The Legacy of Mesopotamia and Judaism (Chapter 2 Sections 3 & 4) By Ms Merritt

King Solomon (49-50) Solomon’s kingdom was called Israel and developed trade agreements with neighboring lands. The Israelites sold and traded solid palm, olive oils, honey, fruits, vegetables, and grain. They also developed trade routes in the Mediterranean Sea which gained them over 13 tons of gold. Solomon made the city of Jerusalem his capital and built a beautiful temple in the middle. In 722 B.C. the Assyrians seized Israel and exiled thousands of Israelites. Exiled means to force people to live in another country.

Hammurabi’s Code (40-42) A code is an organized list of laws which are applied to all. Hammurabi’s Code did not apply to everyone equally. Higher class victims meant harsher penalties Written laws allowed everyone to know the rules and punishments. Therefore while the punishments may have seemed harsh, everyone was able to know the laws by reading them.

Writing in Mesopotamia (42-44) Writing developed in Mesopotamia in 3500 B.C. The people of Sumer developed writing long before Hammurabi’s Code was developed, so that they could keep records. They kept records of sales, trades, tax payments, gifts to the gods, marriages, and deaths. Scribes made clay tablets from the clay in the bottoms of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Initially, each object had its own symbol.

The City of Tyre and the Phoenicians (Pages 45-47) Throughout the Mediteranean, purple dye was deemed valuable. This was made from special snails. This made the city of Tyre very wealthy. The Phoenicians who lived in a region of Tyre looked to expand westward unlike their Mesopotamian counterparts. Trade took place at large bazaars where foods such as figs, olives, honey, and spices were sold. Merchants also sold unique animals such as giraffes and warhogs from Africa and Europe.

The Phonecian Alphabet (47) As time went on the Phoenicians developed a set of symbols which represented the 22 sounds of the language. This was called the alphabet. The alphabet allowed ordinary people to learn how to write because it was much simpler than the cuneiform that scribes wrote in.

The Rise of the israelites The small group of people who settled along the shore of the Mediterranean just South of Phoenicia were known as the Israelites. They lived as shepherds and merchants just outside the city. They believed in monotheism which means the belief in one God. “According to the Bible, a leader named Abraham led his people to belief in one God” (48). In 1900 B.C. when the Israelites moved to Canaan there was a famine. A famine is a time when there is so little food that many people starve. Many of the Israelites left for Egypt.