Transcript Mesopotamia

Indo-European Migrations: 4m2m BCE
The Middle East: “The Crossroads of Three
Continents”
The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area
The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”
Sumerian Religion Polytheistic
Enki
Innana
Anthropomorphic Gods
• Settled in Mesopotamia in 3500 B.C.
• Built the world’s first cities (Ur, Uruk,
Eridu)
• Built ziggurats – temples in each citystate
– only priests could enter the temples
• Government: each city was
independent
–
–
–
–
A military leader was chosen to lead/protect
2700: military leaders were viewed as kings
Leaders served as king and high priest
The legal systems were not clear or
consistent
• Roles of Men and Women
– Men had ultimate authority over families
– Women possessed very few rights (buy/sell
prop.)
• Writing System
– Cuneiform: pictograms on wet clay
– Gilgamesh was written @ 1850 B.C.
• Religion: each god was over a natural force
– The gods were viewed as unpredictable/angry
• Inventions:
– The wheel, 12 mo. Calendar, arch, and sundial
– Developed bronze and metal plow
Mesopotamian Trade
“The Cuneiform World”
Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped”
Writing
Deciphering Cuneiform
Gilgamesh
Ziggurat at Ur
 Temple
 “Mountain
of the Gods”
Sophisticated Metallurgy
Skills
at Ur
Sargon of Akkad:
The World’s First Empire
Came to power in the 2300s B.C.
United the Mesopotamian city-states
The Babylonian Empires
• Hammurabi’s Babylonian Empire
– Amorites overran Sumerian centers (Babylon)
– Hammurabi became the dominant ruler
– Law Code: “Made Justice Appear in the Land”
• Law covered the entire region
• 282 sections on Daily Life
• Clear punishment for crimes
• Babylonian Society
– Upper Class: Kings, priests, nobles
– Middle Class: artisans, merchants, scribes,
farmers
– Lower Class: slaves (from war/had not paid debts)
– Borrowed ideas and techniques from Sumerians
• Writing system, farming techniques, & religion
Hammurabi’s [r. 1792-1750 B. C. E.] Code
Hittite Empire
Hattusas:
Capital of the Hittites
Hittite Chariots &
Warriors
A Balance of Power: 1200 B. C. E.
The Battle of Kadesh
Ramses II at Kadesh
Treaty of Kadesh
Phoenician Sea Routes
• The Phoenicians: Settled in Canaan
– Known as Palestine, “land of the
Philistines”
– Controlled the trade in the Med. Sea
– Used an alphabet to keep track of records
– Set up colonies and trading posts
Phoenician Alphabet
Carthage: Phoenicia’s
Mightiest Colony
The Assyrian Empire
• Lived in northern Mesopotamia
• Most lethal and ruthless military in the
Middle East
– Organized the military into different groups
– Fought with iron weapons
• 650 BC: had created Empire (capital –
Nineveh)
– Divided the empire into provinces
– Built a sophisticated system of roads
• 612 B.C. – the Chaldeans defeated the
Assyrians
Jewish Captives:
c
8
BCE
Babylon under the
Chaldeans
• Descendents of Hammurabi’s Empire
• Nebuchadnezzar – most powerful king
– Expanded the empire to include
Syria/Canaan
• Studied astrology: laid foundation for
astronomy
• Decline after Nebuchadnezzar
– weak kings + poor harvest + slow trade
• 539 B.C. – Persians seized Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II’s Babylon
Hanging Gardens
of Babylon?
Abraham’s Geneaology
HAGAR
ABRAHAM
Ishmael
12 Arabian
Tribes
SARAH
Isaac
Jacob
12 Tribes of
Israel
Esau
• Lived in Canaan (Abraham)
• Monotheistic
– Worshiped one God (Yahweh)
• A divine covenant w/ Abraham
• Lived as nomadic shepherds
• Jacob and 12 sons
– Joseph was sold into slavery
– Fled to Egypt
– Later enslaved
Yahweh’s “Covenant” With His
People
 The first 5 books
of the Hebrew
Bible.
 The most sacred
text in the Jewish
religious tradition.
The Torah
Moses
“Prince of Egypt”
“Shepherd of His People”
• Moses and the Exodus from Egypt
– Commemorated Passover
• Settling in Canaan: Joshua led them into
Canaan
– Fought against the Canaanites and Philistines
– Judges led the Twelve Tribes of Israel
• Saul (r. 1020-1012 B.C.): first Israelite king
• David (r. 1012-961 B.C.)
– Defeated Goliath
– Set up the capital in Jerusalem – economic prosperity
• Solomon (r. 961-922 B.C.)
– Built the Temple in Jerusalem
– Very prosperous economically
The Exodus
Route of the Exodus
Moses and the 10
Commandmets
A new “covenant”
with Yahweh
Mount Sinai
King David’s Empire
Solomon’s
Kingdom
Inside the Temple
Tabernacle
The Arc
of the
Covenant
The Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Today
Solomon’s Temple Wall: The “Wailing” Wall
• Israel’s Struggle
– 10 northern tribes broke away from the southern 2
– The 2 southern tribes became Judah (Jews)
• Exile of Kingdoms
– Assyrians and Chaldeans invaded and enslaved
Israel
– Exile in Babylon – prophets (Jeremiah) rose up
• Rebuilding Jerusalem
– 539 B.C. the Persians (Cyrus) conquered the
Chaldeans
– Darius allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to
rebuild
– The Torah was organized (first 5 books of the O.T.)
– The Diaspora (the scattering) began
Kingdoms
of
Judah
&
Israel
The Persians
The Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great
 A tolerant ruler  he Allowed
different cultures within his
empire to keep their own
institutions.
 The Greeks called him a
“Law-Giver.”
 The Jews called him “the
anointed of the Lord.” (In 537,
he allowed over 40,000 to
return to Palestine).
580 – 529 B. C. E.
Darius the Great
(526 – 485 B. C. E.)
 Built Persepolis.
 He extended the
Persian Empire to
the Indus River in
northern India. (2 mil.
s.q. mi.)
 Built a canal in
Egypt.
Darius the Great
(526 – 485 B. C. E.)
 Established a tax-collecting
system.
 Divided the empire into districts
called SATRAPS.
 Built the great Royal Road
system.
 Established a complex postal
system.
 Created a network of spies called
“the King’s eyes and ears.”
Ancient Persepolis
Persepolis
Persian Archers & Soldiers
Zarathustra [Zoroaster], 6c
BCE:
Good Thoughts, Good Deed, Good Words
“Tree of Life”
Extent of Zoroastrianism
Dualistic Battle of
Good vs. Evil
Ahura Mazda
“Holy Spirit”
Ahriman
“Destructive
Spirit”
Zend-Avesta
(The “Book of Law”)
The “Sacred Fire”  the force to fight evil