Mesopotamia Mesopotamia Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permission Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permission
MesopotamiaMesopotamia
Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permissionMaps by David P. Barrett, used by permission
2330 B.C.• Sargon the
Great• Guti invasion
2100 B.C.
• Sumerians
• Abram
Migrations in 2000 B.C.Migrations in 2000 B.C.
2000-1800 B.C.
• City States• Assyria growing
Died 1750Died 1750
• Succeeded his father as King of Babylon
• Drove out the Elamites
• United all the lands of Mesopotamia under his rule
Died 1750 B.C.
• Mesopotamia united
• Little or no delegation in evidence
Code of Code of HammurabiHammurabi1750 B.C.1750 B.C.
• Found at Susa by Found at Susa by de Morgan in 1902de Morgan in 1902
• Caste systemCaste system
• Lex TalionisLex Talionis
• WagesWages
• Trial by ordealTrial by ordeal
MarriageMarriageLawsLaws
• Only legal when Only legal when in writingin writing
• Penalty for Penalty for adultery is adultery is deathdeath
• Wives own Wives own propertyproperty
• MonogamyMonogamy
• Assyrian independence
• Treaties with surrounding city-states
• Andre Parrot excavated from Andre Parrot excavated from 1933-1938 and 1952-19561933-1938 and 1952-1956
• More than 20,000 tabletsMore than 20,000 tablets
• Akkadian from 1800-1750 Akkadian from 1800-1750 B.C.B.C.
• Biblical namesBiblical names
• Travel and commerceTravel and commerce
• Covenant: “To kill a young Covenant: “To kill a young donkey”donkey”
• Assyrian independence
• Treaties with surrounding city-states
• Smaller townSmaller town
• Destroyed around 1450 B.C.Destroyed around 1450 B.C.
• Customs and culture similar to Customs and culture similar to that of the Patriarchsthat of the Patriarchs
• Hittites conquer BabylonHittites conquer Babylon
• Kassite dynasty in Babylon Kassite dynasty in Babylon (1500-1200 B.C.)(1500-1200 B.C.)
The Hittites: A Canaanite tribe encountered in Palestine by the Israelites, resident and along side the Amorites in the region of Bethel. They were pressed into service by Solomon. Still later, however, an independent and monarchically governed Hittite tribe existed nearer Syria. (Meyers Neus Konversationislexikon, 1871).
In Search of the HittitesIn Search of the Hittites
• Charles TexierCharles Texier– Found ruins near BoghazkoyFound ruins near Boghazkoy
• Archibald SayceArchibald Sayce– Suggested these were Biblical HittitesSuggested these were Biblical Hittites
• Hugo WincklerHugo Winckler– Translated Hittite writingsTranslated Hittite writings
Hattasus
• Known in the Bible as the Known in the Bible as the HurriansHurrians
• Kassite dynasty in Babylon Kassite dynasty in Babylon (1500-1200 B.C.)(1500-1200 B.C.)
• Discovered by a farmer in 1928Discovered by a farmer in 1928
• Royal palace with 90 roomsRoyal palace with 90 rooms
• Two templesTwo temples– Baal, son of ElBaal, son of El– DagonDagon
• Tablets dating to 1450-1200 B.C.Tablets dating to 1450-1200 B.C.– Alphabet looks like cuneiformAlphabet looks like cuneiform– Semitic language related to HebrewSemitic language related to Hebrew– Ugaritic poetry similar to Hebrew poetsUgaritic poetry similar to Hebrew poets
• Discovered by a farmer in 1928Discovered by a farmer in 1928
Mycenaean ivory box lid
found in Ugarit
““My husband has died and I have no My husband has died and I have no son. They say about you that you son. They say about you that you
have many sons. You might give me have many sons. You might give me one of your sons to become my one of your sons to become my
husband. I would not wish to take husband. I would not wish to take one of my subjects as a husband” one of my subjects as a husband”
• Rameses given Rameses given false reportfalse report
AmunAmun
ReRe
PtahPtah
SetSet
• Rameses given Rameses given false reportfalse report
• Rameses goes Rameses goes in pursuitin pursuit
AmunAmun
ReRe
PtahPtah
SetSet
• Rameses given Rameses given false reportfalse report
• Rameses goes Rameses goes in pursuitin pursuit
• Hittites attack Hittites attack across the across the OrontesOrontes
ReRe
PtahPtah
SetSet
AmunAmun
• Rameses given Rameses given false reportfalse report
• Rameses goes Rameses goes in pursuitin pursuit
• Hittites attack Hittites attack across the across the OrontesOrontes
• Hittites attack Hittites attack RamesesRameses
PtahPtah
SetSet
AmunAmun
• Began excavations in Began excavations in Crete in 1900Crete in 1900
• Excavated ruins at Excavated ruins at KnossosKnossos
• Labeled the culture Labeled the culture Minoan after the Minoan after the legendary King legendary King MinosMinos
!
