World History: Connections to Today C H A P T E R 2 First Civilizations: Africa and Asia (3200 B.C. – 500 B.C.) Copyright, 2001 © Prentice Hall

SECTION 1 Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile SECTION 2 Egyptian Civilization C H A P T E R 2 First Civilizations: Africa and Asia (3200 B.C. – 500 B.C.) SECTION 1 Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile SECTION 2 Egyptian Civilization SECTION 3 City-States of Ancient Sumer SECTION 4 Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders SECTION 5 The World of the Hebrews Chapter 2

S E C T I O N 1 Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile Egyptian civilization arose along the fertile banks of the Nile River in northeastern Africa. Egyptian civilization is divided into three main periods: (1) During the Old Kingdom, Egyptian pharaohs organized a strong, centralized state and built majestic pyramids. (2) During the Middle Kingdom, trade and warfare brought Egypt into contact with other civilizations. (3) During the New Kingdom, powerful and ambitious pharaohs created a large empire that spread Egyptian influence and ideas throughout the eastern Mediterranean and other parts of Africa. Chapter 2, Section 1

S E C T I O N 2 Egyptian Civilization Egyptians worshipped many gods and goddesses. They also believed in life after death and developed special skills for preserving the bodies of the dead. Egyptian society was organized into classes, with the pharaoh, who was considered both god and king, at the top of the structure and farmers and slaves at the bottom. The Egyptians made important advances in the fields of mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and engineering. Chapter 2, Section 2

S E C T I O N 3 City-States of Ancient Sumer Sumer, the oldest civilization of the Middle East, developed in Mesopotamia, an area of rich, fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Sumer was made up of many city-states, each of which had its distinct social hierarchy, with the ruling family, leading officials, and priests at the top and peasant farmers and slaves at the bottom. The Sumerians invented the earliest form of writing, known as cuneiform, and made great advances in mathematics and astronomy. Chapter 2, Section 3

S E C T I O N 4 Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders Mesopotamia’s location at a geographical crossroads opened it to a succession of invaders, including the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the Persians, who built great empires. Hammurabi, king of Babylonia, published the Code of Hammurabi, the world’s first major collection of laws. Warfare and trade in Mesopotamia helped to spread ideas and technology, including Hammurabi’s Code of laws, ironworking, and the Phoenician alphabet, around the Mediterranean. Chapter 2, Section 4

S E C T I O N 5 The World of the Hebrews By 1000 B.C., the Hebrews had set up the kingdom of Israel in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia. The Hebrews developed the religion of Judaism, based on worship of one God, whose laws are set down in the Ten Commandments and the Torah. Chapter 2, Section 5