1. Mesopotamia 3500 B.C.E. – 1500 C.E. Chapter 2, 3 & 14, 15
Pages 20-25, 42-52,
&
Slide from
Short video about the Sumerians
A nice website that goes over information from B.C. to 1 A.D.

2. Teaching Objectives:
Recognize primary governments in the Middle East, their roles and conflicts
Describe Sumerian society and its contributions and influence
Identify goods and cultural elements exchanged in its sea trade
Discuss the importance of the teachings of Judaism, Islam and Christianity
Analyze the rise and fall of leaders

3. Locate the following by outlining and coloring locations. Identify
Ancient Asia Map
Use pages 44, 49, 259 and 261
for locations.
Directions:
Locate the following by outlining
and coloring locations. Identify
locations by name or number
and use DIFFERENT COLORS
for areas adjacent to each other.
Phoenicia
Cyprus
Israel
Judah
Red Sea
Egypt
Tigris River
Euphrates River
Babylon
Mediterranean Sea
Persian Gulf
Lebanon
Baghdad
Jerusalem
Mecca

4. Timeline 3500 B.C.E. – Sumerians move into Mesopotamia
2300 B.C.E. – Akkadian built world’s first empire
1700 B.C.E. – Hammurabi brought southern Mesopotamia under one rule
1600 B.C.E. – Hittites destroy Babylon & Rule
1450 B.C.E. – Hittite kings create a centralized government
1200 B.C.E. – Hittite Empire invaded
1200 B.C.E. – Moses leads Jews out of Egypt
1000 B.C.E. – Phoenicians develop the alphabet
671 B.C.E. – Assyrians take over Fertile Crescent and Egypt
562 B.C.E. – Nebuchadnezzar dies & Persian Empire begins its rise
333 B.C.E. – Alexander the Great conquers Persian Empire
622 C.E. – Islamic Empire Begins
FYI

5. 1. What two rivers run through the Fertile Crescent?
2. Which two river valley civilizations are shown on this map?
Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
Egypt & Mesopotamia
3. In what present day country is Mesopotamia located?
Iraq 5

6. Geography Mesopotamia Silt created new land at the gulf
“Land between the rivers”
Silt created new land at the gulf
Fertile Crescent Ur
Understand that much of the rest of this area between present day Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran is very dry and desert. This area of the fertile crescent has rich lands created by the Tigris (east) and Euphrates (west) Rivers. Each winter, melting snow and rain from the mountains in present day Turkey send water and enriched soil down the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Forests were cut down in the area and runoff came much faster, sometimes creating floods. This was especially true on the Tigris River. The silt carried by the floodwaters piled up at the mouths of the rivers each year, creating marshes and reed swamps. Eventually, this created dry land. The city-state of UR was once on the gulf, but on modern maps today, its ruins are shown miles from the gulf as the river as continued to create new land. Rulers of the land between the Tigris and Euphrates built dams and canals to control the flood waters. The fertile land then could be irrigated to grow crops.

7. WHAT CHALLENGES DID PEOPLE FACE IN MESOPOTAMIA?
1. Unpredictable floods destroyed crops, homes & people
2. Some areas were marshy and unsuitable for farming
3. This land was vulnerable to attack and invasion
Individual city-states were easy to attack because there were no natural barriers against invasion. 7

8. Ziggurat in the city-state of Ur
The Sumerians
Organization of
City-States
Hierarchy of Power
Supreme Ruler-King
Priests
Nobles
Commoners
Clients
Top photo is a reconstruction of Ur (zigguarat located right middle) from
The first civilization is the Sumerian civilization that lasted for thousands of years because the conquerors took on Sumerian ways. They developed the civilization that was started by the Sumerians.
The Sumerians lived in the area known as the Fertile Crescent or Mesopotamia which is located in present day Iraq. They were farmers and city-builders who settled along the banks of the Tigris-Euphrates River, digging canals and and ditches to irrigate the land during the spring floods. It naturally organized into a city-state, a country that consists of a small city and the areas surrounding it. The land was worked by clients and slaves. Free citizens known as commoners had political power.
The Sumerians built big temples called ziggurats like the one pictured here, to please their gods—each city-state had a different god. As you can see, these monuments were massive. They built this structure to please their God. Think of some of the monuments you are familiar with. What do they represent? Although the priests owned a major portion of the land, they did not rule the city.
Here’s how control worked—At first, the king was a warrior who was elected to power but because wars were so frequently it eventually turned into the position becoming hereditary. The king was the supreme ruler and held much of the land along with the priests and nobles. The land was worked by slaves and “clients” (free men and women). It was a male driven society (patriarchal) in which males known as commoners could also own land, be involved in politics and be protected under the law.
The contributions to society of the Sumerians a vast.
Ziggurat in the city-state of Ur
(Present day)

