Egypt

AIM / Do now Aim: Students will understand the natural similarities that Egypt had with Mesopotamia and the differences that gave Egypt advantages. Do Now: look at these laws from Mesopotamia (Hammurabi) what conclusions about society can you make ? Write a short response. 196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. [An eye for an eye] 199. If a man put out the eye of a man's slave, or break the bone of a man's slave, he shall pay one-half of its value 205. If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off. 282. If a slave say to his master: "You are not my master," and they convict him, his master shall cut off his ear. 209. If a man strike a free-born woman so that she lose her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels for her loss. 210. If the woman dies, his daughter shall be put to death.

Meme of the Day

Egypt The Geography of Egypt 1) One of the world’s first civilizations developed along the banks of the Nile In northeastern Africa 2) Nile = world’s longest river 3) People of the Nile relied on the river’s yearly floods to bring them water 4) Green Nile Valley = stark contrast to deserts surrounding it on either side What are the similarities with Mesopotamia?

The Nile River

Nile

Similarities to Mesopotamia 1) yearly flooding brought the water and rich soil that allowed settlements to grow. 2) rains and melting snow from the mountains of east Africa caused the Nile River to rise and spill over its banks. 3) left behind a rich deposit of fertile black mud called silt. – Great for farming. 4) Before the scorching sun could dry out the soil, the peasants would prepare their wheat and barley fields. 5) All fall and winter they watered their crops from a network of irrigation ditches. 6) 5000 B.C.E - farmers began to settle down in the Valley

Differences with Mesopotamia Compared to the unpredictable Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Nile was as regular as clockwork. How might this difference in the rivers of Mesopotamia and Egypt effect the Sumerians and the Egyptians views of God?

The abundance brought by the Nile was so great that the Egyptians worshiped it as a god who gave life and seldom turned against them. ancient Greek historian Herodotus remarked in the fifth century B.C., Egypt was the “gift of the Nile.” Natural Protection from invaders 1) deserts 2) cataracts (waterfalls) in the Nile Egypt was Isolated from other civilizations Differences

More Natural advantages The Nile provided transportation 1) Water flowed North - northbound boats simply drifted with the current. 2) Winds blew south - carrying sailboats against the river current. Why would this be good for Egypt? Think of some of the different themes we have talked about regarding geography.

Not Everything was Great When the Nile’s floodwaters were just a few feet lower than normal, the amount of fresh silt and water for crops was greatly reduced. Thousands of people starved. • When floodwaters were a few feet higher than usual, the unwanted water destroyed houses, granaries, and the precious seeds that farmers needed for planting. • The vast and forbidding deserts on either side of the Nile acted as natural barriers between Egypt and other lands. They forced Egyptians to live on a very small portion of the land and reduced interaction with other peoples.