Transcript Babylonians (2000 BC

Babylonians (2000 BC - 1550)
- One of the worlds first empires (a state in which
the ruler also controls other lands)
• Babylon was the capital city
• Hammurabi was the great king
• Needed a set of laws to govern all the people -Hammurabi’s Code
- eye for an eye
- the law applied differently to different people
- government had the responsibility of the people
Phoenicians (1100 BC - 850 BC)
- Very powerful traders and merchants
• Traded purple dye that came from snails
• Phoenicia is the capital city -- poor in natural
resources -- had to trade
• Excellent sailors -- may have traveled around
Africa
• Created trading colonies (300)
• Created an alphabet to keep records
– - 22 letters -- adopted by the Greeks
Jews (2000 BC)
• Began with Abraham
traveling to Canaan.
• Monotheists-worshiped one god
• Never had lots of
political power
• Moses - Led Jews out of
Egypt
• Was given the 10
Commandments
– Demanded a high standard
of morality
– King Solomon was greatest
of the kings
– Kingdom -- Israel
– Built temple -- later
destroyed
Assyrians (850 BC -612 BC)
• Assurbanipal -- most powerful king
• Very good fighters
– Iron weapons
– Most disciplined army -- marched in formation
– Tortured and sent away the people they
conquered
– Nineveh was the great city and prospered from
all of the war
Persians (550 BC - 350 BC)
• Empire based on tolerance and wise gov.
• Let local customs and religion remain the
same
• Cyrus -- first king, Cambyses, Darius
• Divided empire into 20 provinces
– Governor to each province (satrap)
– Built a road system
– Manufactured metal coinage
Egyptians (3300 BC - 300 BC)
• Nile River and desert provided protection
• Nile R. -- worshipped as a god, flooded regularly,
their lifeline.
• Pharaoh - god king; worshipped many gods polytheist.
• Achievements: hieroglyphics, pyramids,
number, calendar, Medicine
• Religion: Osiris judged for afterlife. Had concept
of afterlife and living forever.