Cradle of Western Civilization: Mesopotamia – Tigris and Euphrates River Valley (present-day Iraq) Sumerians Babylonians Assyrians Phoenicians Hebrews

Geography: Fertile Crescent Lack of natural barriers Unpredictable flooding Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

History A number of successive civilizations occupied the same general area in a series of rises and falls over the course of several millennium.

Cultural Diffusion: The fact that different cultures shared ideas and characteristics is particularly important to this region as ideas were shared (or taken as they were conquered), modified and improved upon. During this time period a number of achievements started.

Government Monarchies – Military leaders who commanded soldiers displace priests as rulers; power passed on to their sons, who in turn passed it on to their sons; this leads to formation of early dynasties in river valley civilizations, (e.g., Sumerian city-states)

Gov’t cont. Hammurabi's Code: Political impact by developing a single code of laws from the customs of his day, Hammurabi made law something objective and less personal and therefore more stable and predictable

Hammurabi (1792 BC-1750 BC) Babylonian king establishes a written, uniform code of laws Hammurabi’s Code Political impact – By developing a single code of laws from the customs of his day, Hammurabi made law something objective and less personal and therefore more stable and predictable

Religion Polytheistic religion ▫ ziggurat (temple) the center of each city-state This is where you start to see monotheism. Hebrews Ten Commandments

Economy Agrarian FARMING As time passed they also had craftsmen and traders

Social Structure: ▫Preists - very powerful and important ▫Upper class - wore jewelry, men wore long hair/ beards and wore a skirt type garment. Women wore long dresses with one shoulder bare. ▫Lower class - wore the same type garments as the rich only theirs were not of the same materials. Wwore jewelry although theirs was not made of gold or precious stones. ▫Slaves - Sumerians keept slaves. Defeat another town or tribe in battle they would bring back the prisoners as slaves. King and the priests kept most slaves, but wealthy Sumerians could buy slaves to work for them.

Intellectual Sumerians: City-State Political Organization, smelting of metals, wheel, sail, plow, bronze, cuneiform Phoenicians – Alphabet Assyrians - Communication Chariots Military Organization Empire Building and Organization

Phoenicians o Alphabet o Trading Empire

Assyrians o Communication o Chariots o Military Organization ▫o Empire Building and Organization Assyrians Communication Chariots Military Organization Empire Building and Organization

▫ Epic of Gilgamesh o Early Literature: Story of a young ruler and his quest for immortality o Many note the similarities in theme to the Book of Ecclesiastics in the Bible o Hammurabi’s Code (first law code)

Persians o Roads (empire wide communication system) o Structure of government o Standing Army Persians Roads (empire wide communication system) Structure of government Standing Army

Hebrews o Monotheistic Religion o Torah / Law of Moses and the Prophets Hebrews Monotheistic Religion Torah / Law of Moses and the Prophets

The Hebrews: Abraham Founded by Abraham of Ur (Sumer) Yahweh, “One God,” told him to take his family and move to Canaan (The Promise Land). Nomadic Herdsmen o Descendents o Isaac The Hebrews: Abraham Founded by Abraham of Ur (Sumer) Yahweh, “One God,” told him to take his family and move to Canaan (The Promise Land). Nomadic Herdsmen Descendents Isaac

Ishmael (becomes the father of other tribes in the Palestinian Region)

Jacob  12 sons, each becoming one of the 12 Tribes of Israel  Renamed Israel o Joseph Moves the Hebrews to Egypt to escape famine.  Hebrews slowly move into bondage and become slaves to the Egyptians.

Exodus and conquering of Canaan ▫o After 400 Years of bondage, the Hebrew people are led by Moses from Egypt back to Canaan (the Promised Land). ▫o There they fight, retake the land, and set up the Kingdom of Israel. Exodus and conquering of Canaan After 400 Years of bondage, the Hebrew people are led by Moses from Egypt back to Canaan (the Promised Land). There they fight, retake the land, and set up the Kingdom of Israel.

▫King David is the most important of the Hebrew monarchs. ▫o They are conquered by the Babylonians but allowed to keep their religious and cultural practices. ▫o They are allowed to return to Canaan and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem

▫Conquered by the Roman Empire ▫Diasporas: The Hebrews (or Jews / Jewish People) leave their homeland and set up colonies around the Roman Empire. ▫They become a persecuted minority around the world, climaxing in Nazi Germany’s Holocaust in the 20 th Century.

Beliefs: ▫Monotheistic worship of Yahweh, the only omnipotent being and one true god. ▫o Law Code: Ten Commandments and Mosaic Law ▫o The Torah, the Talmud are the word of God (Yahweh) ▫o The Hebrews believe they have a special place in Yahweh’s plan for the world.

The Messiah: The Prophets of Judaism prophesy of the son of Yahweh who will be a deliverer or Savior to the Hebrew people; the dead will be resurrected by the Messiah.

Christianity ▫A religion founded on the belief that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the Messiah that the Hebrew’s have been waiting; Many Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) become followers of Jesus Christ. ▫ Christianity becomes the most important religion of the Western World. Christianity A religion founded on the belief that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the Messiah that the Hebrew’s have been waiting; Many Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) become followers of Jesus Christ. Christianity becomes the most important religion of the Western World.