1. Ancient Middle East
Culture and Religion

2. Social Classes King/Priests Rich Merchants Most Others Slaves
High Social Class
King, priests
Wealthy Merchants/High Families
Middle Class
Most Others
(Farmers, Traders, Craftsmen)
Lowest Class
Slaves
(Prisoners of war/Criminals/Debtors)
King/Priests
Rich Merchants
Most Others
Slaves

3. Ancient Culture Most were farmers, traders, craftsmen
Lived in or near city-states
Theocratic governments- Priests and god-kings
Replaced by military governments - empires

4. Men and Women Educated were privileged elite (Male)
Government officials, scribes
Men had more authority and rights than women.
But women were allowed to own land, businesses and seek divorce
* Exception: a man could sell his wife and children to pay his debts.

5. Review
Mesopotamian Beliefs
Zoroastrianism
Judaism
Teachings:
History:

6. Mesopotamian Beliefs (Sumer-Akkad, Assyria, Babylon)
The human-like gods were agents in mythology, of greater or lesser status
Polytheistic (Pantheon-Many Gods)
Gods represented forces in the world
Gods feared- “super-human”
Sacrifices (Animal and sometimes human)
Magic (Divination, Astrology)
Teachings
One society built off the last
Incorporated gods of captured peoples (Hittites)
Many shared common traits through cultural contact
History

7. Zoroastrianism (Persia)
During the reigns of Cyrus and Darius in Persia a new religion called Zoroastrianism took hold, based on the teachings of Zoroaster.
Ahura Mazda, source of good
Battle- good and evil
Heaven and Hell
Recognize individual responsibility
Good thoughts, good words and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness
Teachings
Much of Persian Empire
Darius worshipped Ahura Mazda
Other religions discouraged
Formative to both Western and Eastern
Spread

8. Judaism (Israel/Palestine)
Set of beliefs and practices originating from the ancient Israelites, embodied in the Hebrew Bible
First monotheistic religion (Yahweh )
Belief in divine revelation (Covenant)
Code of ethics, or moral standards of behavior
No central authority -Sacred Texts
Teachings
Land of Israel Sacred (Promised)
11c BC Israelite Kingdoms
Series of Deportations-Diaspora
History