9. Contribution of the Sumerians
Cuneiform –
3000 B.C.E.
Arch
Math
Legal Code
Hammurabi
Major Advance in civilization
The Sumerians are believed to be the first people to invent writing—this is where “pre-history” ends and “history” begins! Cuneiform means “wedge-shaped.” They did not have pen and paper instead they used a stylus (more like a pointed stick back then) and clay tablets. They would then allow the tablets to bake to make them permanent. The original use is believed to be able to show payment for work. Others from the area and Egypt adopted the writing system or used it to help develop their own written language.
They created the arch used in architecture to create doors and windows.
They developed the plow and wheeled vehicles.
Mathematically, they were the ones that divided a circle into 360°, the hour into 60 minutes, the minute into 60 seconds.
Literature was in the form of the legal code, stories of their history and hymns for their god of their city-state (example on page 25 in the book).
Law is one of the main ways that people establish and keep social order, this Code is a major advance in civilization.

10. Conquerors Took on Sumerian Ways
Akkadians
Sargon I – 1st Empire
Babylonians
Hammurabi – Legal Code
Hittites
Excelled in organization of empire
Allied with Egypt = peace
1st in Middle East to use iron
Sargon I was the first to unite the Sumerians and it is believed that he built the first empire in which he spread Sumerian culture across his empire.
600 years after Sargon I descendants ruled, Hammurabi, who came from present-day Syria, united southern Mesopotamia and named it Babylonia, “gate of the gods.”
His Code is the 8’ tall black column seen here. Historians believe that the code was modified by the Sumerians. Hammurabi’s goal which is stated on the column was “to cause justice to prevail in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil,to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak…and to further the welfare of the people.” What is our “legal code”? How many laws or rules did our founding fathers believe were necessary for our society? There were nearly 300 sections to Hammurabi’s Code which shows how serious some of the problems were in this society.
Here are some examples of the laws created:
To promote justice and further the welfare of the people, merchants and other business men and women had to guarantee the quality of their goods and services and set good prices
Doctors and vets were to charge poor people less for medical and surgical services than they charged the rich
Slavery for debt was limited for 4 years
Farmers who failed to keep ditches and canals in good shape, had to pay for damaged crops
Crimes of theft and violence were punished harshly if they were among equals but if an aristocrat committed a crime against a lesser class he was punished less severely
This was the first time that it is noted that all members of society have written rules that are posted for all to see.
Why do you think this would be important in a society?
About 1600 B.C.E. a century after the death of Hammurabi, the Hittites (Indo-European people from present day Turkey) destroyed Babylon and gradually became a major power B.C.E. Hittite kings created a centralized government and extended their empire to include Syria. Syria was recently lost by the Egyptians and the ruler, Ramses II tried to win back Syria, but the Hittites were stronger. They forced Ramses to Palestine and persuaded him to make peace and enter into an alliance. Both worked together to find off new threats from barbarian invasions. The Hittites were first in the Middle East to use iron tools and weapons, with this new technology, the Bronze Age turned into the Iron Age.

11. Conquerors Took on Sumerian Ways
4. Phoenicians
Lebanon today
Destroyed Hittite Empire
Decline of Egypt
Canaanites
Division of Labor
Great Sea Traders
Shipbuilders
Navigators
Colonizers
1200 B.C.E. invaders from the north and the Mediterranean destroyed the Hittite Empire. For roughly 500 years, several small states developed civilizations that left a mark on world history. This allowed new people, the Phoenicians and Israelites to become prominent in the area.
Phoenicia is the name the Greeks gave to the people who lived along the Mediterranean coast of present–day Lebanon. The word Phoenicia means “land of purple” and refers to the purple dye that the native extracted from shellfish. The dye was used to dye cloth that was in a high demand by Kings and wealthy citizens.
Phoenicians were actually from the Semitic people known as the Canaanites. They never formed a united nation and stayed a city-state much like that of the Sumerians. Due to its great port cities, the Phoenicians sailed as far out as Britain and settled colonies in Spain (Cadiz) and North Africa (Carthage). They traded not only goods such as glass and metal ware, but also knowledge of the arts and sciences from Mesopotamia and Egypt and spread them to Greece, North Africa, Italy, and Spain. The Phoenicians were great navigators who guided their ships by the stars and therefore were not afraid to lose sight of land. They are believed to have sailed around Africa 2000 years before Vasco da Gama.

