1. Middle East map

2. Iraq

3. Mesopotamian Empires, 1800-600 BCE

4. It means the “land between the rivers (Tigris and Euphrates)
It means the “land between the rivers (Tigris and Euphrates). Cities emerged around 4000 BC.
Mesopotamia

6. Ziggurat of UR markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

7. Ziggurat of Ur http://www. flickr

8. World’s oldest civilization.
Ziggurats were massive
stepped pyramids used as
temples.
Sumer

9. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” was a story about Gilgamesh’s search for
immortality.
Had a polytheistic religion.
First writing system
(cuneiform).
“The Epic of Gilgamesh” was a
story about Gilgamesh’s search for
immortality.
4. Polytheistic religion.
5. Cuneiform writing.

10. Empires in the Ancient Middle East

11. Empires in the Ancient Middle East Akkad
Led by Sargon (2370 BC BC), the Akkadians conquered the land of Sumer. Sargon created the first empire in history.

12. Ruled from 1830 BC to 1530 BC. Their capital was Babylon.
Babylonians
Ruled from 1830 BC to
1530 BC.
Their capital was
Babylon.
Hammurabi (1792 BC-
1750 BC) created a
severe law code.

13. Assyrians
The Assyrians ( BC) had a professional army (officers, archers, iron weapons). “A land bathed in blood.”

14. New Babylonian
(Chaldean)
600 BC to 550 BC.
King Nebuchadnezzar II
created the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon.

15. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

16. Mesopotamian Empires, 1800-600 BCE

17. The Persians
Ruled from 539 BC to
331 BC.
Founded by Cyrus the
Great who allowed
freedom of religion.

18. Tomb of Cyrus the Great

19. Lost army of Cambyses

20. Persian Empire

21. The Persians were
conquered by
Alexander the Great
and the Greeks.

22. Egypt
Egypt and Nubia: “gifts
of the Nile.” Began to
emerge around 4,000
BC.

23. Nile Valley: 3,000 BC-2,000 BC

24. Egyptians

25. Nubians

26. The pharaoh, Menes, unified Egypt around 3100 BC.

27. Old Kingdom
Lasted from 2660 BC to
2160 BC.
Great pyramids of Giza
were built. Khufu
(Cheops) is the largest.

28. Khufu

29. Pyramid of Chephren and the Great Sphinx

30. Khufu, Chephren, and Menkure

31. Mentuhotep

32. Lasted from 2040 BC to 1640 BC. The Hyksos used bronze weapons and chariots to conquer Egypt in the 17th C. BC.
Middle Kingdom

33. The Egyptians regained power and conquered other lands. `
New Kingdom
Lasted from 1550 BC
to 1070 BC.
The Egyptians regained
power and conquered
other lands.
After the New Kingdom,
Egypt fell to a series of
foreign conquerors.

34. Imperial Egypt, 1400 BC

35. First female pharaoh.
She ruled from 1479 BC
To 1458 BC.
Hatshepsut

37. Main gods were the sun gods Amon and Re.
Egyptian Religion

38. Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten)
promoted the worship of
only one god--Aten. It
didn’t last.
Reign: BC-1362 BC

39. Nefertiti (1372-1350 BCE): Akhenaten’s wife

40. Tutankhamun ( BCE)

41. Cult of Osiris:
Egyptians believed that
Osiris, the god of the
underworld, determined
who would have eternal
life.

42. Osiris

43. Isis, Osiris, a pharoah, Horus

44. Anubis, Ammit, and Thoth

45. Followers are called Jews
Followers are called Jews. Abraham led a group of Hebrews (a tribe) from Mesopotamia to Palestine in 1850 BC and some went to Egypt.
Judaism

46. Moses: Some Jews returned with him to Palestine around 1300 BC
Moses: Some Jews returned with him to Palestine around 1300 BC. He promoted monotheism and the Ten Commandments, which are moral standards. The Torah is a Jewish holy book.

47. Jerusalem became their capital. Jews worship in synagogues.

48. If you could travel back in time to ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia and had the chance to interview somebody, who would it be? What would you ask him or her?