THE FIRST CIVILIZATIONS6,000 B.C. – 587 B.C.

ANCIENT EGYPT

The Nile River 750-mile stretch to

the delta provided easy travel to Mediterranean Sea

Predictable annual floods provided fertile land

Climate and irrigation allowed for 2-3 crops per year

EGYPT (CONT)

Old Kingdom (2680 B.C. – 2180 B.C.) Pharaohs organized a

strong central state, were absolute rulers, and were considered gods

Egyptians built pyramids at Giza

Used hieroglyphics and wrote on papyrus

EGYPT (CONT)

Middle Kingdom (2050 B.C. – 1650 B.C.) Large canal project created arable

farmland Hyskos conquered lower Egypt

brought horse-drawn chariots and bronze

EGYPT (CONT)

New Kingdom (1570 B.C. – 1080 B.C.) Powerful pharaohs

created a large empire that reached the Euphrates River

Hatshepsut encouraged trade

Ramses II expanded Egyptian rule to Syria

EGYPT (CONT)

Achievements Geometry (to build

pyramids) Calendar (accurate 365

days) Later added a leap year

Medicine (including preserving bodies)

Khufu the Washington monument 346 feet

EGYPT (CONT)

Egyptians were polytheistic Amon-Re, sun god, was

most important Osiris, judged the dead and

was associated with the Nile

Believed in an afterlife Mummification prepared

people for death

EMPIRES OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT

The Fertile Crescent Formed by the Tigris

and Euphrates Rivers

Flooding not as predictable as Nile

Required canals and dikes to control water levels

FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)

Sumer Cuneiform Arch Ziggurat Wheel

bricks no wood in the area; steel had not yet been invented

at the top of the structure to get it as

close as possible to the sky, where the people believed the gods lived

FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)

Babylonians Code of Hammurabi

Harsh Punishment “eye for an eye”

Varied according to status Women had some legal

and property rights

FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)

Persians Cyrus the Great

Conquered people treated fairly

allowed to keep religions and laws

Secret agents kept king informed

FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)

Persians (cont)

Darius I Organized Persia into

territories Promoted trade and

commerce Standardized monetary system

Built Royal Road 1,500 mile road with fresh

horses Tolerant of religious

practices

FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)

Persians (cont)

Xerses I Focused on military Tried to conquer Greece

Defeated Spartans Burned Athens Defeated at Salamis

FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)

Phoenicians Traders that went as far as England Created the alphabet

Lydians Developed money economy

Canaanite to Phoenician to Greek to English

a triangleS

JUDAISM

Monotheistic – believe one god created the universe

First five books of the Bible are the Torah Law similar to Hammurabi Higher value on human

life

JUDAISM (CONT)

Abraham Father of the Jewish

people Told to leave his home to

create a great nation Blessed with a lot of

children

JUDAISM (CONT)

Moses Raised in the Pharaoh's

court God tells Moses to lead his

people on an exodus from Egypt to the promised land

God gives Moses the Torah and the Ten Commandments