Mesopotamia & the Fertile Crescent- The Cradle of Civilization

The City States of Sumer Around 3000 B.C., Sumerians develop first city states City States are a city and the surrounding area of its control Developed in the Fertile Crescent between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Formed for: 1. protection 2. irrigation 3. trade

Tigris River, Mosul, Iraq

Important City States Ur, Uruk, and Umma are three important city states of Sumeria Religion is important. Each city state had a protector god and a ziggurat built for the god City states are controlled by kings and priests

Ziggurat at Ur Ziggurat:a stepped pyramid structure, with a temple or shrine located on top. Ziggurats were religious shrines, that symbolized a bridge between man on earth, and the gods in heaven.

Achievements of the Sumerians Developed one of the first writing systems called cuneiform “History begins at Sumer…” Cuneiform is written in clay by scribes; developed from pictograms A pen is used to make wedge shaped symbols

Cuneiform Clay Tablet

First culture to use the wheel Number system based on 60 Epic of Gilgamesh from city state of Uruk Story of a hero king Contains references to a great flood

Rise of the Babylonians Sumeria falls around 2006 BC City of Babylon becomes powerful under Emperor Hammurabi Hammurabi is a very strong leader Becomes known for Code of Hammurabi

Hammurabi

Code of Hammurabi World’s first set of laws Written “to make justice appear in the land so that the strong may not oppress the weak.” Used principle of “ an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”

Code of Hammurabi Eight feet tall Contains 282 laws

Examples of Laws 6. If any one steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death. 14. If any one steal the minor son of another, he shall be put to death.

22. If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death. 23. If the robber is not caught, then shall he who was robbed claim under oath the amount of his loss; then shall the community, and . . . on whose ground and territory and in whose domain it was compensate him for the goods stolen.

25. If fire break out in a house, and some one who comes to put it out cast his eye upon the property of the owner of the house, and take the property of the master of the house, he shall be thrown into that self-same fire. 55. If any one open his ditches to water his crop, but is careless, and the water flood the field of his neighbor, then he shall pay his neighbor corn for his loss.

War with the Assyrians is a constant problem 605 BC, Babylon is controlled by Chaldeans and emperor Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar rebuilds Babylon Builds Hanging Gardens and ziggurat that may have been Tower of Babel

Hanging Gardens

Nebuchadnezzar looks to expand empire Invades Egypt and Palestine Conquers Jerusalem, enslaved inhabitants BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY

Babylonian Achievements and Fall 60 minute hour, 12 month lunar calendar, multiplication tables Nebuchadnezzar’s successors are weakened by feuds Conquered by Persians under Cyrus II in 539 BC