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North Africa and Southwest Asia Early Cultures I. Mesopotamia – “between two rivers” A. History 1. first civilization 2. Tigris and Euphrates Rivers – fertile crescent of land 3. today: Syria and Iraq 4. 1st permanent human settlement 5. Bronze Age B. Farming 1. rich farmland 2. 4500 B.C. – first settlement 3. created an irrigation system 4. created a 12 month calendar 5. crops grown for the first time: grain barley and wheat C. Government 1. city-state – each city was considered a small state, or nation – at this time it was made up of the city and farmland around it. 2. theocracy a. ruled by an individual who was both the religious leader and the king b. priest-kings – absolute power D. Sumer 1. earliest city-states 2. Sumerians created a form of writing – cuneiform a. written with wooden triangular-shaped sticks b. permanent when the clay tablets harden in the sun. E. Akkad and Babylon 1. 2300 BC Akkad conquered Sumer 2. Akkad first empire – group of state under one ruler. 3. Babylon – Akkadian Empire lost control to Babylon in 1800 B.C. 4. Hammurabi a. Babylon’s greatest king b. Hammurabi’s Code – set of laws 5. Babylonians contributed to the field of mathematics a. number system based on 60 b. 60 second minute and 360 degree circle c. clock controlled by water drops F. The Phoenicians 1. important traders – located in today’s Lebanon 2. 1200 B.C. – sailed around the tip of Southern Africa and used the sun and stars to navigate. 3. developed an alphabet that gave rise to the Hebrews, Greek, and Latin alphabets II. Ancient Egypt A. History 1. Nile river valley (longest river in the world) 2. Delta – rich fertile land – settled about 5,000 B.C. B. Pharaohs and Gods 1. Upper Egypt & Lower Egypt – united in 3,100 B.C. 2. Pharaoh – “great house” – both king and god 3. Polytheistic – “many gods” 4. Government - theocracy C. Egyptian Writing 1. hieroglyphics – form of picture writing with about 800 signs 2. papyrus – used to make a form of paper 3. scribes – royal officers who recorded govt. businesses 4. Rosetta Stone – stone tablet that cracked the code for hieroglyphics D. Trade and Conquest 1. Empire - expanded as far as Mesopotamia in the north and Sudan in the south. 2. Trade routes – as far south as Somalia and north of the Mediterranean. Religions of the Middle East Monotheism – belief in one supreme god I. Judaism A. Oldest of the three world religions B. Israelites C. Jews – followers D. Torah – holy book – 5 books of Moses along with the books of laws and teachings E. Jewish Belief 1. Jews are descended from Abraham and Sara 2. worshipped one God – Yahweh 3. believe they are God’s chosen people 4. God’s laws – ten commandments, revealed by prophet Moses 5. God will deliver a messiah, or savior, to the Jewish people. F. Israel – important, prosperous state 1. 1st three kings: Saul, David, and Solomon 2. David made Jerusalem the capital in 1,000 BC 3. After Solomon’s death the kingdom split in two G. Diaspora – scattering of the Jews outside of the Holy Land H. Holy days: 1. Rosh Hashanah – New Year’s Day on the Jewish Calendar 2. Yom Kippur – holiest day in Judaism a. AKA Day of Atonement b. 24-hour period of prayer and fasting. II. Christianity A. Christians – followers of Jesus Christ B. Christian beliefs: 1. Jesus is the Son of God 2. Jesus is the messiah (for all people) that the Jews were awaiting 3. Jesus was killed, he rose from the dead, proving the existence of an afterlife with God. C. Christian calendar – B.C. ( years before Christ) and A.D. (years after Christ’s birth) D. Bible – holy book 1. Old Testament a. books of Moses and other Jewish writers b. history and traditions of Judaism that led up to the birth of Jesus. 2. New Testament a. deals with the birth, the life, and the teachings of Jesus b. disciples – followers of Jesus E. Spread of Christianity 1. across Roman empire – Rome/ Constantinople becomes the center of Christianity 2. through the work of individuals and missions F. Holy Days 1. Christmas – birth of Jesus 2. Palm Sunday – Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph 3. Good Friday – day of Jesus’ crucifixion, or death 4. Easter Sunday – day that Jesus rose from the dead – most important day III. Islam A. World’s second-largest religion B. Islam – “surrender” to the will of God or Allah. C. Muslims – followers D. Quran – holy book E. Beliefs: 1. Muhammad – last and greatest prophet of Allah/God 2. Muhammad ascended to heaven from Jerusalem in A.D. 632 3. Five pillars of faith – 5 obligations a. 1st - There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his messenger b. 2nd - Muslims must pray 5 times a day, facing the holy city of Makkah. c. 3rd – give to charity d. 4th – to fast during the lunar holy month of Ramadan. e. 5th – pilgrimage, hajj to Makkah to pray F. Holy cities 1. Makkah (Mecca) 2. Madinah 3. Jerusalem G. Calendar – begins in A.D. 622, the year of the Hijrah H. Ramadan – the month in which God began to reveal the Quran to Muhammad.