Transcript Ancient Middle East

Middle East map
Iraq
Mesopotamian Empires, 1800-600 BCE
Mesopotamia
It means the “land
between the rivers (Tigris
and Euphrates).
Cities emerged around
4000 BC.
Ziggurat of UR markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
Ziggurat of Ur
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World’s oldest civilization.
Sumer
Ziggurats were massive
stepped pyramids used as
temples.
“The Epic of Gilgamesh”
was a story about
Gilgamesh’s search for
immortality.
Had a polytheistic religion.
First writing system
(cuneiform).
Empires in the Ancient Middle East
Empires in the
Ancient Middle East
Akkad
Led by Sargon (2370 BC2315 BC), the Akkadians
conquered the land of
Sumer.
Akkad
Sargon created the first
empire in history.
Babylonians
Ruled from 1830 BC to
1530 BC.
Their capital was
Babylon.
Hammurabi (1792 BC1750 BC) created a
severe law code.
Assyrians
The Assyrians (1300612 BC) had a
professional army
(officers, archers, iron
weapons). “A land
bathed in blood.”
New Babylonian
(Chaldean)
600 BC to 550 BC.
King Nebuchadnezzar II
created the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Mesopotamian Empires, 1800-600 BCE
The Persians
Ruled from 539 BC to
331 BC.
Founded by Cyrus the
Great who allowed
freedom of religion.
Tomb of Cyrus the Great
Lost army of Cambyses

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Persian Empire
The Persians were
conquered by
Alexander the Great
and the Greeks.
Egypt
Egypt and Nubia: “gifts
of the Nile.” Began to
emerge around 4,000
BC.
Nile Valley: 3,000 BC-2,000 BC
Egyptians
Nubians
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menes.jpg
The pharaoh, Menes,
unified Egypt around
3100 BC.
Old Kingdom
Lasted from 2660 BC to
2160 BC.
Great pyramids of Giza
were built. Khufu
(Cheops) is the largest.
Khufu
Pyramid of Chephren and the Great Sphinx
Khufu, Chephren, and Menkure
Mentuhotep
Middle Kingdom
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Lasted from 2040 BC to
1640 BC.
The Hyksos used bronze
weapons and chariots to
conquer Egypt in the 17th
C. BC.
New Kingdom
Lasted from 1550 BC
to 1070 BC.
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The Egyptians regained
power and conquered
other lands.
After the New Kingdom,
Egypt fell to a series of
foreign conquerors.
Imperial Egypt, 1400 BC
Hatshepsut
First female pharaoh.
She ruled from 1479 BC
To 1458 BC.
Egyptian Religion
Main gods were the sun
gods Amon and Re.
Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten)
promoted the worship of
only one god--Aten. It
didn’t last.
Reign: 1379 BC-1362 BC
Nefertiti (1372-1350 BCE): Akhenaten’s
wife
Tutankhamun (1361-1352 BCE)
Cult of Osiris:
Egyptians believed that
Osiris, the god of the
underworld, determined
who would have eternal
life.
Osiris
Isis, Osiris, a pharoah, Horus
Anubis, Ammit, and Thoth
Judaism
Followers are called
Jews.
Abraham led a group of
Hebrews (a tribe) from
Mesopotamia to
Palestine in 1850 BC and
some went to Egypt.
Moses: Some Jews
returned with him to
Palestine around 1300 BC.
He promoted monotheism
and the Ten
Commandments, which
are moral standards.
The Torah is a Jewish holy
book.
Jerusalem became their
capital.
Jews worship in
synagogues.
If you could travel back in time to ancient Egypt
or Mesopotamia and had the chance to interview
somebody, who would it be? What would you
ask him or her?