mesopotamia -...
TRANSCRIPT
Spiritual Beginnings: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Hebrew
HEBREW
EGYPT
MESOPOTAMIA
MESOPOTAMIA
Geographically based.
Various ethnic groups settled in Mesopotamia.
Retained much of the original culture
c.3500-2350 BCE: Sumerians
Primarily a farming community.
3000 BCE: Small village a City-States
3000 BCE: Invention of writing
Cuneiform Script
Sumerian Tokens c.3000BCE
Cuneiform Script c.2034BCE
c.2350-2000 BCE: Akkadians
Semites led by Sargon of Akkad
World’s first Empire
Retained Sumerian culture
Religion and literature
c.2000-1560 BCE: Babylonians
Akkadian speaking Semites
Babylon capital of the Empire
Retained Akkadian/Sumerian culture
Religion and literature
C.1792-1750 King Hammurabi
Code of Hammurabi (first laws)
Code of Hammurabi
c.850-612 BCE: Assyrians
War-like group from Northern Mesopotamia
Expansion of Empire into Egypt and Turkey
New Capital: Nineveh
King Ashurbanipal c.668-627 BCE
Created first library
c.612-539 BCE: Neo-Babylonians
Chaldean invaders
Retained Original Mesopotamian culture
Religion and literature
Continued expanding
Finally conquered by Persians c.539BCE
Mesopotamian Culture
Farmers
Water a Fertile Land a City-States aIncreased Culture and Technology
Architecture
Walls, City Gates, Art, Ziggurats.
Ziggurat of Ur c.2100 BCE
Technology
Wheel, the sail, the plow, the shanduf.
Law
Code of Hammurabi
People can live in harmony.
Writing
Cuneiform script
Essential for the development of society.
Math and Science
Creation of a calendar
The first Map of the World
Society in Mesopotamia
Upper Class Gov’t officials, rulers family, military leaders,
priests, landowners, wealthy merchants.
Commoners Merchants, farmers, artisans.
Slaves Foreigners conquered by war
Locals sold by poor parents.
Women
Equality
Farmers, craft-makers, merchants, priests…
Egyptians
Dynasty A period of time in which the country was
ruled by the same family line.
Kingdom A period of time in which the country was
unified by a series of strong dynasties.
Intermediate Period Ruled by a series of weak dynasties.
c.2660-2180 BCE: Old Kingdom
c.3100 BCE King Menes established 1st
Dynasty.
3rd Dynasty: Old kingdom begins
Built giant Pyramids
Great Pyramids of Giza
Mykerinus
Kheops
Khephren
c.2080-1640 BCE: Middle Kingdom
Ruler from Thebes
Conquered Nubia and traded with Asia
Middle kingdom fell to the Hyksos
c.1570-1075 BCE: New Kingdom
Egyptian ruled
World’s strongest power
20th Dynasty: End of New kingdom
Life and the Afterlife
Egyptian culture was built around the preparation of the afterlife
Technology, Math, Engineering
Medicine
Mummification
The Mummification Process
People and Society
Upper Class Ruling family, wealthy land owners, gov’t
officials, priests, military leaders, doctors
Middle Class Merchants, craftsmen, artisans, skilled
workers
Lower Class Farmers, slaves
Women
Upper and Middle Class
Equality
c.1490BCE: Hatshepsut ruled as Pharaoh.
c.1490 BCE: Hatshepsut
Hebrews
Ethnic group
Not geographically limited
c.2000-1200 BCE: The Early Hebrews
Semitic people (Jews)
The story of Abraham
12 tribes of Israel
Abraham’s Journey
c.1200-1020 BCE: Exodus
Migrate to Egypt
Enslaved
Moses frees the slaves
Migrate back to Canaan
c.1020-922 BCE: The Kingdom of Israel
United under King Saul.
Successor David
Capital: Jerusalem
Solomon
Built the great temple
Solomon's Temple
c.922-539 BCE: Divided Kingdom
Solomon's death a split kingdom
North:Israel South: Judah
Assyrian’s conquer Israel 722 BCE
Babylonia conquers Judah 572 BCE
People
Upper Class Tribal Patriarchs, military leaders, Priests
Middle Class Landowners, warriors, merchants, artisans
Lower Class Herders and farmers, servants, slaves
Women Usually very few rights