1. World History: Connection to Today
Chapter 2
First Civilizations:
Africa and Asia
(3200 B.C.–500 B.C.)
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

2. Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile1
Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile
How did geography influence ancient Egypt?
What were the main features and achievements of Egypt’s three kingdoms?
How did trade and warfare affect Egypt and Nubia?

3. The Egyptian Empire About 1450 B.C.

4. Geography of the Ancient Nile Valley1
Geography of the Ancient Nile Valley
People settled and established farming villages along the Nile.
Egyptians depended on annual floods to soak the land and deposit a layer of silt, or rich soil.
Egyptians had to cooperate to control the Nile, building dikes, reservoirs, and irrigation ditches.
Rulers used the Nile to link and unite Upper and Lower Egypt.
The Nile served as a trade route connecting Egypt to Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean world.

5. Three Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt1
Three Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt
OLD KINGDOM
MIDDLE
KINGDOM
NEW KINGDOM
Pharaohs organized a strong central state, were absolute rulers, and were considered gods.
Egyptians built pyramids at Giza.
Power struggles, crop failures, and cost of pyramids contributed to the collapse of the Old Kingdom.
Large drainage project created arable farmland.
Traders had contacts with Middle East and Crete.
Corruption and rebellions were common.
Hyksos invaded and occupied the delta region.
Powerful pharaohs created a large empire
that reached the Euphrates River.
Hatshepsut
encouraged trade.
Ramses II expanded Egyptian rule to Syria.
Egyptian power
declined.

6. Egypt and Nubia For centuries, Egypt traded or fought with Nubia.1
Egypt and Nubia
For centuries, Egypt traded or fought with Nubia.
During the New Kingdom, Egypt conquered Nubia.
Nubians served in Egyptian armies and influenced Egyptian culture.
Egyptian art from this period shows Nubian soldiers, musicians, or prisoners.
When Egypt declined, Nubia conquered Egypt.
Nubians did not see themselves as conquerors. They respected Egyptian traditions.

7. Section 2: Egyptian Civilization

8. Egyptian Civilization2
Egyptian Civilization
How did religious beliefs shape the lives of Egyptians?
How was Egyptian society organized?
What advances did Egyptians make in learning and the arts?

9. Egyptian Religious Beliefs2
Egyptian Religious Beliefs
Belief that many gods and goddesses ruled the world and the afterlife Amon-Re was the sun god Osiris was the god of the underworld and of the Nile The pharaoh was believed to be a god as well as a monarch.
Belief in eternal life after death Relied on the Book of the Dead to help them through the afterworld Practiced mummification, the preservation of the body for use in the next life.

10. Ancient Egypt: A Center of Learning & Culture2
Ancient Egypt: A Center of Learning & Culture
Advances in Learning
Advances in the Arts
Developed a form of picture writing called hieroglyphics.
Doctors diagnosed and cured
illnesses, performed surgery, and developed medicines still used
today.
Developed 12-month calendar on
which modern calendar is based.
Astronomers mapped constellations
and charted movement of the
planets.
Developed practical geometry.
Skilled in design and engineering.
Statues, paintings, and writings tell
us about ancient Egyptian values
and attitudes.
Developed painting style that
remained unchanged for thousands
of years.
Wrote hymns and prayers to the
gods, proverbs, love poems, stories
of victory in battle, and folk tales.
Built pyramids and other great
buildings, such as temple of
Ramses II.

11. Class System in Ancient Egypt2
PHARAOH
Earthly leader; considered a god
HIGH PRIESTS AND PRIESTESSES
Served gods and goddesses
NOBLES
Fought pharaoh’s wars
MERCHANTS, SCRIBES, AND ARTISANS
Made furniture, jewelry, and fabrics for
pharaohs and nobles, and provided for other needs
PEASANT FARMERS AND SLAVES
Worked in the fields and served the pharaoh

12. Ancient Egypt

13. Chapter 2, Section 3 Ancient Sumer

14. City-States of Ancient Sumer3
City-States of Ancient Sumer
How did geographic features influence the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent?
What were the main features of Sumerian civilization?
What advances in learning did the Sumerians make?

15. The Fertile Crescent
The Fertile Crescent is the fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The first civilization in the Fertile Crescent was discovered in Mesopotamia.
As in Egypt, these fertile lands supported the development of civilization.
Villages along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers had to work together.
The first Sumerian cities emerged in southern Mesopotamia around 3200 B.C.

16. Sumerian Civilization3
Sumerian Civilization
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
GOVERNMENT
RELIGION
City-states with hereditary rulers.
Ruler led army in war and enforced laws.
Complex government with scribes to collect taxes
and keep records.
Each state had distinct social hierarchy, or
system of ranks.
Most people were peasant farmers.
Women had legal rights; some engaged in trade
and owned property.
Worshiped many gods.
Believed gods controlled every aspect of life.
Saw afterlife as a grim
place.
To keep the gods happy, each city built a ziggurat, or pyramid
temple.

