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Early Civilizations: Mesopotamia
I.
Mesopotamia and Sumer
A. Main Idea
1. The first known civilization arose in ___________________, and
its culture and innovations influenced later civilizations in the
region for ______________ of years.
B. Geography Promotes Civilization
1. Fertile area between the ______________ and ______________
rivers became site of world’s first civilization.
2. Fertile ______________ well suited for agriculture.
3. ______________ in Mesopotamia posed challenges: _________
level.
4. People developed methods to control water; Organization:
assigning jobs, ______________ resources.
C. Sumer
1. The Cities of Sumer: large cities developed by ___________ BC;
structures made of mud bricks.
2. ______________: pyramid-shaped temple; walled cities; city +
own government + territory = ______________.
3. Religion and Government: __________________; priests, then
war chiefs ruled and est. a ______________ (series of rulers
from one family).
D. Sumerian Culture
1. Writing: ______________.
2. Math and Sciences: system based on number ______; ________,
wheel, plow, and basic ______________.
3. The Arts: arches, ramps, columns, sculpture, and cylinder seals.
4. Trade and Society: traded for wood, metals; social hierarchy:
distinct male/female roles.
5. The Epic of Gilgamesh
E. Empires in Mesopotamia
1. Each conquering invader adapted aspects of ________________
culture - thus Sumerian civilization continued to _____________
life in Mesopotamia.
2. _____________: 2330 BC, created first permanent ________,
conquered __________ and northern Mesopotamia, and est.
world’s first ___________ (_______________), which lasted
about ______ years.
3. Sumerian culture spread far beyond Tigris and Euphrates valleys.
4. The ___________________ Empire: _______________ became
king in 1792 BC - __________ all of Mesopotamia.
5. ________________________: 282 laws covering everything
from trade to murder.
6. ______________ became Mesopotamia’s greatest city.
II.
III.
Fertile Crescent Empires
A. Main Idea
1. __________________________ invaders introduced new
technologies to the Fertile Crescent while adapting earlier
technologies developed by the civilizations they encountered
there.
B. The Hittites
1. Decline of _________________ Empire: drawn by wealth of the
region, nomadic tribes moved in from the ______________ (arid
grasslands north of the Black Sea).
2. Hittite Military Might: warlike Indo-European tribe; Built strong
empire in Asia Minor (______________); used _____________.
3. Hittite Culture: blended culture; first to use __________; rule
reached peak in __________ BC.
C. The Assyrians and the Chaldeans
1. After the Hittite empire fell, the _________________ became the
supreme power.
2. The Assyrians (Neo): from ______________ Mesopotamia;
adopted ______________ culture; new empire in 900 BC
(Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Egypt). Nineveh - capital
3. War Machine: warrior society; war chariots, foot soldiers,
cavalry, and masters of ______________ warfare; terror
4. Assyrian Rule: efficient, local leaders, system of __________,
brutal with opposition; cultural achievements, library – Nineveh
– ___________ cuneiform tablets.
D. The Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians)
1. Assyrians down, Chaldeans up.
2. ________________, capital of their new empire. ___________
built ______________ Gardens.
3. Chaldean culture: developed _________; advances in ________.
E. The Phoenicians
1. In an area of western ___________ called Phoenicia, _________
emerged as trading centers, and Phoenicians built a wealthy
trading society.
2. Trading Society: ______________ end of Fertile Crescent;
farming difficult so turned to the sea for trade. Founded ______
on routes.
3. Alphabet: invented by ______________ to record activities;
adopted by many, including the ___________; ancestor of the
______________ language alphabet.
The Hebrews and Judaism
A. Main Idea
1. The ancient Hebrews and their religion, ______________, have
been a major influence on ______________ civilization.
IV.
B. The Early Hebrews
1. The Hebrews were the ancestors of the Jews, and most of what
we know, including the laws and requirements of their religion,
Judaism, comes from their later ______________.
