Transcript New Freshmen Chap 2

Chapter 2: Ancient Middle East and Egypt 3200
B.C.-500 B.C.
Section 1: City-States of Ancient Sumer
Early Civilizations arose in the Fertile Crescent
• The Fertile Crescent was influenced by various
groups:
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-nomads
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-invaders
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-traders
• This resulted in cultural diffusion
• Geography Influences the Fertile Crescent
• Mesopotamia lies within the Fertile Crescent
• This was the sight of the worlds first
civilization, Sumer (3300 B.C.)
• Mesopotamia was subjected to yearly floods of
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
• Villagers had to work together to control the
rivers to ensure survival
• Supervision was needed to oversee the
building of:
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dikes
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irrigation ditches
• This was an early form of local government
• The Sumerians were able to build cities
despite few natural resources (brick)
• The Sumerians also traded with far away
lands which implies they had invented the
wheel
• Sumerian Civilization Takes Shape
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Sumer consisted of 12 city-states
They were protected by war leaders
Over time this evolved into heredity rule
City-states had a social hierarchy:
-ruling family, leading officials, high priests
-lesser priests, scribes, merchants, artisans
-peasant farmers, slaves
Sumerian women were higher socially than
most women of the time
• Women had fewer legal rights than men
however
• Sumerians were polytheistic
• To keep the gods happy, Sumerians built
large ziggurats to honor them
• They believed in an after life which
resembled hell rather than heaven
• Sumerians invented writing known as
cuneiform
• Cuneiform was used for most day to day
activities
• Lasting Legacy of Sumer
• By 1900 b.c. the Sumerians had been wiped
out by invaders
• Sumerians left behind a lasting legacy:
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-cuneiform
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-astronomy
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-mathematics
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-60 minute hour
• Most important was Sumerian culture
being passed on to the Greeks and
Romans
• Pg 30 Vocab
• Pg 34 3-5
• (pg 37 1-7)
• Section 2: Invaders, Traders and Empire
Builders
• First Empires Arise in Mesopotamia
• Powerful invader rulers created a wellorganized empire
• Sargon created the worlds first empire
around 2300 b.c.
• He ruled with the help of local rulers who
served as kings
• By 1790 b.c. Hammurabi controlled most of
Mesopotamia
• He made sure that laws were written down
• He had about 300 laws known as
Hammurabi’s Code
• Hammurabi distinguished between civil and
criminal law
• Civil: private rights and matters
• husbands had legal rights over wives
• husbands had legal duty to support their
wives
• Criminal: dealt with offenses against
others
• This code discouraged people taking the law
into their own hands
• Punishments were extremely harsh, but
imposed social order
• Hammurabi also improved the irrigation system
and created a well trained army
• Conquests Bring New Empires and Ideas
• The Hittites came to the region around 1400 b.c.
• They had a knowledge of iron which produced
stronger weapons and tools
• By 1100 b.c. the Assyrians came to the region
and were one of the most feared
• They promoted social order, and created the
worlds first library
• By 625 b.c. the Babylonians had taken over the
area
• Their leader, Nebuchadnezzar, built up the city
of Babylon to one of the greatest of the time
• The Persians Establish a Huge Empire
• The Persians claimed the area around 539
b.c.
• The Persians, under Cyrus, created the
largest empire up to that time
• Unlike other conquerors, the Persians
accepted and respected the customs of the
people they conquered
• The Persian Empire was united under Darius
Ist
• He broke the empire into provinces, each
ruled by a governor
• Darius drew up a single set of laws for his
empire
• He improved transportation by building
hundreds of miles of roads
• He encouraged the use of coins making the
transition from barter to money economy
• The Persians became monotheistic believing
in good vs. evil
• Contributions of Phoenician Sea Traders
• Phoenicians were Mediterranean sailors who
set up colonies in trading areas
• They established the first written alaphabet
• Pg 44 3-8
Section 3: Kingdom of the Nile
• Ancient Egypt has two regions:
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-Upper Egypt (south)
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-Lower Egypt (north)
• Both regions were united in 3100 b.c. by King
Menes
• The Nile acted as a highway between north
and south
• The river was a major source of revenue for
Egyptian trade merchants
• The Old Kingdom Forms
• Ancient Egypt is divided into 3 periods:
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-Old Kingdom (2575 b.c. – 2130 b.c.)