17. Advances in Sumerian Learning
Developed cuneiform, believed to be the earliest form of writing.
Developed basic algebra and geometry.
Made accurate calendars, essential to a farming society.
Made the first wheeled vehicles.

19. Compare: Geography Egypt Nile River Sahara Desert
Close to Mediterranean Sea
Close to Red Sea
Sumer
Euphrates River
Tigris River
Close to Persian Gulf
Fertile Crescent b/w rivers
Arabian Desert to West
Close to Mediterranean Sea

20. Compare: Religion Egypt Polytheistic (except for Akenaton)
Pharaoh is ‘god on earth’
Belief in happy afterlife
Elaborate burials-pyramids, mummies
Sumer
Polytheistic
Gods behave like ordinary people
Ziggurats-pyramid shaped temple to the god/goddess
Sacrifices
Afterlife is grim

21. Compare: Economy Egypt Trade: gold, art, pottery, etc. Farming Sumer
Few natural resources
Trade: pottery, art
Farming

22. Compare: Government Egypt
Pharaoh-god on earth. Preserve justice and order
Vizier-chief minister. Supervised taxes, farming, irrigation
Sumer
Ruler for each city-state was in charge of: walls, irrigation, taxes, records
Ruler was chief servant to the gods, led ceremonies to please them

23. Compare: Social Structure
Sumer
Social hierarchy (system of ranks)
Highest: ruling class, leading officials, high priests
Middle: lesser priests, scribes, merchants, artisans
Lower: peasant farmers
Slaves
Women have rights
Egypt
Pharaoh
Nobles, priests
Artisans, merchants, scribes
Farmers
Slaves
Women have rights

24. Compare: Achievements
Egypt
Pyramids
Writing: hieroglyphics, demotic
Medicine
Astronomy
Geometry
Sumer
Ziggurat
Writing: cuneiform
Algebra
Geometry
Astronomy

25. Ancient Sumer

26. Section 4:Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders
How did early empires arise in Mesopotamia?
How did ideas and technology spread?
How did the Persians unite a huge empire?
What contributions did the Phoenicians make?

27. Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders4
Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders
A series of strong rulers united the lands of the Fertile Crescent into well organized empires.
Again and again, nomadic warriors invaded the rich cities of the Fertile Crescent. Some looted and burned the cities. Others stayed to rule them.
2300 B.C. –Sargon, the ruler of Akkad, conquered Sumer and built the first known empire.
1790 B.C.–Hammurabi, King of Babylon, united the Babylonian empire.

28. BABYLONIANS Located in the Fertile Crescent.
Invaders from the Arabian Desert entered Mesopotamia and seized the city-state of Babylon.
Hammurabi (hah moo RAH bee) became the king.
Hammurabi took control of the Sumerian city-states in lower Mesopotamia and established the Babylonian empire.
Adopted many Sumerian practices.

29. 4
The Code of Hammurabi
Hammurabi’s code was the first attempt by a ruler to codify, or arrange and set down in writing, all of the laws that would govern a state.
One section codified criminal law, the branch of law that deals with offenses against others, such as robbery and murder.
Another section codified civil law, the branch that deals with private rights and matters, such as business contracts, taxes, and property inheritance.

30. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION
Hammurabi’s Code—282 laws—affected all aspects of life.
Belief in astrology

31. The Impact of the Babylonians

32. Warfare and the Spread of Ideas4
Conquerors brought ideas and technologies to the conquered region.
For example, when the Hittites conquered Mesopotamia, they brought the skill of ironworking to that region.
When the conquerors were in turn conquered, they moved elsewhere, spreading their ideas and technologies.
For example, when the Hittite empire was itself conquered, Hittite ironworkers migrated to other regions and spread the secret of ironmaking across Asia, Africa, and Europe.

33. HITTITES War-like tribesmen from Asia Minor; captured Babylon.
Eventually they withdrew, but occupied the western part of the Fertile Crescent.

34. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION
First to make widespread use of iron for tools and weapons.
Horse-drawn chariots in battle.
System of laws with punishments that were less severe than Hammurabi’s.

35. ASSYRIANS Ruthless conquerors—overran Phoenicia, Palestine, Babylonia.
Empire largest in the world to that point in history.
Used bows and iron-tipped arrows, battering rams, and the first to use men on horseback.
Assyrians terrorized people with acts of violence and torture.
Lasted 150 years before being destroyed by the Chaldeans and Persians.

36. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION
First to set up an effective system for governing an empire.
Built a great library in Nineveh. It had thousands of clay tablets that have told us much about the ancient Middle East.

37. CHALDEANS Helped overthrow the Assyrians
Took control of the Fertile Crescent and established the 2nd Babylonian Empire.
Nebuchadnezzar is king.
Rebuilt Babylon into the largest and most impressive city in the ancient world.

38. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION
“Hanging Gardens” on rooftops in Babylon. Greeks called them one of the “seven wonders of the world.”
Further advancement in astronomy by accurate observations of the sun, moon, planets, and stars.

39. PERSIANS Chaldean Empire declined after the death of Nebuchadnezzar.
New Persian Empire extended for 3,000 miles from Egypt to India.
Lasted 200 years, reaching its height under King Darius I.

40. The Persian Empire 4
Cyrus the Great and his successors conquered the largest empire yet seen, from Asia Minor to India.
Emperor Darius unified the Persian empire.
Divided empire into provinces, each headed by a governor, called a satrap. This form of government became a model for later rulers.
Drew up single code of laws for empire.
Had hundreds of miles of roads built or repaired to aid communication and encourage unity.
Set up common set of weights and measures to improve trade.
Introduced a uniform system of coinage and encouraged a money economy.
Religious ideas of Zoroaster also helped to unite the empire.

41. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION
Set up well-organized government.
Divided into provinces and directed by a “satrap.”
Built roads to speed trade and movement of armies.
Allowed conquered people to keep their religion, laws, and local customs.
“Cultural Diffusion”—the exchange of ways of living—took place between various groups in the empire.
Accepted teachings of the prophet Zorocaster.

42. PHOENICIANS Lived north of Palestine along the Mediterranean coast.
Became skilled shipbuilders and sailors, and traded throughout the Mediterranean.
Established many colonies, including the great city of Carthage in North Africa

43. The Phoenicians Occupied string of cities along the eastern4
Occupied string of cities
along the eastern
Mediterranean coast.
Made glass from sand and purple dye from a tiny sea snail.
Called “carriers of civilization” because they spread Middle Eastern civilization around the Mediterranean.
Invented the alphabet. An alphabet contains letters that represent spoken sounds.

44. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION
Traders carried the products and cultures of the Middle East to less advanced peoples.
The most notable contribution of theses people was the alphabet. The Greeks and Romans later made some changes that resulted
in the alphabet we use
today.

45. Section 5:The Roots of Judaism
What were the main events in the early history of the Israelites?
How did the Jews view their relationship with God?
What moral and ethical ideas did the prophets teach?

46. HEBREWS
The ideas & beliefs of the Hebrews, or Jews, are known as Judaism.
Abraham founded Judaism.
Lived in Egypt for several hundred years, but were forced into slavery. Moses led them out of Egypt.
They recorded their history and religious beliefs in the Old Testament.

47. Early History of the Israelites5
Early History of the Israelites
2000 B.C.–Abraham migrates from Mesopotamia to Canaan, where he
founds the Israelite nation.
Famine forces Israelites to migrate to Egypt, where they are enslaved.
Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt.
Israelites enter Canaan, the promised land.
1000 B.C.–David unites Israelites into kingdom of Israel.
Solomon builds capital at Jerusalem, but his rule inspires revolts.
922 B.C.–Kingdom weakens after splitting into Israel and Judah.
722 B.C.–Assyrians conquer Israel.
586 B.C.–Babylonians capture Judah – Babylonian Captivity.
Persians conquer Babylon and free the Jews from captivity.

48. 5
Judaism
The Israelites were monotheistic, believing in one true God. At the time, most other people worshiped many gods.
The Israelites believed God to be all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere.
The Israelites believed that they were God’s “chosen people.”
They believed that God would lead them to the “promised land.”

49. Teachings on Law and Morality5
Teachings on Law and Morality
The laws of the Torah address all aspects of life, from cleanliness and food preparation to criminal matters.
Jews believe that God gave them a set of laws called the Ten Commandments.
Jewish prophets, or spiritual leaders, preached a code of ethics, or moral standards of behavior.
Examples:
The rich and powerful must protect the poor and weak.
All people are equal under God.
Unlike many ancient people, the Jews believed their leaders were fully human and bound by God’s law.

50. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION
Practicing monotheism.
High moral conduct: Ten Commandments.
Influenced Christianity and Islam through its emphasis on monotheism and moral principles.

51. CIVILIZATION PEAKS Sumerians: 3500-1792 BC Babylonians: 1792-1650 BC
Hittites: BC
Hebrews: BC
Phoenicians: BC
Assyrians: BC
Chaldeans: BC
Persians: BC

52. The Story of Abraham