1. Mesopotamia “The Land between Two Rivers” Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

2. River Civilization With your elbow partner discuss:
Why would people group up and settle near rivers? what challenges might they face?
________________ _____________

3. Mesopotamia “land between two rivers” - the Tigris and Euphrates
the Fertile Crescent - area of rich soil in the Middle East where the agricultural revolution took place
Tigris and Euphrates had unpredictable flooding

4. With a partner list some positives and negatives to living in the Fertile Crescent.
What do you think the words cultural diffusion mean?

5. cultural diffusion
process of a new idea or a product spreading from one culture to another culture as trade began to develop from one city-state to another

6. city-state vs. empire
city and all its surrounding lands that function as an independent political unit
City-states evolved into empires
Empire- controlled by a single ruler aka a monarchy

7. Contributions of Mesopotamian Cultures

8. Major Groups in Mesopotamia
Sumerians
Babylonians
Chaldeans
Assyrians
Persians
Hebrews
Phoenicians
           
   

9. Sumerians Technology arch, wheel, plow, & sail
astronomy & fortune telling
number system - 6’s & 12’s
concept of city-state
Ziggurat – Temple “Mountain of God”
Cuneiform – Form of
writing using stylus
and wet clay tablet

10. Babylonians Hammurabi’s Law Code imperial government
1st written code of laws
imperial government
first to build Babylon

11. Hittites
Iron, chariots, hunters.

12. Phoenicians alphabet & writing with phonetic symbols
commerce & shipbuilding, sailing, trade
dyes and other products
murex

13. Hebrews (Israelites, Jews)
Monotheism – One God
Old Testament
concept of human dignity
Judaism

14. Assyrians
warfare: weapons, armor, cavalry, tactics, catapult and other siege tools
postal service
some roads
built city of Ninevah
improved writing

15. Assyrian Treasures

16. The Bronze Age
time when a people use bronze (mix tin and copper) rather than stone, bone, or copper
begins in BCE in Mesopotamia

17. polytheism monotheism
a belief in many gods
a belief in one god
(originated with the Hebrews – Judaism)

18. EARLY LAW CODES

19. Think - Pair - Share
What governmental systems were established in early civilizations and why?
What legal ideas can be traced to ancient civilizations?
How were religious philosophies integrated into these ancient systems?

20. HAMMURABI’S CODE OF LAWS
first set of written/codified laws (282)
In cuneiform
deal with what Mesopotamians value: family relations, crime, and property issues
follow “eye for an eye” philosophy
Emphasizes government responsibility for society

21. Hammurabi’s Code of Laws
How would these strict laws better the community as a whole?
This document made the laws more consistent and predictable.

22. LAW OF MOSES
Includes Ten Commandments

23. LAW OF MOSES cont. Transcribed by Moses on Mt. Sinai
Sometimes resembles “eye for an eye”
strict justice softened by expressions of God’s mercy
Goal: moral life in accordance with God’s laws