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Ancient World History

Ancient World History. Chapter 2 First Civilization: Africa and Asia. Geography of the Nile Valley. “Egypt is wholly the gift of the Nile” Greek Historian Herodotus Nile gave life, while the desert around them protected Egypt from invasions Yearly Floods

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Ancient World History

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  1. Ancient World History Chapter 2 First Civilization: Africa and Asia

  2. Geography of the Nile Valley • “Egypt is wholly the gift of the Nile” • Greek Historian Herodotus • Nile gave life, while the desert around them protected Egypt from invasions • Yearly Floods • Every Spring, origins of the Nile would become flooded with rains • Flooded down river, depositing silt over Egyptian farmlands • Rich layer of soil • Egyptians eagerly anticipated floods

  3. Geography of the Nile Valley (Con’t) • Uniting the Land • Two regions of Egypt • Upper Egypt • Located near the first cataract, waterfall, of the Nile, Northward to within 100 miles of Mediterranean • Lower Egypt • Covered Delta region of the Nile • Triangular area of marshland formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of most rivers • Upper Egypt King, Menes • About 3100 B.C., united the two regions of Egypt • Used Nile extensively

  4. The Old Kingdom (2700-2200 B.C.) • Pharaohs, Egyptian rulers, organized a strong, centralized state • Considered Gods • Depended on vizier, chief minister to: • Collect taxes • Control farming • Organize irrigation system

  5. The Old Kingdom (2700-2200 B.C.) (Con’t) • Pyramids • Built during Old Kingdom • Preserved bodies, along with every they needed in pyramids • Built with two ton limestone blocks • Took decades to build • Power Struggles, crop failures, and cost of pyramids brought end of Old Kingdom

  6. The Middle Kingdom • Turbulent Period of Egyptian History • Irregularity of Nile flooding • Corruption and rebellions common • Delta taken over by Hyskos in 1700 B.C. • Egyptians learned about the horse drawn fighters • Began trading with Middle East

  7. The New Kingdom • Powerful Rulers • Ramses II most powerful from 1290-1224 B.C. • Pushed boundary of Egyptian empire to the Euphrates River • Decline • Outstretched army and loss of political power • Foreign armies began invading as well

  8. Egypt and Nubia • Trade and fighting between Egypt and Nubia very common during each of the three kingdoms • Nubia traded ivory, cattle, slaves and gold to Egypt • Influenced art and culture as well

  9. Section 2 • Egyptian Civilization

  10. Egyptian Religion • Chief Gods and Goddesses • Amon Re • Chief God • Sun God • Osiris • Ruled the underworld and God of the Nile • Isis • Taught women to grind corn, spin flax, weave cloth and care for children • Religious Rebellion • About 1380 B.C. Pharaoh Akhenanton challenged priest of Amon Re • Wanted to serve God Aton • Preist ultimately returned to Amon Re after Akhenton died

  11. Egyptian Religion (Con’t) • Belief in Afterlife • Fateful Test • Must pass test to win eternal life • Osiris would test the heart of the dead to the feather of truth • People lived according to the Book of the Dead • Mummification • Preservation of the dead • Done so the soul would have a body in the afterlife

  12. Evidence of the Tomb of Tutankhamen • Most pharaohs were buried in the Valley of the Kings • Treasures were stripped from tombs over the centuries • Except for Tutankhamen’s tomb • Son-in-law of Akhenton • Tomb filled with vast treasures • Not found till 1922

  13. Egyptian Society • Life of the Farmer • Most were slaves • Work soil, repairing dikes and building lavish buildings for the pharaohs • Social Change • New Kingdom trade brought more riches to merchants and artisans • The merchant class grew slightly stronger

  14. Egyptian Society (Con’t) • Women • Enjoyed generally greater independence than other civilizations • Women could: • Inherit land • Enter business deals • Obtain divorces, etc. • Jobs were still separated by Genders

  15. Egyptian Learning • Scribes kept recordings for high classes • Written records • Hieroglyphics • Pictures writing • Eventually involved ideograms • Pictures symbolizes action for ideas • Eventually developed demotic • Simpler form of writing • Wrote on papyrus • Paper not created in Africa yet

  16. Egyptian Learning (Con’t) • Rosetta Stone • Eventually hieroglyphic meanings were forgotten • A flat black stone with the same message written in three different languages • Hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Greek • Used to learn hieroglyphic language

  17. Egyptian Learning (Con’t) • Advances in Medicine and Science • Contained vast knowledge in medicine, astronomy, and mathematics • Medicine • Human body knowledge from mummification • Astronomers • Map the planets and developed a form of 12 month calendar • Mathematics • Used in engineering for building projects- Geometry

  18. Arts and Literature • Paintings and Sculptures • Very little artistic change in 1,000 years • Statues were stiff-standard forms • Sphinx • Pharaoh displayed as a fierce lion • Later influenced the Romans • Literature • Hymns, poems and prayers to the Gods