12. Location and Language Close to Mesopotamia Hebrew
The Jews share many cultural traditions but their religion is very different. Their language is Semitic and closely related to the Phoenicians. As you can see on the map, the people of Judah (Israel) had a geographic advantage to becoming sea traders being located just south of Turkey or the area of present day Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

13. The Alphabet Created to keep records for trading operations 22 letters
Number system based on 60
Made an alphabet of symbols that represent sounds. “Aleph” and “bet” were the Phoenicians first two letters of the 22 lettered alphabet. The Phoenicians introduced the alphabet to the Greeks who added vowel sounds. The alphabet that we use today is the Roman alphabet—small letters weren’t introduced until 800 AD. Many people have an alphabet based off of this. Phoenicians also spread the Babylonian numbering system that was based on 60. We use this today when dividing a circle.

14. Conquerors Took on Sumerian Ways
5. Israelites
Israel today
Semitic language - Hebrew
Religion – Judaism
Influenced
Christianity & Islam
Old Testament
Judaism
Monotheistic
Bible – gave Moses 10 Commandments
Torah – first 5 books of Bible
1200 B.C.E. invaders from the north and the Mediterranean destroyed the Hittite Empire. Israelites also became prominent in the area.
South of Phoenicia, in present-day Israel, was the land of the ancient Jews, or Israelites. They spoke Hebrew, which is a Semitic language related to Phoenician and written in the same script. They share many cultural traditions with other Mesopotamians, but their religion was different. Their ideas were Judaism, which grew into one of the world’s largest religions. Early Judaism influenced two other religions, Christianity and Islam. The values of our western world are rooted in Judaism. Chances are whatever your religious belief, your ideas of right and wrong and of justice come from the teachings of the ancient Jews.
The Old Testament is written in Hebrew, which distinguishes from the New Testament (teachings of Jesus). The founder of Judaism was patriarch Abraham to led his people out of Mesopotamia into Canaan (Palestine) around B.C.E. Three generations later, many Jews left Canaan and migrated into Egypt led by Jacob. Jacob called this Israel and later they organized into 12 tribes called Israelites. They remained in Egypt for 400 years and were enslaved by the pharaoh and force to build monuments for the Egyptians. Moses eventually liberated the Israelites from slavery in 1200s B.C.E and led them back into Canaan (Exodus). Israelite leaders (judges) decided to unify their tribes under a King and they chose Saul. David followed Saul and captured Jerusalem and made it the capital of his kingdom. David’s son Solomon ruled from B.C.E. when Israel was at the height of its political power. He built a magnificent Temple of one God. After his death, ten northern tribes revolted against Solomon’s heavy taxes (needed for all of his building projects) and set up the independent kingdom of Israel. The southern tribes made up the kingdom of Judah (ruled from Jerusalem by David’s descendants) and the northern tribes continued to be Israel. Both kingdoms were open to invaders.
Jewish men reach out to kiss a Torah scroll during morning prayers at the Western Wall on April 13, 2009 in Jerusalem's Old City. The Torah, means “teaching” emphasized the ideas of the promised land and the covenant with God.Judaism's holiest site filled with worshippers as thousands of Jews made the traditional Pesach (Passover) holiday pilgrimage to pray at the last remnant of the ancient Jewish Temple.
(April 13, :00:00 - Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images Europe)

15. Judaism leads to Christianity & Islam
adherents called
Muslims
Jews
Christians
current size rank
2nd largest
12th largest
largest
identity of Jesus
True prophet of God, whose message has been corrupted
false prophet
Son of God, God incarnate, savior of the world
names of God
Allah (Arabic for God)
Yahweh, Elohim
Yahweh, the Holy Trinity
sacred text
Qur'an (Koran)
Bible
Bible (Jewish Bible + New Testament)
clergy
imams
rabbis
priests, ministers, pastors, bishops
house of worship
mosque
synagogue
church, chapel, cathedral
main day of worship
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
church and state
integrated
separate
Judaism, Islam and Christianity are collectively known as "Abrahamic religions" because they trace their history to the covenant God made with Abraham in the Hebrew Bible.
The Prophet Muhammad met both Jews and Christians during his lifetime, and Islam has come into frequent contact with both of its fellow monotheistic faiths throughout most of its history.
As a brief guide of the similarities and differences of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, the following chart compares the statistics, origins, history and religious beliefs of these three great monotheistic faiths.

