as clothing on a daily basis; white linen was worn because of the extreme heat.
Flaxseed, also known as linseed, is sourced from the flax plant. The plant itself is cultivated for its seeds as well as its fiber. The plant was first cultivated as early as 4000 BC in Sumer (Southern Mesopotamia) where it was believed to possess significant health benefits. The flax plant enjoyed widespread use in ancient Kemet (Egyptian) cuisine and medicine. They taught its use to the Greeks who introduced it to Rome.
There are two main types of flaxseeds, golden and brown, both having very similar nutritional profiles. In appearance, the seeds are a little larger than sesame seeds and contain good supplies of omega 3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, and lignans. Omega 3s are essential fatty acids that cannot be produced by the body, needing instead to be acquired through diet. Omega 3s are known to possess heart-healthy benefits including minimizing inflammation and regulating heartbeat.
Flaxseed is a significant source of both soluble and insoluble fiber which collectively offer cholesterol-lowering effects while also contributing to stabilized blood sugar levels. Additionally, dietary fiber is also important for intestinal and digestive health.
Lignans are fiber-like compounds that possess anti-carcinogenic properties. Lignans in flaxseed are thought to provide some protection against certain cancers by blocking enzymes that may be involved in hormone metabolism. Among commonly consumed foods, flaxseeds are thought to be the optimal source of lignans. They are naturally gluten-free, so when processed correctly they offer a possible dietary supplement to people who suffer from gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
Lignans are fiber-associated compounds found in many plant families and common foods, including grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and drinks such as tea, coffee or wine. The highest concentrations of dietary lignans are found in flaxseed. Flaxseed is commonly used to improve digestive health or relieve constipation. Flaxseed may also help lower total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Sumer (/ˈsuːmər/) an ancient Black civilization is the earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (now south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. Like nearby Elam, it is one of the cradles of civilization, along with Kemet, the Indus Valley, the Erligang culture of the Yellow River valley, Caral-Supe, and Mesoamerica. In their language and writing the Sumerians called their land "Kengir", the "Country of the noble lords" The people of Sumer referred to themselves as "Black-Headed Ones" or "Black-Headed People"
Living along the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Sumerian farmers grew an abundance of grain and other crops, a surplus which enabled them to form urban settlements. The world's earliest known texts come from the Sumerian cities of Uruk and Jemdet Nasr, and date to between c. 3350 – c. 2500 BC, following a period of proto-writing c. 4000 – c. 2500 BC. Sumerians were a North African people who migrated from the Green Sahara into the Middle East and were responsible for the spread of farming in the Middle East. We know this because of writings left by their first King who was African and stated that the civilization of Sumer was the product of Black migrations from Africa's Nile Valley.
According to mainstream historians the Sumerians of ancient southern Iraq founded the world's first civilization. They are supposed to have spoken a language which is not genetically related to any known language according to 19th century scholars. But recent research has found this to be untrue. Sumerian was genetically related to the Niger-Congo languages of West Africa. Their descendants are the African Diaspora of North and South America and the Caribbean. Alternatively, a 2013 genetic analysis of four ancient Mesopotamian skeletal DNA samples found an association of the Sumerians with Indus Valley Civilization not the Caucasus mountains.
The Sumerians progressively lost control to Semitic states from the northwest. Sumer was conquered by the Semitic-speaking kings of the Akkadian Empire around 2270 BC. Some of the earliest cities, now buried in the soil Iraq, Turkey, and Lebanon, are thought to have collapsed because of rapid climatic change. Drought along with lower temperatures descended on these settlements some 4,200 years ago, forcing residents to adapt, move away, or starve. In order to adapt to changing climate and succeed in growing food, they needed a way to control the water so they would have a reliable water supply all year round. So, Sumerian farmers began to create irrigation systems to provide water for their fields. They built earth walls, called levees, along the sides of the river to prevent flooding.
Sumerians also were aware that the Earth was round. It is theorized that Sumerians from an ancient homeland in West Africa traveled to Djibouti before making a journey by sea, around Oman and to the head of the Persian Gulf. Sumerians had a much more advanced system of astronomy than has been supposed. The constellations had geographic associations in the Classical period through myth. Research by Author Hermel Hermstein shows how the geographic coordinates of the associated places written in ancient Sumerian texts closely corresponds to the celestial coordinates of certain points within the constellations. It is impossible to develop such a system without knowing the earth is round.
Sumerian written history reaches back to the 27th century BC and before, but the historical record remains obscure until the Early Dynastic III period, c. 23rd century BC, when the language of the written records becomes easier to decipher, which has allowed archaeologists to read contemporary records and inscriptions. Through the leadership of priest-kings, Sumerians organized farmers in each city-state to build extensive irrigation systems of canals and dams. Before long, the desert was blooming with a surplus of barley, dates, and other crops like flax. Flax was first used as a thread and made into linen cloth. Flax fibers were the main source of cloth until the growth of the cotton industry in the 1800s. Many of today's blue jeans are still made from flax and a blend of cotton.
If we quote ancient Greek scholar Diodorus we find that he stated unequivocally "From the Kushite Ethiopians (meaning Blacks at that time) came the ruling families of Babylon".
Although Blacks were not the only personages who peopled Sumer, in respect to civilizing influences the Black contribution was decisive. Sumer was likely one of many Nilotic Kushite colonies in early Asia. The Bible refers to their King Nimrod as a Son of Kush. It is also interesting to note that one of the earliest cities to gain prominence in Sumer was called Kish, a Nilotic derivative of the name Kush. Note the name Kush ,Kish or Cush is indigenous to the people that they were generally applied. Meaning only those from Kush would assign themselves that name or any derivative thereof.
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