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Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia. The Cradle of Civilization. Vocabulary. Vocabulary. Fertile Crescent Silt Irrigation Canals Surplus Division of Labor. Rural Urban City-state Empire Polytheism Priests Social Hierarchy. Vocabulary. Cuneiform Pictographs Scribe Epics Architecture Ziggurats.

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Mesopotamia

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  1. Mesopotamia The Cradle of Civilization

  2. Vocabulary

  3. Vocabulary • Fertile Crescent • Silt • Irrigation • Canals • Surplus • Division of Labor • Rural • Urban • City-state • Empire • Polytheism • Priests • Social Hierarchy

  4. Vocabulary • Cuneiform • Pictographs • Scribe • Epics • Architecture • Ziggurats • Monarch • Hammurabi’s Code • Chariot • Nebuchadnezzar • alphabet

  5. Guided Notes

  6. Mesopotamia • The Tigris and the Euphrates • The word Mesopotamia means literally land between the rivers, or middle of the rivers. • Located in present day Iraq • The Tigris is the eastern river; The Euphrates is the western river. • Both flow from SE Turkey

  7. Mesopotamia • Fertile Crescent • The area the arcs from the Persian Gulf north to SE Turkey, and then SW to Jerusalem. • Three societies developed in the Fertile Crescent: • Assyria • Akkad • Sumer

  8. Mesopotamia • Sumer • creators of the first Mesopotamia civilization • City-states – first urban areas • Eridu, Ur, and Uruk • Fortified cities surrounded by a wall; in Sumer, mud-baked bricks where used in building

  9. Mesopotamia • The biggest and most important buildings were religious in nature. • Ziggurats – Built to honor the chief god/goddess of the city was central in location, as religion played a central role in the lives of the Sumerians. • Theocracy – the priest/priestesses ruled not only in the spiritual realm, but the governmental too. • eventually secular rulers did

  10. Mesopotamia • Economy • Barter economy • Traded with other city-states and civilizations • Usually wheat, metal-works, woolen cloth

  11. Mesopotamia • Society • Class system (social hierarchy) – three parts • Nobles – royals, priests, and their families • Commoners – Farmers, merchants, fisherman, and craftsmen • Slaves

  12. Mesopotamia • World’s First Empires • Sargon • Leader of the Akkadians • took over many city-states to become the first empire • Babylon and Hammurabi • Northern Mesopotamian city-state • Hammurabi, the leader of Babylon

  13. Mesopotamia

  14. Mesopotamia • The Code of Hammurabi • Law system based on crime and punishments that are equitable to the crime. • Some punishments were severe • “If a man has committed highway robbery and has been caught, that man should be put to death.” - Code of Hammurabi No. 22 • Class-based • “If a free man has destroyed the eye of a member of the aristocracy, they shall destroy his eye.” - Code of Hammurabi No. 196

  15. Mesopotamia • The Code of Hammurabi continued • Emphasized government responsibly of their actions and decisions • Business responsibility • Family and Marriage Laws • Biggest section of the laws • Insured the rights of men as the patriarchs of Babylonian society • Women did not have many rights • Could be drowned

  16. Mesopotamia • Religion in Babylon • Polytheistic – multiple gods • Animistic- gods represented different elements of nature • Gods were superior to men, and men could not trust them

  17. Mesopotamia • Writing and Literature in Sumer • Writing - pictograph • Cuneiform “wedge-shaped” on to clay/stone tablets • People who could write were called scribes • Uses: • record keeping • literature • Epic of Gilgamesh

  18. Mesopotamia • Sumerian Technology • Wagon wheel, Potter’s wheel • Plow, sundial, arch • Bronze • Medicine • Mathematics and geometry, and astronomy

  19. Mesopotamia • Other Civilizations • Hittites • From NW Asia combined with natives in Anatolia • Empire covered Asia Minor (Turkey) • First to use iron • Taken out by “Sea Peoples” (probably the Greeks)

  20. Mesopotamia • Phoenicians • In present day Lebanon • Traderswho traded purple dye, glass & cedar lumber • explored to expand their trade • started colonies around the Mediterranean, including Carthage • Phonetic Alphabet – used characters that represented sounds instead of individual words

  21. Chapter II Mesopotamia/Egypt

  22. Mesopotamia • Assyrians • warring civilization • very brutal to their captives, enslaving and taxing those whom they conquered. • Capital at Nineveh • lasted about 80 years

  23. Chapter II Mesopotamia/Egypt

  24. Mesopotamia • Chaldeans • Brought to power by King Nebuchadnezzar II • Babylon was its capital, soon fell to the Persians

  25. Mesopotamia • Persians • Cyrus expanded Persia from SW Iran to Mesopotamia and Babylon • Cambyses took Egypt • Darius took part of India and part of Greece

  26. Mesopotamia • PersianEmpire • 20 Satrapies • governed by satraps • Royal Road – from Sardis, Turkey to Susa, Iran • Relied heavily on the military to keep power • fell to Alexander the Great c. 330 BC

  27. Mesopotamia • Zoroastrianism • Zoroaster – founder of the religion • ZendAvesta – holy book • Monotheistic • Ahuramazda- the one good god • opposed by Ahriman- the evil one

  28. Mesopotamia • Israelites • Torah – the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) • Religion influenced Christianity and Islam • Came from Mesopotamia to Palestine (Canaan) • Went to Egypt because of drought then returned under Moses

  29. Mesopotamia • King Solomon • Jerusalem was the capital • By Solomon, Israelites had taken over all of Palestine • rebuilt the Jewish Temple at Jerusalem • Expanded the government, army, and trade • Israel was at its height under Solomon

  30. Mesopotamia • Divided Kingdom • split after Solomon • Israel with capital at Samaria • Assyrians overran Israel and the people married into the conquering peoples • Judea with capital at Jerusalem • Chaldeans overran Judah and were sent as captives to Babylonia

  31. Mesopotamia • Judaism • One God, Yahweh • created the world and everything in it • God rules all of the world, and all people are his servants, whether they know it or not • God was just and good, punished wrong doers and wanted goodness from the Jews • One could have a personal relationship with God • Monotheistic – a single God

  32. Mesopotamia • Judaism - continued • The covenant, law, and the prophets are the most important parts of the Jewish tradition • Covenant – agreement with Moses during the Exodus from Egypt • Law – was given to Moses in the Ten Commandments • Prophets – brought God’s word and direction to the Jews

  33. Mesopotamia • Judaism - continued • Different from other religions in the region • Monotheistic • All have access to God • Written down so no one can claim that he alone could claim God’s will • Would not accept conquers’ gods when captured

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