1. Mesopotamia & the Fertile Crescent- The Cradle of Civilization

2. 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

4. Tigris River, Mosul, Iraq

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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

8. Cuneiform Clay Tablet

9. 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

10. 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

11. Hammurabi

12. 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”

13. Code of Hammurabi
Eight feet tall
Contains 282 laws

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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

20. Hanging Gardens

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

22. 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