  19. Looking Ahead • After Egyptian Empire fell, the area remained as an economic and cultural center

  20. Section 3 • City States of Ancient Sumer

  21. Geography of the Fertile Crescent • Lies between the Tigris and Euphrates River • Also known as Mesopotamia • Floods and Irrigation • Floods were very violent • Many dikes and irrigation ditches were used to control the rivers • The Epic of Gilgamesh • The First Cities • Sumerians were the first to build • Built Ur and Erech • Mesopotamia was a very trade oriented region

  22. Sumerian Civilization • Government and Society • The ruler was in charge of city maintenance • Also often seen as servant of Gods • Had social hierarchies • System of ranks • Women had selective rights • Sumerian Religion • Polytheistic • Gods in control of all aspects of Life • Peoples highest duty to keep God’s happy • Built Ziggurats • Stepped pyramid temples • Offered sacrifices to please God’s

  23. Advances in Learning • Developed Cuneiform • Possible earliest form of writing • Developed basic algebra and geometry • Based number system on 6

  24. Looking Ahead • As a trading center, conquered by many other city-states • Passed on their own culture each time a new city-state conquered Mesopotamia

  25. Section 4 • Invaders, Traders and Empire Builders

  26. Ruling a Large Empire • Invasion and Conquest very common • The First Empire Builder (2300 B.C.) • Sargon, leader of Akkad, invaded Sumer • Ruled till his death • Hammurabi the Law Giver • King of Babylon, which united Mesopotamia • Also codified, or wrote down, all the laws which became known as the Code of Hammurabi

  27. Ruling a Large Empire (Con’t) • Crime and Punishment • Codified Criminal law • Offenses against another person • Also specified punishments • “an eye for an eye” • Codified Civil Law • Laws over private rights and matters • Contracts, taxes, marriage, etc.

  28. Warfare and Spread of Ideas • Secrets of Ironworking • Hittites learned to extract iron from ore • Ore plentiful and iron stronger than bronze or copper • Assyrian Warriors • Lived on Upper Tigris • Possessed knowledge of Iron • Considered fierce warriors • Took over Mesopotamia • Built Nineveh • Possibly built the biggest city of that time • Built First library

  29. Warfare and Spread of Ideas (Con’t) • Babylon Revived (612 B.C.) • Nebuchadnezzar defeated Assyrians and expanded Babylon Empire • Expanded knowledge of stars • Built famous Hanging Gardens

  30. Persian Empire (539 B.C.) • Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylonians • Persians practiced tolerance, or acceptance of conquered cultures • Uniting Many Peoples (522-486 B.C.) • United Persia under Darius • Set up provinces, with a governor called satrap • Set up a code of laws • Repaired or built hundreds of miles of roads

  31. Persian Empire (539 B.C.) (Con’t) • Economic Life • Set up common weights and measures • Used coins • Many still used barter system however • Trading goods for another • Coins did begin a form of money economy in Mesopotamia • New Religion • Zoroaster stressed monotheism • Belief in one God • Also stressed the idea of evil vs. Good, and idea of Heaven, hell and final judgment

  32. Phoenician Sea Traders • Gained fame as sailors and traders • Manufacturing and trade • Created glass from coastal sand • Developed words Bible and bibliography from the city of Byblos • Setup colonies • Territory controlled from afar

  33. Phoenician Sea Traders (Con’t) • Alphabet • Developed a system of 22 symbols for consonant sounds • Later Greeks adapted the system and added symbols for vowels • Thus 26 letters in our alphabet

  34. Section 5 • The Roots of Judaism

  35. Early History of the Israelites • Also known as Hebrews • Believed a Single God took a hand in their lives and wrote the Torah • First five books of today’s bible • A Nomadic People • Father of the Hebrews is Abraham • Eventually went to Canaan • Genesis tells of famine, which forced many Israelites to migrate to Egypt • Joseph and his brothers • Later Moses led them out of Egypt (Passover)

  36. The Kingdom of Israel (1000 B.C.) • David unites Israel into one nation • Son Solomon expands Israel’s influence and power • Also built the Temple of God • Division and Conquest • After Solomon’s death, Israel North and Judah to the South • Both parts fall to conquerors • Judah taken by Babylonians • Many psalms written during the Babylonian Captivity • Hebrews began being called Jews • Under Cyrus of Persia, Hebrews were released to Canaan • Book of Nehemiah

  37. A Covenant With God • One true God • Israelites were monotheistic • Belief in one God • Believed in an Omnipresent and Omnipotent • The Chosen People • Abraham believed he had a covenant with God • Binding Agreement • Gen. 12:2-3 • Moses renewed this covenant after the Exodus

  38. Teachings on Law and Morality • Torah spells out the laws for Israel • Patriarchal Society • Men held greater legal and moral authority • The Ten Commandments • Included keeping Sabbath as a holy day of rest • An Ethical World View • Prophets were the guiding pulse for Hebrews • Such as Isaiah and Jeremiah • Believed in strong ethics • Rulers were humans bound to God’s law as well

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