2. The ___________ – holy book
3. _____________, father of the Hebrews - God’s _____________;
12 Tribes of Israel
4. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were ______________
5. Israelites in Egypt - Moses and ____________ - slaves in Egypt,
Pharaoh, plagues
6. Israelites out of Egypt - ______________ and The ______
Commandments
7. Promised land - Canaan = __________
C. The Kingdom of Israel
1. The period of the Judges - scattered communities, no _________
government, judges enforce ______, ____________ keep
Israelites focused on faith.
2. Israelites united against _____________ - _______, first Israelite
king - never won full support
3. ___________, second king - strong king, gifted poet
4. ______________, David’s son - Israel reached height of wealth
5. Conflict after ______________ death - two kingdoms, Israel and
___________
6. 722 BC, Israel fell to ______________
7. 586 BC, Judah fell to ______________ - enslaved Jews
8. __________ = scattering of Jews; Persians conquered Chaldeans
D. The Teachings of Judaism
1. ____________ the foundation of Hebrew and Jewish societies
2. Belief in One God - ______________
3. Justice and ______________ - kindness, fairness, code of ethics
4. Obedience to the _________ - Ten Commandments, Mosaic Law
5. Jewish Sacred Texts - Torah, __________, Tanakh
The Persian Empire
A. Main Idea
1. The Persians formed one of the ___________ and best ________
empires in the ancient world and made great cultural
achievements.
B. Persian Beginnings
1. Both the Medes and Persians were _________________ tribes both are pre-___________ Iranians
2. _________ helped Babylonians overthrow Assyria and had
conquered the Persians
3. Persians allowed to keep their own leaders as long as they did
not _______
4. 559 BC – Persian King __________ leads a rebellion against the
Medes
C. Cyrus the Great
1. Defeated _________ in 559 BC – founded and expanded the
______________ Persian Empire, ________ in the ancient world
2. Freed ______ in Babylon – allowed them to rebuild their temple
in Jerusalem
3. Respected by those he conquered
4. 539 BC – Defeats and ends the Neo-______________ Empire
D. Darius I
1. Crushed rebellion after death of __________ son, rose to power
in 522 BC
2. Created ___________ army, build roads , strengthened army,
empire
3. Strong follower of ______________
4. Created ____________ to help govern the 20 newly provinces of
the empire
5. 499 BC – Miletus rebellion leads to ___________ Wars
6. 490 BC – failed invasion of ___________ at Marathon
7. High point of Persian ___________
8. Famous in the Bible as the king who threw Daniel into the den of
lions for praying to God
E. Persia in Decline
1. ___________, son of ___________, took the throne in 485 BC
and failed to conquer __________ during the Persian Wars
2. Famous battles – Thermopylae and Salamis
3. Last strong ruler of Persia - praised for being just
4. May be King Ahaseurus in the Bible, destroyer of Babylon’s
golden idol - succeeded by son, Artaxerxes I – one of which is
thought to be the husband of Ester
F. Zoroastrianism
1. During the reigns of Cyrus and Darius, a new religion called
Zoroastrianism took hold, based on the teachings of __________.
2. Ahura Mazda, source of good; Ahriman, evil spirit
3. ____________ = good and evil
4. Free will
5. The Avesta, holy text
6. A __________ will bring triumph - new spiritual bodies, one
language, evil destroyed
7. Much of Persian Empire - Darius worshipped Ahura Mazda other religions discouraged
8. The ___________ converted the Persians but never completely
disappeared – often ______________
9. Still exists in India and Iran; Parsees (Parsis)
G. Persian Achievements
1. Cyrus and Darius encouraged __________ unity - shared culture
led to __________ - people worked together to improve empire
2. Network of high quality _________ - Royal Road = world’s first
long ______________ - horseback messengers in shifts
3. ______________ a common subject in art and architecture
4. ______________, monument to Persia’s glory - greatest example
of Persian ______________