Download The Ancient Fertile Crescent

The Ancient Fertile Crescent

The Middle East: The Cradle of Civilization

Mesopotamia • Between Tigris and Euphrates rivers • Not a lot of resources • Control of rivers key to development • Traders use the rivers or go overland • Wealth builds Sumerian cities

Sumerian Civilization • 12 separate citystates that battle for land and water • Ruler in each city is chief servant of the gods • Maintains city walls, irrigation system, leads armies

Social Structure • Each city-state has its own hierarchy • Ruling family; officials; high priests • Lesser priests; scribes; merchants; artisans • Peasants; slaves

Religion • Polytheistic • Gods have human characteristics • Afterlife • Underworld • Each city-state built a ziggurat dedicated to the city’s god or goddess

Ziggurat at Ur Temple

Mountain of the Gods

Cuneiform • Earliest form of writing • Pictographs of clay tablets • Becomes symbols for complicated thoughts • Records; economic exchanges; myths; prayers; laws, business contracts

Cuneiform Writing

Deciphering Cuneiform

Sumer’s Legacy • 1900 BC Sumer is gone • Other’s adapt cuneiform and spread Sumerian ideas • Astronomy and mathematics • 60 minute hour; 360 degree circle • Knowledge is passed along to the Greeks and Romans

Hammurabi • 1790 BC-King of Babylon • Controls Mesopotamia • Law Code • Civil Law • Criminal Law

Hammurabi’s Code

Babylonian Numbers

Other Empires • 1400 BC Hittites • Iron working; horsedrawn chariot • 1350 BC Assyrians • Trade and war • 612 BC Nebuchadnezzer revives Babylon

The Persians • Cyrus the Great • 580-529 BC • 539 BC conquers Babylon • A tolerant ruler • Empire stretches from Asia Minor to India

Darius the Great • 522-486 BC • Divided empire into provinces headed by a governor called a satrap • Law code; money economy • Built the Royal Road and Persepolis

Persepolis

The People of Persepolis

Persepolis

The Royal Road

Zoroastrianism • Founded by Zoroaster about 600 BC • Ahura Mazda aka the Wise Lord • Good vs. Evil • Judgment Day • Heaven/Hell • Priests are called magi

The Phoenicians • Sailors and traders • Carriers of civilization • Colonized and traded all around the Mediterranean • Developed an alphabet with 22 symbols that the Greeks adapt-it becomes ours

The Egyptians • Nile River • Upper and Lower • Old, Middle, New Kingdoms • Pharaoh • Pyramids and mummies • Hieroglyphics

Roots of Judaism • Hebrews; Palestine • Monotheistic; • 2000 BC-Covenant with Abraham • Torah • Prophets • Law and Morality; The Ten Commandments