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72 the crucial decisions that resulted in the most profound up- heaval on Earth since the Deluge. Augmented by the Date Formulas and varied other refer- ences, the principal sources for reconstructing those dramatic events are the relevant chapters in Genesis; Marduk’s autobi- ography, known as The Marduk Prophecy; a group of tablets in the “Spartoli Collection” in the British Museum known as The Khedorla’omer Texts; and a long historical/autobio- graphical text dictated by the god Nergal to a trusted scribe, a text known as the Erra Epos. As in a movie—usually a crime thriller—in which the various eyewitnesses and principals de- scribe the same event not exactly the same way, but from which the real story emerges, so are we able to reach the same result in this case. Marduk’s main chess move, in 2048 B.c.E., was to estab- lish his command post in Harran. By that he took away from Nannar/Sin this vital northern crossroads and severed Sumer from the northern lands of the Hittites. Besides the military significance, the move deprived Sumer of its economically vital commercial ties. The move also enabled Nabu “to mar- shal his cities, toward the Great Sea to set his course.” Place names in these texts suggest that the principal cities west of the Euphrates River were coming under full or partial con- trol of the father-son team, including the all-important Land- ing Place. It was into the most populated part of the Lands of the West—Canaan—that Abram/Abraham was commanded to go. He left Harran, taking his wife and nephew Lot with him. He was traveling swiftly southward, stopping only to pay homage to his God at selected sacred sites. His destination was the Negev, the dry region bordering the Sinai Peninsula. He did not stay there long. As soon as Shulgi’s successor, Amar-Sin, was enthroned in Ur in 2047 B.c.£., Abram was instructed to go to Egypt. He was at once taken to meet the reigning Pharaoh, and was provided with “sheep and oxen and asses, and male attendants and female servants, and she- asses and camels.” The Bible is mum regarding the reason for this royal treatment, except to hint that the Pharaoh, be- ing told that Sarai was Abram’s sister, assumed that she was THE END OF DAYS