1. The Major River Valley Civilizations
Characteristic of Civilization
Mesopotamia
Nile River Valley
(Egypt)
Indus River Valley
Huang He (Yellow) River Valley
Rise of Cities
Trading center
Not well protected, constant invasion
Trading center
Planned cities
Plumbing
Isolated due to mountains
Isolated due to mountains and deserts
Institutions
Theocratic Government
(Pharaohs rule as Gods)
Dynasties (Monarchy)
Writing System
Cuneiform
Hieroglyphics
Have not deciphered yet
Pictographs
Cultural Development
Polytheistic
Ziggurats
Wheel
Polytheistic,
Mummies,
Invented geometry for building
Pottery, statues
Animals important
Family & religion important
Specialization of Labor
Slaves did work, high class were rulers and priests, middle class merchants
Government officials, merchants, peasants
Priests, government jobs
Nobles were educated, peasants worked
Social Structure
High class, middle class, and lower class (slaves)
Divided but women had many rights
Some social division
Sharply divided between Nobles and Peasants

2. With the person sitting next to you (or the 3 in your row), decide on the 3 most important laws than any society must have- and the punishment for breaking each one. Be prepared to share your laws & punishments.

3. Early Laws: Hammurabi’s Code & the 10 Commandments
LG 3: Identify the impact of Hammurabi’s Code of Laws and the Ten Commandments. (TEKS/SEs 20B)

4. Vocabulary
Polytheism
Monotheism
Theocracy

5. Babylonian Empire
2,000 BC – nomadic warriors invaded Sumer (part of Mesopotamia)
Established Babylonian Empire
Greatest leader is Hammurabi
Developed world’s 1st uniform written legal code
(uniform: organized & applied to everyone)

6. Refer to Fertile Crescent

7. Hammurabi’s Code of Laws
Goal: Unify diverse groups within the empire
282 specific laws!
Engraved in stone and spread all over empire due to the administration of Hammurabi
Different punishments given to rich & poor, men & women
Based on principle of retaliation
“An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”

8. CIVILIZATION SPREADS Phoenician Sailors in Lebanon
Traded across Mediterranean
Invented alphabet
Indo-Europeans
Hittites introduced iron, horses, chariots
(think about how horse & chariot would
change life!)
Lydians introduced coins to area

9. Hebrews (Jews) in Palestine
Large Semitic migration in area
Monotheism
Abraham – 1st Prophet, receives message to worship only one God
Conduct determines salvation
There is only one God speaking through prophets, priests
God made a covenant with the Jews, his Chosen people
Note: Hebrew, Semites, Jews and Israelites are often used to refer to the same group of people.

10. Where Israelites Moved - Origins
1st - Migrated from Mesopotamia to Palestine
2nd - Drought led them to migrate from Palestine to Egypt
3rd - Enslaved in Egypt until Moses (parting of the Red Sea - “let my people go”)
4th - Returned to Palestine

11. Map from http://geology.com/world/world-map.gif

12. Israel & Judah Established a small state in Palestine
Split into 2 kingdoms
Israel in the North
Judah in the South – Jerusalem = capital
Example of a theocracy: religious government

13. Evolution of Judaism
Through exile and migration, their religion evolved
One God (monotheism) – Yahweh → began as a powerful and jealous god
Became lofty and transcendent (superior)
Transformed from a god of war to a god of social justice and compassion

14. Israelites (Jews)
Torah - Sacred writings (or holy book) known today as the Old Testament
Influenced by Mesopotamia – “eye for an eye” and flood story
Ten Commandments
10 rules to follow
Moral guidelines

15. Spread of Judaism Idea of monotheism spreads in the region
Migrations, captivity, powerful kingdoms
Provided foundation for both Christianity and Islam
Romans forced them to far ends of empire
Jewish Diaspora
(diaspora: spread of people around the world)

16. Exit Ticket Monotheism is….?
Which came first: Judaism, Islam or Christianity?
Which is a set of moral laws: Hammurabi’s Code or the 10 Commandments?
Which is the first written legal code: Hammurabi’s Code or the 10 Commandments?