The Fertile Crescent
Mesopotamia
“land between the rivers”
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Irrigation and drainage ditches leads to: growing crops on regular basis
Civilization develops
First Civilization :The Sumerians
3500 BC
1. Cities
City-State: basic unit of the Sumerian civilization
Examples: Ur, Uruk, and Kish
2. Government
Theocracy – ruled by divine authority
Kings got their power directly from the gods
Priest & priestesses supervised the temples and had a great deal of power
3. Religion
Temples were dedicated to the chief god or goddess of the city
Built on a massive stepped tower called a ziggurat
Polytheistic – belief in many gods
The Ziggurat
4. Social Structure
5. Writing
Cuneiform – “wedged shaped” system of writing
Scribes held the most important positions in society
6. Art & Technology
Wagon wheel
Potter’s wheel
Sundial
Astronomy
Number system based on 60
Geometry
Arch
First Empires
Large political state or unit, usually under a single leader, that controls many people or territories. Easy to create & difficult to mainta
Babylon
Hammurabi – leader
Established a legal code based on strict justice
Code of Hammurabi
Based on the principle of retribution – “An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth”
Patriarchal society – dominated by men
The Phoenicians 1100 BC
Phoenicians
Best known for their alphabet
Simplified writing by using 22 different signs to represent the sounds of speech
Passed on to the Greeks and eventually to us
Children of Isreal
Movement of the Jews
7000 B.C. move from Ur to Palestine
Drought around 1650 B.C. moved them from Palestine to Egypt
Jews were enslaved in Egypt
“ten lost tribes” 722 B.C.
Monotheists
Believed in only one God
All other religions at this time were polytheistic
Covenant, Commandments, Prophet
Assyria
From Northern Mesopotamia they were warlike and cruel
671 BC--crushed Mesopotamia and Egypt
612 BC--destroyed by combined enemies
Persia
550 BC Cyrus the Great conquers Fertile Crescent and Asia Minor
Wise and tollerant conqueror
Respected local religions
Prevented destruction
Sent Jews back to Palestine
Died in combat
Wise and tollerant conqueror
Respected local religions
Prevented destruction
Sent Jews back to Palestine
Died in Battle
Tomb of Cyrus the Great
Cambyses becomes king--back to brutality
Darius the Great (probably killed Cambyses)
Extended the empire
continued policies of Cyrus
Created efficient government
Divided into 20 Provinces
United his empire through standard roads, coins, weights and measures
The Great Royal Road
Empire lasted 1,000 years
Zoroastrianism
Religion of the Persians
Founder was Zoroaster 600 B.C.
Teachings written in the Zend Avesta
Monotheistic
Spiritual armies of light and dark
Day of judgement
Free will
The Fall of Persia
Weak Kings after Darius
Too many sons fighting for power (one had 115)
Alexander the Great