The Fertile Crescent

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The Fertile Crescent

• Neo-Review

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The Fertile Crescent
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Civilizations/Empires of the FC

• Sumerians
• Egyptians
• Akkadians
• Babylonians
• Amorites
• Hittites

• Phoenicians
• Israelites/Hebrews
• Assyrians
• Neo-Babylonians
• Chaldeans
• Persians

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Law Order Important Cities

• Sumerians Ur, Kish, Nippur (independent
  city-states)
• Egyptians Giza, Memphis
• Babylonians Babylon
• Hittites Hattusa
• Phoenicians Tyre, Carthage (of Africa)
• Israelites Jerusalem
• Assyrians Nineveh
• Persians Susa, Pasargad, Persepolis

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Law Order Kings

• Sumer Gilgamesh
• Akkad Sargon
• Babylon Hammurabi, Nebuchadnezzar
• Israel David, Solomon
• Judah Zedekiah
• Assyria Assurbanipal
• Persia Cyrus, Darius
• Egypt Menes, Djoser, Khufu, Hatshepsut,
  Akhenaton, Tutankhamun, Rameses

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Law Order Rules of Behavior

• Written law codes establish rules of behavior
• Babylonians Hammurabis Code
• Eye for an eye
• Laws favor rich men
• Israelites/Hebrews Ten Commandments
• Code of ethics (love thy neighbor)

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Law Order Authority

• Centralized government
• Egypt Pharaohs (aided by viziers)
• Absolute rule Total control
• Rule of Aristocracy
• Sumer Rich counsels approve decisions
• Imperial bureaucracies
• Persia Satraps govern provinces

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Law Order Authority

• Hereditary Rule
• Power passed from father to son
• Religious influence
• Egypt Priests of Amun
• Theocracy
• God rules through chosen spiritual leader
• Israel Moses, David

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Law Order Control

• Oppressive control (Babylon)
• Widespread slavery
• Rigid class system
• Harsh legal codes
• Tolerant control (Persians)
• Rejected slavery
• Accepted other religions

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Economic Patterns

• Agricultural surplus
• Tools Plow, wheel, irrigation
• Metalworking (Hittites)
• Bronze, iron tools and weapons
• Maritime trade (Phoenicia)
• Carriers of civilization
• Mediterranean trading colonies

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Cultural Innovations

• Writing Advanced record-keeping
• Sumerian cuneiform
• Egyptian hieroglyphics
• Rosetta Stone translation
• Phoenician alphabet

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Cultural Innovations

• Architecture
• Egyptian pyramids
• Sumerian ziggurats
• Temple of Solomon
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Tomb of Cyrus at Pasargad
• Persian Royal Road
• Persian City (Persepolis)
• Others Darius Canal, Assurbanipals Library

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Religious Beliefs Polytheism

• Most early civilizations believed in many gods
• Gods controlled human actions, natural events

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Religious Beliefs Judaism

• Monotheistic faith of the Jews
• Abraham (patriarch) migrates to Canaan
• Moses delivers Israelites from slavery (Exodus)
• Ten Commandments (ethics)
• David unifies kingdom of Israel
• Solomon builds Temple in Jerusalem
• Babylonian Exile Nebuchadnezzar d. Zedekiah
• Diaspora (spread) of the Jews

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Religious Beliefs Judaism

• Beliefs
• Monotheism There is only one true God
• Ethics Commandments require moral conduct
• Torah Holy scripture of Jews, written in Hebrew
• Covenant God Jews have sacred agreement
• I will be your God and you will be my chosen
  people.
• Prophets Holy messengers interpret Gods will

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Religious Beliefs Zoroastrianism

• Monotheistic faith of the Persians
• Belief in one god, Ahura-Mazda
• Creator, all-knowing, always present
• Actions based on ethics (good, moral conduct)
• Judgment Day God will defeat evil
• All souls will be reunited with God

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