1. Neo-Babylon/ Chaldean

2. Mesopotamia Map

3. General Information City-State in Ancient Mesopotamia
Between the Euphrates and Tigris
Present day Iraq
626 BCE to 539 BCE

4. General Information Cont.
Neo-Babylonian Era was called Chaldean
Followed Assyrian Empire
Persian Empire followed it
“Holy City”
From Babilu – “gateway of the gods”

5. Babylon’s Rulers Ruler Reigned Nabopolassar 626 - 605 BCE
Nebuchadnezzar II
BCE
Amel- Marduk
BCE
Nergal-sharezer
560 – 566 BCE
Labashi-Marduk
566 BCE
Nabonidus
BCE

6. Nabopolassar
Overthrew Assyrian Empire
First King of Babylon

7. Nebuchadnezzar II Etemenaki Ziggurat Ishtar Gate Hanging Gardens
Wife Amyitis

8. Advancements Many old temples were rebuilt- 50 Babylon was restored
New buildings created-
Ishtar Gate
Hanging Gardens

9. Advancements Turned into one of the world’s greatest cities
One of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” created

10. Advancements
Double walls
Moats
Great Ziggurat

11. Social Institutions Family- Education- Patriarchal society
Men were more powerful than women
Education-
Established formal schools
Mainly taught reading and writing

12. Social Institutions Cont.
Economic systems-
Were the first to have an economic system
Government-
Had 6 kings
Had complete control

13. Social Institutions Cont.
Religion-
Believed in many gods
Polytheists
Many references were made in the bible

14. Human Environmental Interactions
Modify-
They built plows to soften the land on which they grew plants
Depend-
Most food was grown in the Fertile Crescent

15. Human Environmental Interactions Cont.
Adapt-
Some land was dry, caused the creation of irrigation

16. Impact of Ideas Influenced Homer and Hesiod- famous Greek poets
Geometry
Astronomy
Heraldry
Babylonian Talmud

17. Cooperation and Conflict
Invasions by the Aramaeans
Settled down
Aramaic language replaced Babylonian

18. Babylon’s Exile King Nebuchadnezzar- Temple of the Lord
King Jehoiachin exiled Babylon
Evilmerodach put in prison

19. The Fall of Babylon Belshazzar’s drunken feast
Conquered by Cyrus (a general of Darius )
100 years earlier Gods had stated their downfall

20. Cultural Development Astronomy & astrology Created zodiac
“the entire universe was created in relation to the Earth”

21. Cultural Developments Cont.
Sexagesimal number system. (60)
60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour
Pythagorean theorem

22. Economics & History Agriculture Foreign trade, exported items
Imported items they didn’t have
Sumerians had influence on Babylon’s irrigation & agriculture

23. Economics and History Cont.
Palaces and temples - economic institutions.
Things paid in silver
Goods varied in price based on the need and supply

24. Law and Justice
Shamash
Witness Oaths
Punishments
“lex talionis”

25. Mesopotamia Greek for land between the rivers
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Northern= rich, fertile plains
Southern Mesopotamia= marshy and barren plains.

26. Old-Babylon first dynasty of the Babylonians
first code of laws came into play
king set up a burracuecy, taxation, and centralized government

27. Neo-Babylon The last strong Assyrian ruler died
Babylonians rebelled by 612 B.C. they regained control of the empire

28. Religion a form of polytheism Believed each god had specific role
Each city in the Babylonian empire worship a certain god
They were worship at the cities ziggurat

29. Nabopolassar King of Babylon From 626- 604 BCE
With the help of the king of Medes he conquered Assyria
Father of King Nebuchadnezzar II

30. Nebuchadnezzar Son of Nabopolassar
Stormed leftover Assyrian forces in Egypt
Captured the Israelites and held them in Babylon
Built the Hanging Gardens, Gates and tower of Babylon

31. Capture of the Jews Jehoikim threatened Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar attacks Judah
Deports all Jews to Babylon

32. The Creation of Judaism
Had a lot of extra time while in Babylon
Jewish Rabbis could write down and bless their writings
These essays became parts of the Torah and the Bible’s Old Testament

33. Babylonian Achievements
The Tower of Babel.
Man made it for himself not God.
God saw and gave many different languages to stop them.
They stopped building it.

34. Babylonian Achievements cont.
The wall of Babylon.
Two walls 25 ft. thick and 150 ft. tall.
250 towers 450 ft. tall.

35. Changing Ideas
The Babylonian citizens were liberal and accepted the Jewish religion.
Many even believed in the Jews religion.

36. Impact of Ideas
Babylonians had their own gods but also accepted the Jewish god.
Many learned to read and write so they quickly learned religion

37. Development of Culture
Polytheists
Cuneiform
Used ideas from Hammurabi’s code
Monarchy
Kings, nobles, free citizens, then slaves for social Hierarchy
Developed Intricate calendar
Geometry and Algebra

38. Interactions with other Civilizations
Nabopolassar conquered what was left of the Assyrians
Nebuchadnezzar captured the Jews
They partially accepted the Jews culture

39. Fall of Babylon
In 539 BC Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon
In 331 BC, Alexander the Great conquered Mesopotamia and brought forth Greek rule there
They built new cities and Babylon among other old cities became insignificant

40. Impact of Babylon today
Today Babylon is a place for tourism
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the ancient 7 wonders of the world

41. The Neo-Babylonian Empire
BCE
Started with the revolt of Nabopolassar
Attacked the Assyrians
First king of this Empire
Fell to Cyrus the Great
Ruler of Persia

42. Location! Then: Now: City-state of ancient Mesopotamia
Present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq
“The Middle East”

43. Location!
Lies between Tigris and Euphrates in the Fertile Crescent

44. Continuity and Change Gained Independence from Assyrian rule
Rebelled under Nabopolassar when Ashurbanipal died
This was the start to the Neo-Babylonian Empire
Brought change for Babylonians
Ashurbanipal

45. Cultural Development Writing and Literature
Oldest written texts were in simple pictograms
Legal, administrative, and epistolary (letters)

46. Cultural Development Astronomy Precise astronomical observations
Created 12-month calendar
Kept records of eclipses
A list of eclipses between 518 and 465 BCE

47. Individuals in History
Nabopolassar
Led Babylonia in revolt against Assyrians
Began the Neo-Babylon Era
Nebuchadnezzar II
Ruler of Babylon
Constructed Hanging Gardens
Conquered Judah and Jerusalem

48. Individuals in History
Nabonidus
Last king of Babylon
Created religious differences in Babylon
Persians conquered Babylon

49. Economics and History High taxes/tributes for buildings and armies
Hanging Gardens
Documented
Original “Seven Wonders of the World”

50. Technology and History
Canal System
Made land more fertile
Increased trade
Kept clay tablets to record astronomical observations

51. Impact of Ideas Mathematics Medicine
60 second minute and 60 minute hour
360 degree circle
Medicine
Written text of medical symptoms
Advances in medicine

52. Social Institutions Religion Government
Cities- have one god that is their overseer or main god
Polytheism
Worship in Ziggurat
Government
Social classes
Upper (priests and traders)
Middle (farmers and clerks)
Low (slaves)

53. Human-Environmental Interaction
Tigris and Euphrates provided many natural resources
Fertile soil for crops
Mud brick houses
Built a huge wall around the city

54. Cooperation and Conflict
Attacked Judah (states along the Levant)
Invaded and captured Jerusalem
Destroyed city and temple
13 year long conflict with Tyre
Under rule of Nebuchadnezzar II
Declined after this ruler