Final answer:
An ancient Mesopotamian traveling the most direct route from Borsippa to Eshunna would need to cross two rivers: the Euphrates and the Tigris.
Step-by-step explanation:
Traveling from Borsippa to Eshnunna in Ancient Mesopotamia
To determine how many rivers an ancient Mesopotamian would need to cross to get from Borsippa to Eshunna on the most direct route, we must understand that Mesopotamia, known as "the land between the rivers," was situated between the two major rivers of the ancient world, the Tigris and Euphrates. Borsippa was located to the west of the Euphrates, while Eshunna was situated to the east of the Tigris. Considering the geography of the region and the flow of the rivers from north to south, an individual would have to cross the Euphrates River first when traveling from Borsippa, and then after traversing the land between the two rivers, they would need to cross the Tigris River to reach Eshnunna. Therefore, on the most direct route, an ancient Mesopotamian would have had to cross a total of two rivers.