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-Middle Kingdom (1938 b.c. – 1630 b.c.)
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-New Kingdom (1539 b.c. – 1075 b.c.)
• In the Old Kingdom, Pharaohs created a strong
centralized state
• Pharaohs were viewed as both divine and
human
• Pharaohs set up bureaucracies to ensure an
orderly run government
• The pyramids were built during the Old
Kingdom in necropolises (cemeteries)
• The Turbulent Middle Kingdom
• The Old Kingdom collapsed due to power
struggles and the cost of building the pyramids
• The Middle Kingdom was plagued by problems
• In 1700 b.c. foreign invaders known as Hyksos
invaded and controlled the area for 100 years
• The Hyksos were so impressed with the
Egyptians that they adopted their culture and
ushered in the New Kingdom
• New Kingdom Egypt Grows Strong
• During this period, a large Egyptian Empire was
built
• Many powerful rulers, including women, served
during this period
• Egypt fought with it’s neighbors, and the worlds
first peace treaty was signed between Egyptians
and Hittites
• By 1100 b.c. invasions led to the decline of Egypt
• The Greeks followed by the Romans eventually
took control of the fertile area
• Pg 44 vocab
• Pg 48 3-5
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Section 4 Egyptian Civilization
Religion Shapes Life in Ancient Egypt
Egyptians were polytheistic
Their chief gods were the sun god Re and
lord of the gods Amon-Re
Osiris was the god of the dead and of the
Nile
In 1380 b.c. the Pharaoh Akhenaton
challenged beliefs in many gods, but he
faced much resistance
How Egyptians viewd the Afterlife
Egyptians believed that one had to pass
tests to win eternal life
• Sinners would be fed to the eater of the dead
• Non sinners would go to Happy Field of Food
• Egyptians buried the dead with everything
needed in the afterlife
• Mummification was used to preserve bodies
to use in the next life
• Egyptians Organize their Society
• The Egyptians used the pyramid structure of
society
• At the bottom were the peasants, most of
whom were farmers
• Women held higher social status than other
women of the area
• Egyptians make Advances in Learning
• Egyptians developed an advanced writing
system
• Hieroglyphics was a complex system of
symbols and pictures
• Hieratic was a simpler everyday form of
writing
• Egyptians were also skilled in mathematics,
science and astronomy
• Doctors could perform complex operations
• They created the 12 month 30 day calendar
• They created geometry by redrawing their
fields after floods
• Egyptians Develop Arts and Literature
• They left behind statutes, paintings and
poems
• Paintings portrayed scenes from everyday
life
• Literature included prayers, poems and folk
stories
• Pg 50 vocab, pg 56 3-6
• Section 5: Roots of Judaism
• The Ancient Israelites were the first major
group to be monotheistic
• They recorded events and laws in the Torah,
first five books of the Bible
• The leader, or father of the Israelites was
Abraham around 2000 b.c.
• Israelites believe that God and Abraham
made a covenant
• They believed that they were God’s chosen
people
• Moses also entered into a covenant with God
and led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt
• Around 1000 b.c. the Israelites established
the kingdom of Israel
• Kings of Israel transformed it into a
magnificent city dedicated to God
• High taxes caused much division among the
Israelites
• This caused two kingdoms to form:
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-Israel in the North
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-Judah in the South
• The Assyrians and the Babylonians invaded
and defeated both kingdoms
• Eventually most settled in Judah and became
known as Jews
• Judaism Teaches About Law and Morality
• The Torah contained many laws, including
moral principles
• Men held the greatest legal and moral
authority
• The Ten Commandments are the most
important Jewish Laws
• Prophets taught ethics and reminded Jewish
people of their duties
• Eventually Jews were spread out over the
area, and survived in small groups
• Today they have influenced Christians and
Muslims
• Pg 57 vocab, pg 60 3-5