Geography of the Fertile Crescent An area in Asia known as the Fertile Crescent is a farmable flat land located close to mountains and by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The present-day countries of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel are located in this area.

Between Two Rivers Mesopotamia is the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. In Greek, the word Mesopotamia means land between two rivers. This area is now known as Iraq. Both rivers begin in the Taurus Mountains and flow across the plateau to the Persian Gulf.

Floods deposited silt and made the land good for farming. Floods generally occurred around harvest time damaging fields and homes. Floods were unpredictable. Droughts were also a threat to the crops.

From River to Field Farmers planted in the fall when the rivers were at their lowest and harvested in the spring when the rivers were frequently overflowing. To solve the problems of too little and too much water, the farmers learned to build water control and irrigation systems.

Farmers grew many crops. Wheat, barley, beans, onions, lettuce, cucumbers, spice plants, date palms, pomegranate, and apple trees were grown. Shepherds cared for sheep and goats. Sheep provided milk and wool. Cattle were used for meat, leather, milk, and as work animals.

Sumer and Babylon Small city-states dotting southern Mesopotamia are known as Sumer. Sumerians worked hard to control the flow of the rivers as well as made wheeled vehicles and explored math, science, and writing.

City-States of Sumer A city-state is a self governing city that also governs surrounding villages. City-states often went to war over control of precious river water. Cities built walls around themselves to protect against attack.

Ziggurats, temples, were located in the center of cities. The Sumerians were polytheists. They believed in many gods. Each city-state had a special god or goddess.

Sargon, king of the city-state Kish, united the city-states about 2300 B.C. Sargon’s rule lasted about 56 years. Cuneiform, a system of writing, brought the cities together.

A System of Writing Ancient Sumerians used sharp reeds to scratch records into wet clay tablets. When the tablets dried, they became a permanent record. Sumerians simplified their figures so they could be formed more quickly.

Very few people could read or write. Scribes were trained to write, keep records, and record ideas and songs. Boys and very few girls went to school to learn to be scribes. Scribes learned to make clay tablets and reed pens.

The Rise of Babylon After separating from Sargon’s kingdom, a new kingdom developed around the city-state Babylon. Hammurabi, Babylon’s king in 1800 B.C., conquered many of the old Sumerian city-states by damming the Euphrates and controlling the water supply. Babylonia became a powerful trading community. Shipments of silver, copper, timber, and wine poured into the city.

The first dictionaries were created so that Babylonians could adopt Sumerian culture and language. The Code of Hammurabi is one of the oldest codes of law. It is over 4,000 years old. After Hammurabi died, his kingdom was conquered by new rulers from other city-states.

The “New” Babylonia Babylon became the ancient world’s largest city. A great wall and a moat surrounded the city. The Euphrates River split the city in two, but the city was connected with a movable bridge and underwater tunnel.

The city also boasted grid-style streets, sewer and water systems, and three to four story homes. The fabled “Hanging Gardens” were considered one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World.

The Beginnings of Judaism Abraham of Ur The Hebrew Bible is the Jewish people’s record of their history and their religion, Judaism. The covenant, promise, between Abraham of Ur and God is the beginning of the Jewish people’s history. The Israelites moved from Canaan to Egypt during a time of poor crops and hunger.

Moses in Egypt The Israelites lived in Egypt until Moses led the Jewish people out of slavery. The leaving of Egypt is still celebrated at the Passover festival. On Mt. Sinai, God gave Moses the Torah, 5 books of laws.

The laws of the Torah were very similar to the laws laid down by Hammurabi. Both sets of laws forbade stealing and hurting another person. The Torah also forbade the worship of more than one god, starting the belief in one god or monotheism.

The Ten Commandments became the core of the Jewish religion and teachings. The Kingdom of Israel The Jewish people settled in Canaan and founded a new country called Israel. Israel became a powerful kingdom under the leadership of King David. He built the city of Jerusalem in about 1000 B.C.

Solomon, King David’s son, built a great temple in Jerusalem making the city the center of both religious and political life. Israel was conquered by Babylon’s armies and many Jews were exiled to Babylon. The scattering of the Jews to many parts of the world is called the Diaspora.