Assyria Rules the Fertile Crescent Chapter 4, Lesson 2 Pages 118 - 123

Objectives Describe the rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire in the Fertile Crescent Describe Assyrian innovations in building and ruling an empire Trace the rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire’s successor - the Chaldean Empire

Vocabulary Exile Tribute Hanging Gardens of Babylon

A Mighty Military Machine When the Babylonian Empire fell, the Assyrian Empire took it’s place… Located in northern Mesopotamia Land of rolling hills Rulers built powerful army to protect their lands They set out to control neighboring lands

A Powerful Army Assyrians fought on foot, horseback and with chariots Used latest inventions for war Iron swords and iron-tipped spears Attacked city walls with battering rams Used ladders to scale walls of cities Dug tunnels under city walls to get soldiers inside Greatly feared by other peoples Few of their enemies had iron weapons One Assyrian king boasted that he had destroyed 89 cities, 820 villages and had burned the city of Babylon.

Harsh Treatment of Captured People Enemies who surrendered were allowed to choose a leader Enemies who refused were taken captive Assyrians killed or made slaves of captives Sent captured peoples into exile Exile: forced removal from one’s homeland Speared enemy leaders and burned their cities

Assyria Builds a Huge Empire 850 – 650 B.C. many lands conquered, such as: Syria, Babylonia, Egypt and Palestine Peak of power under rule of Ashurbanipal, from 668 – 627 B.C. Empire so large it needed to be very well organized Chose governor or native king to rule under their direction Assyrians provided army to protect all lands Ruler in a conquered land had to send tribute to Assyrian emperor Tribute: money paid to a conquering ruler for protection Controlled almost all of the Fertile Crescent Governed conquered lands by choosing a governor or native king from that land to rule under their direction Tribute brought money and goods into the empire’s treasury. If any ruler failed to pay tribute, the army destroyed cities in that land. People of the land were forced into exile.

Assyria Crumbles Assyrian Empire fell in 609 B.C. The Medes and the Chaldeans joined forces to defeat the Assyrians They burnt Nineveh to the ground

A New Babylonian Empire The Chaldeans became the new rulers Babylon became the capital The Chaldeans are known as the New Babylonians Peaked 605 – 562 B.C. Led by Nebuchadnezzar II Hebrews rebelled in 598 B.C. and held 1000’s of Hebrews captive for 50 years Rebuilt Babylon and constructed the Ishtar Gate (processions into the city went through this gate). Built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar II drove the Egyptians out of Syria and captured trading cities on the Mediterranean coast. The Chaldeans faced revolts by captured people. The Hebrews, a group of people living in lands near the Med. Sea coast, rebeled in 598 B.C. He seized Jerusalem, which was the capital city of the Hebrews and their sacred temple was destroyed. The Chaldeans held thousands of Hewbrews captive in Babylon for about 50 years Built the hanging gardens to please his wife (it is a fake mountain covered with trees and plants. The gardens became one of the seven wonders of the world. Built in such a way that they appeared to float above the ground.

The Empire Fades… Weak rulers followed Nebuchadnezzar II Internal conflicts about religion Cyrus of Persia conquered the land The Assyrian Empire showed that to control large areas of land with many people, an empire must have a highly organized government and a strong military.