The Foundation
Ur, Iraq  2002

      This is believed to be the location of the house of Abraham of Ur, the Father of three great religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Only the foundation of the house is said to be the original. The walls of the house were rebuilt by Saddam Hussein. The Ziggurat, which is even more ancient, can be seen in the distance. Abraham’s foundation is a fitting symbol for the religious cooperation that we saw and experienced in Iraq.
      The composition of this picture serves as a symbol of the continuity that exists in this land: that which is ancient, the Ziggurat of the Sumerian civilization, with the three more recent religions/cultures springing from Abraham. This is the cradle of civilization. My hope is that, just as it was once the foundation for the beginning of civilization, it will one day again play a foundational role for peace for the nations.

CSpaulding
January 2003