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Chapter 3
Section 4- Later Peoples of the Fertile Crescent
Section 4Later Peoples of the Fertile Crescent
The Big Idea
After the Sumerians, many cultures
ruled parts of the Fertile Crescent.
Main Ideas
• The Babylonians conquered Mesopotamia and created a
code of law.
• Invasions of Mesopotamia changed the region’s culture.
• The Phoenicians built a trading society in the eastern
Mediterranean region.
Main Idea 1:
The Babylonians conquered Mesopotamia and created a code of
law.
 Hammurabi was Babylon’s king.
 During his rule, Babylon became the most important city in
Mesopotamia.
 Hammurabi’s Code was a set of 282 laws he created that dealt with
almost every part of daily life.
Hammurabi
Babylon’s king and
the city’s greatest
monarch, or ruler
of a kingdom or
empire
Brilliant war
leader who
brought all of
Mesopotamia into
his Babylonian
Empire
• Oversaw
building and
irrigation
projects and
improved the tax
system
• Developed a set
of laws that was
written down
for all to see
Hammurabi’s Code
 Hammurabi wrote down 282
laws which contained some
ideas still found in laws today.
 Specific crimes brought specific
penalties.
 Social class was taken into
account. It was a greater crime
to injure a rich man than a poor
one.
 It was unique not only because
of how thorough it was, but
also because he wrote it down
for all to see.
Video: Sargon the Great and Hammurabi
(13:49)
Main Idea 2:
Invasions of Mesopotamia changed the region’s culture.
 Armies battled for control of fertile land.
 Different peoples ruled Mesopotamia.
 Hittites
 Kassites
 Assyrians
 Chaldeans
 Each group affected the culture of the region.
The Hittites & Kassites
The Hittites were the first to master ironworking, so they
made the strongest weapons of the time.
They used the chariot, a wheeled, horse-drawn cart, which
allowed them to move quickly around the battlefield.
They were taken over by the Kassites after their king was
assassinated.
The Kassites ruled for almost 400 years.
Video: Lost Civilization of the Hittites (5:00 minutes)
The Assyrians
 The Assyrians had a strong army that used chariots and iron
weapons.
 They spread terror before battles by looting villages and burning
crops.
 Assyrian kings ruled their empire through local leaders who each
governed a small area.
 The local leaders demanded heavy taxes.
Video: Babylonia and Assyria (10:52)
The Chaldeans
 The Chaldeans attacked the Assyrians when they were weak and
destroyed their empire.
 Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon into a beautiful city that had the
famous Hanging Gardens.
 They admired the Sumerian culture, studied their language, and
built temples to Sumerian gods.
 Babylon became a center for astronomy.
Assyrian Empire Falls and the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II
(9:29)
Video: Decline of Babylonia (5:24)
Main Idea 3:
The Phoenicians built a trading society in the eastern
Mediterranean region.
Resources
• Prized Cedar
trees for timber
• Accessed the sea
for trade
• Built great
harbors
Expansion of
Trade
• Sailed ships
around the
Mediterranean
Sea
• Founded several
new colonies
along the trade
routes
Alphabet
• Recorded their
activities
• Made writing
much easier for
everyone
• Is the basis for
the English
language
• Became wealthy
Video: Phoenician Alphabet (2:51 minutes)