Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Where was Mesopotamia?• Present day Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Iran• Word means “land between two rivers”• The rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates• Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Judeans
(Israelites), Assyrians, Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians), Persians
Map of Modern Mesopotamia
Sumeria• 4000 – 2340 BC• Cuneiform – wedges,
clay tablets• Epic of Gilgamesh –
king of Uruk, friend Endiku, goddess Ishtar• Ziggurats• Abraham from Ur
Map of Sumeria
Akkadians• 2340-2230 BC,
centered at Akkad• Sargon the Great
overthrows Sumerian cities
The Akkadian Empire
Babylonians• 1800 BC – 1650 BC• Hammurabi• The Code of
Hammurabi• The Stele
Map of Babylonian Empire
The Assyrians• Nineveh – mentioned
in the Bible, Jonah and the fish• King Ashurbanipal• Centered around
Ashur
Map of Assyrian Empire
Judea• 1800 BC – Abraham
from Ur (in Babylon)• Isaac, Jacob (Israel), 12
sons including Joseph• Captivity in Egypt• 1300 BC – Moses born• Israelites freed during
Ramses II reign, return to Palestine• Babylonian Captivity –
6th or 5th century BC
Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians)• 626-539 BC• Nebuchadnezzar II –
Hanging Gardens of Babylon• Took Hebrews
(Israelites) into slavery, destroyed the temple in Jerusalem
Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians)
Persian Empire• Also known as
Achaemenid Empire 550-330 BC• Cyrus the Great freed
Israel, let them go back to Jerusalem and rebuild temple• Zoroastrianism –
monotheistic• 518 BC – Darius the
Great took power, built Persepolis
Map of Persian Empire