The Ancient Middle East 3000 BC-100 AD

The Ancient Middle East3000 BC-100 AD

Mesopotamia• Mesopotamia means “land between the rivers”• The Greeks gave this name to an area in the Middle East

(modern day Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria) set between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

• This area is also known as the Fertile Crescent due to the rich soil fostered by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

The Sumerians 5000-4000 BC

• Dug canals to drain the delta marshlands that provided irrigation for crops

• Used mud to build houses, make pottery, and form clay tablets to record laws, transactions, and literature

• Lived in “city states” which consisted of a large city with surrounding lands.

• A Ziggurat (pyramid like temples 6-7 stories high, layered like a wedding cake) stood at the center of the city state.

• A priest-king lived in the ziggurat and represented the local gods.• Ur and Uruk were the largest city states during this time (population in

the tens of thousands)

Sumerian Legacy• Known for beautiful stonework, metalwork, sculptures, and ziggurats• Developed a mathematical system based on 60• Devised a precise 12 month calendar based on the cycles of the moon• Most important achievement was the development of cuneiform (wedge-

shaped markings) the world’s oldest system of writing• Used a “stylus” (pointed stick) to press symbols onto the wet clay tablets

The Babylonians @ 2000 BC

• Semitic people conquered the Sumerians around 2000 BC and established the capital city of Babylon which means “gate of the gods” on the Euphrates River (located in modern day Baghdad, Iraq)

• Babylonians adopted the cuneiform writing and translated their Semitic language called Akkadian.

• Translated Sumerian writings including the epic of Gilgamesh.

Hammurabi• Around 1792 BC, Babylon became the religious and cultural

center of western Asia.• Hammurabi was the ruler and he developed a collection of 282

laws known as “The Code of Hammurabi.”• These laws regulated everyday life from building codes to

marriage and divorce.• The code was very detailed and contained harsh punishments,

based on the concept of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

The Assyrians 900 BC• In 900 BC, the Assyrians defeated the Babylonians• Assyrians built their capital city Nineveh on the banks of

the Tigris River• Created a magnificent library where the Sumerian and

Babylonian literature were kept

The Babylonians Again• In 612 BC, Babylonians conquered the Assyrians under the rule of King

Nebuchadnezzar.• Babylon was rebuilt along with other beautiful buildings and temples• Babylon became famous for its Hanging Gardens, one of the 7 ancient

wonders of the world• The city was also famous for the great ziggurat called the Tower of

Babel, mentioned in the Bible.• Babylon fell to Cyrus the Great of Persia in 539 BC.