Spiritual Beginnings: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Hebrew

HEBREW

EGYPT

MESOPOTAMIA

MESOPOTAMIA

Geographically based.

Various ethnic groups settled in Mesopotamia.

Retained much of the original culture

c.3500-2350 BCE: Sumerians

Primarily a farming community.

3000 BCE: Small village a City-States

3000 BCE: Invention of writing

Cuneiform Script

Sumerian Tokens c.3000BCE

Cuneiform Script c.2034BCE

c.2350-2000 BCE: Akkadians

Semites led by Sargon of Akkad

World’s first Empire

Retained Sumerian culture

Religion and literature

c.2000-1560 BCE: Babylonians

Akkadian speaking Semites

Babylon capital of the Empire

Retained Akkadian/Sumerian culture

Religion and literature

C.1792-1750 King Hammurabi

Code of Hammurabi (first laws)

Code of Hammurabi

c.850-612 BCE: Assyrians

War-like group from Northern Mesopotamia

Expansion of Empire into Egypt and Turkey

New Capital: Nineveh

King Ashurbanipal c.668-627 BCE

Created first library

c.612-539 BCE: Neo-Babylonians

Chaldean invaders

Retained Original Mesopotamian culture

Religion and literature

Continued expanding

Finally conquered by Persians c.539BCE

Mesopotamian Culture

Farmers

Water a Fertile Land a City-States aIncreased Culture and Technology

Architecture

Walls, City Gates, Art, Ziggurats.

Ziggurat of Ur c.2100 BCE

Technology

Wheel, the sail, the plow, the shanduf.

Law

Code of Hammurabi

People can live in harmony.

Writing

Cuneiform script

Essential for the development of society.

Math and Science

Creation of a calendar

The first Map of the World

Society in Mesopotamia

Upper Class Gov’t officials, rulers family, military leaders,

priests, landowners, wealthy merchants.

Commoners Merchants, farmers, artisans.

Slaves Foreigners conquered by war

Locals sold by poor parents.

Women

Equality

Farmers, craft-makers, merchants, priests…

Egyptians

Dynasty A period of time in which the country was

ruled by the same family line.

Kingdom A period of time in which the country was

unified by a series of strong dynasties.

Intermediate Period Ruled by a series of weak dynasties.

c.2660-2180 BCE: Old Kingdom

c.3100 BCE King Menes established 1st

Dynasty.

3rd Dynasty: Old kingdom begins

Built giant Pyramids

Great Pyramids of Giza

Mykerinus

Kheops

Khephren

c.2080-1640 BCE: Middle Kingdom

Ruler from Thebes

Conquered Nubia and traded with Asia

Middle kingdom fell to the Hyksos

c.1570-1075 BCE: New Kingdom

Egyptian ruled

World’s strongest power

20th Dynasty: End of New kingdom

Life and the Afterlife

Egyptian culture was built around the preparation of the afterlife

Technology, Math, Engineering

Medicine

Mummification

The Mummification Process

People and Society

Upper Class Ruling family, wealthy land owners, gov’t

officials, priests, military leaders, doctors

Middle Class Merchants, craftsmen, artisans, skilled

workers

Lower Class Farmers, slaves

Women

Upper and Middle Class

Equality

c.1490BCE: Hatshepsut ruled as Pharaoh.

c.1490 BCE: Hatshepsut

Hebrews

Ethnic group

Not geographically limited

c.2000-1200 BCE: The Early Hebrews

Semitic people (Jews)

The story of Abraham

12 tribes of Israel

Abraham’s Journey

c.1200-1020 BCE: Exodus

Migrate to Egypt

Enslaved

Moses frees the slaves

Migrate back to Canaan

c.1020-922 BCE: The Kingdom of Israel

United under King Saul.

Successor David

Capital: Jerusalem

Solomon

Built the great temple

Solomon's Temple

c.922-539 BCE: Divided Kingdom

Solomon's death a split kingdom

North:Israel South: Judah

Assyrian’s conquer Israel 722 BCE

Babylonia conquers Judah 572 BCE

People

Upper Class Tribal Patriarchs, military leaders, Priests

Middle Class Landowners, warriors, merchants, artisans

Lower Class Herders and farmers, servants, slaves

Women Usually very few rights