CHAPTER 3CULTURES OF THE ANCIENT

NEAR EAST

The Rise of Babylon

Sumerians and Akkadians established patterns for next 1500 years

Cities and empires rose and fell over time

Culture remained stable through various empires

Babylonian Empire 2000 BC to 1600 BC

Hammurabi’s Code

Hammurabi died in 1750 BC and gets credit for 1st law codes

Laws were vital to have large cities Elders typically handled small

community disputes Large urban centers have a large

number of strangers and conflicts would inevitably arise

Conflict needed to be mediated or people will kill each other

Hammurabi’s Code

Death was a prescribed punishment Different groups were treated

differently under 1st laws Law was retaliatory in nature “an eye

for an eye” People were burned and their limbs

were removed Our Constitution and Arab law

comparisons today

Hammurabi’s Code

Man who divorced wife had to repay dowry and support children

Laws allowed large numbers of people to live together

Laws put on a large column with over 300 total laws

Hammurabi’s Code

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Epic of Gilgamesh is the 1st piece of literature.

Debate as to whether or not he actually existed.

Story that he was buried under the river which was diverted.

Germans claim to have discovered his tomb?

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Fights Enkidu, then they become friends and go on manly adventures.

Hunt, drink and camp Gilgamesh offends the gods and they

kill Enkidu slowly Gilgamesh is upset and goes on a

quest for immortality. In the end his quest is a failure as

humans are mortal and doomed to die.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

He realizes how wonderful civilization is.

We all die but are immortal through culture and civilization.

The Hittites and the Minor Kingdoms

Invaders from outside come in and take over Mesopotamia.

Hittite Empire from the north (Turkey) conquer Mesopotamia

They use horses and chariots for warfare.

1500 BC to 1200 BC

The Hittites and the Minor Kingdoms

The Hittites and the Minor Kingdoms

The Hittites and the Minor Kingdoms

Hittites copy, adopt, and then spread Mesopotamian culture.

They do not develop much that is new.

Goods were traded across the Mediterranean.

Hittite Empire fragments and minor kingdoms arise and make contributions.

The Hittites and the Minor Kingdoms

Phoenicians create a coastal empire. They were great merchants and

sailors. Established colonies in Spain and N.

Africa including Carthage. Ideas spread to Europe and then

throughout the world. Greeks expand on Phoenician

alphabet which our alphabet is based on.

The Hittites and the Minor Kingdoms

The Hittites and the Minor Kingdoms

The Hittites and the Minor Kingdoms

The Hittites and the Minor Kingdoms

Hebrews establish Israel and Judah which do not last long.

Judaism is established with belief in one god.

This led to Christianity and Buddhism.

The Assyrian Empire

Established around 900 BC Assyrians were all about wars and

fighting Conquered the entire empire Army had varying troops

Archers Chariots Infantry Cavalry

The Assyrian Empire

The Assyrian Empire

Practiced terror and fear with their enemies Flayed skins Entombed alive Put on stakes

Kings hunted lions to show their power and lions became extinct in that area

Over time there were internal rebellions

12 groups joined and overthrew the Assyrian Empire in 600 BC (300 years)

Babylon Reborn

Babylonian Empire rose again Also called Chaldean Babylon was large and architecturally

stunning Hanging Gardens Walls that were 2 chariots wide Tower of Babel Glazed and colored fired bricks Ishtar Gate survives today with bright blue

bricks and animals. It was taken from Iraq to Germany.

Babylon Reborn

Babylon Reborn

Babylon Reborn

Babylon Reborn

http://www.ancient.eu.com/Ishtar_Gate/

http://www.ancient.eu.com/article/129/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Babel

Babylon Reborn

Mathematics and astronomy were developed to try to predict the future.

Examined internal organs and sacrificed animals to predict the future.

Studied the stars and planets and developed astrology which is based in astronomy & math

Horoscopes done by the 5th century BC Intellectual effort developed to predict the

future. Human desire was to find order in chaos.