!
Early AssyrianEarly AssyrianPeriodPeriod
2000-1200 2000-1200 B.C.B.C.
• Kassites in BabylonKassites in Babylon• Mitanni periodMitanni period
Dark AgesDark Ages 1200-900 B.C.1200-900 B.C. • New MigrationsNew Migrations• Assyrian cavalryAssyrian cavalry
Neo-AssyrianNeo-AssyrianEmpireEmpire
900-626 B.C.900-626 B.C. Assyrian expansion Assyrian expansion into the Levantinto the Levant
Fall of Fall of NinevehNineveh
626-612 B.C.626-612 B.C. Assyrian decline in Assyrian decline in face of attacksface of attacks
• A Literary PeopleA Literary People
• Assyrian Epynom ListsAssyrian Epynom Lists
• Assyrian Military MachineAssyrian Military Machine
Slingers
AssyrianTerrorTactics
Tiglath-Pileser ITiglath-Pileser I
• Conquered most of Syria, Urartu, and Conquered most of Syria, Urartu, and BabylonBabylon
• Took tribute from Sidon and ByblosTook tribute from Sidon and Byblos
• Followed by a period of declineFollowed by a period of decline
1116 – 1076 B.C.1116 – 1076 B.C.
Shalmaneser IIIShalmaneser IIINot the good-looking fellow in the Not the good-looking fellow in the
foregroundforeground
• Fought Ahab at QarqarFought Ahab at Qarqar
• Laid siege to Laid siege to DamascusDamascus
• Tribute from JehuTribute from Jehu
• Nineveh
Joppa
• Jerusalem
The Edict of the King
• He is not named
• The Assyrian Empire was in a state of decline at the end of the 9th century
• Adad-Nirari III (810-782 B.C.)
Jonah 4:10-11Jonah 4:10-11Then the LORD said, “You had
compassion on the plant for which you did not work, and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 11 And should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”
Salmaneser IVSalmaneser IVAshur-Dan IIIAshur-Dan IIIAshur-Nirari VAshur-Nirari V
• BrothersBrothers
• Assyria gradually gave up her foreign Assyria gradually gave up her foreign possessionspossessions
Tiglath-pileser IIITiglath-pileser III• PulPul
• Ascended to Ascended to throne via throne via assassinationassassination
• Bribed by Ahaz Bribed by Ahaz of Judah to of Judah to attack Aram (2 attack Aram (2 Kings 16:7-10)Kings 16:7-10)
• Began policy of Began policy of deportationsdeportations
Shalmaneser VShalmaneser V
• Hoshea of Israel entered Hoshea of Israel entered into an alliance with Egyptinto an alliance with Egypt
• Shalmaneser V came and Shalmaneser V came and besieged Samaria for three besieged Samaria for three years before he diedyears before he died
Sargon IISargon II• Brother of Brother of
Shalmaneser VShalmaneser V
• Continued siege Continued siege of Samariaof Samaria
• Carried Israel off Carried Israel off into captivity into captivity
SennacheribSennacherib• Brother of Sargon IIBrother of Sargon II
• Besieged Jerusalem Besieged Jerusalem in days of Hezekiahin days of Hezekiah
• Assassinated (2Assassinated (2ndnd Kings 19:37) Kings 19:37)
EsarhaddonEsarhaddon
• Invaded EgyptInvaded Egypt
• Imprisoned Manasseh, Imprisoned Manasseh, King of Judah King of Judah
AssurbanipalAssurbanipal
• Scholar-kingScholar-king
• Collected library Collected library of more than of more than 6000 cuneiform 6000 cuneiform texts. texts.
NabopolasserNabopolasser
NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar
CyaxeresCyaxeres
AmyhiaAmyhia AstyagesAstyages
ChaldeansChaldeans MedesMedes
Assyria
Babylon
Medes
Scythians
Carchemish
EGYPT
Megiddo