The Ancient Near East: Peoples & Empires The Assyrians & Neo-Babylonans

QUIZ STUDY! Bonus- Name four of the Hebrew patriarchs & what their most important contribution was

Ancient Assyrians: The Empire Builders (1114 – 600 BCE) Took control following the fall of the Hittites and the weakening of Egypt Semitic-speaking people with iron weapons Tiglith-pileser I (c B.C.) Tiglith-pileser III ( B.C.) Ashurbanipal ( B.C.) In Assyria, the kings power was absolute & came from their chief god Ashur Assyrian Kings organized their empire more effectively by reducing the number of royal officials Based the Official -> King relationship on loyalty ©2003 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning ™ is a trademark used herein under license.

The Assyrian Military Machine "I built a pillar over against his city gate, and I flayed all the chief men who had revolted, and I covered the pillar with their skins; some I walled up within the pillar, some I impaled upon the pillar on stakes, and others I bound to stakes round the about the pillar; many within the border of my own land I flayed, and I spread their skins upon the walls; and I cut off the limbs of the officers, of the royal officers who had rebelled.“ – Ashurbanipal II

The Assyrian Military Machine What made them so successful? Iron weapons & armor Diverse military tactics - Siege & Guerilla Warfare Brutal treatment of Captives Use of Terror Ruthless Leaders

Assyrian Society & Culture Assyria literally means ‘Land of Ashur’ Assyrian Religion: Thought that the world would end if conquest of other peoples ended Not afraid to mix with other people – assimilation with other people was commonplace Agriculturally based, very rural, few urban centers Art focused on glorifying the king, hunting and war

Bell work 9/30 When thinking about our governments leaders, do you think it is better to be feared or loved? Explain. “Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be ______________ than ______________” – Nicocolo Machiavelli Renaissance Author

The Neo-Babylonians – the Chaldean Empire Capital City – Babylon Nebuchadnezzar ( ) Builds Ishtar Gate & Babylon's hanging gardens Nabonidus( ) Causes internal friction by switching the cities chief god from Marduk to the moon god Sin When the Persian conqueror Cyrus invaded, the Babylonians welcomed him as a liberator

Opposing Viewpoints Reading