16. Right and Wrong
What actions does society teach us are right and wrong?
While studying this section, look for values that we have inherited from the Jewish religion.
Have the students actually list out actions on the board in 2 columns “Right” and “Wrong.” Guide the students in identifying the underlying moral standards of the actions listed. For example, Murder and stealing cause harm to others or to property.
10 Commandments located on Pg. 47

17. Conquerors Took on Sumerian Ways
Assyrians
Ruthless
Capital: Ninevah
Chaldeans
Led by Nebuchadnezzar
Contributed to Astronomy & Astrology
Last to be influenced by Sumerians
Phoenicia and the Israelite kingdoms came to an end with the rise of new empires. Assyrians were first and relied on terror. They were of Semitic origin and established in the upper Tigris Valley. By around 900 B.C.E. they pushed toward the Mediterranean and conquered Babylon around 800 B.C.E. By 671 B.C.E. they ruled the Fertile Crescent and occupied Egypt. The Assyrian army was ruthless and stronger than anyone seen in the ancient world. They developed an efficient political administration that served as a model for their successors, especially the Persians and Alexander the Great. A library of clay tablets were found in the Assyrian capital of Ninevah that has helped us with our knowledge of Mesopotamia. The cruel Assyrian masters were overthrown by the Chaldeans from Babylonia and the Medes from Persia.
Nebuchadnezzar built the Chaldean Empire by conquering the Fertile Crescent. He rebuilt Babylon and created the Hanging Gardens of Babyon (lush roof-top gardens regarded by the Greeks as one of the seven wonders of the world) and a ziggurat (temple) for the chief god of the Chaldeans, Marduk. Many believe this was the source for the story in the Bible of the Tower of Babel. The Chaldeans studied the stars as well as the sun, moon and planets. Without telescopes, they used mathematics to work out detailed tables of the movement and made important contributions to the science of astronomy. They also believed that it was possible to tell the future by studying the stars which began the study of astrology. Last empire directly influenced by the Sumerian civilization. The Chaldean Empire began to decline when Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C.E.
Photo of a recreation of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

18. Persians Ruled by a despot Treated people humanely
Excellent communication system
550 B.C.E. Persian general named Cyrus the Great led attacks on this neighbors the Medes. Eventually he expanded across the Middle east. Unlike the Assyrian rulers, Persian kings (despot: king with unlimited power) allowed conquered people to worship their own gods, use their own languages and keep their own customs. The Persian kings maintained a network of fine roads. Along highways rode the king’s messengers, changing horses every 14 miles. These horsemen could cover 1,500 miles in a little more than a week. Regular travelers took three months to travel the same distance.
They supported farming and encouraged trade. However, they wanted all districts to pay taxes. The Persian kings treated other people fairly because of the Persian religion. This religion asked its followers to choose and obey the good of good vs. the god of evil. In time, the Zoroastrians believed that the would come to an end and people would face a last judgment. The righteous would go to heaven and the wicked to hell. These ideas influenced Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Christianity and Islam came to accept the view that the wicked are condemned to hell.

19. Islamic Empire Followed Muhammad
Last profit of Islam = submission to God
Taught Five Pillars & Koran teachings
Sharia Law
Took over Persian and Byzantine Empires
Both fought and poor treatment of people
People welcomed new government
622 C.E. Muhammad took followers of Islam on a Higra, on a flight from Mecca to Medina, 250 miles north. Mecca is near the Red see and where Muhammad was born around 570 C.E. It later became a holy city for Muhammad, the prophet of Islam and for his followers. Muhammad had visions when he was about 40 that God spoke to him through the Angel Gabriel and he was to be the messenger or prophet of the one true God. Even though God had sent many messenger to the world, from Adam to Abraham, to Moses to Jesus, Muhammad would be the last prophet of Islam = submission to God. It was during this time and after that Islam spread quickly.
The Byzantine and Persian empires contributed the success of Arab armies. They had been fighting each other for centuries and the people in these two empires were tired of the warfare and heavy taxes. The people put up little resistance to the Arabs, some even welcomed them for the better government and treatment. Within 10 years of Muhammad’s death, they had destroyed the Persian Empire altogether.
Muhammad taught the Five Pillars of Islam and God’s revelations to Muhammad were written down in the Koran, the Muslim holy book. The Five Pillars are outlined on pg. 252 in the book.
Mohammad was both a religious and political ruler of Medina, Mecca and much of the Arabian peninsula. He go ered according to the laws and values of sharia (law of Islam.)
After Muhammad’s death in 632 C.E., followers of his conquered huge territories beyond Arabia, including the great Persian Empire and parts of Byzantium. Established the Islamic Empire. Since there was no clear plan who was to follow when the Prophet died, his close companions elected Abu Bakr to be caliph, leader of the Muslims. This groups becomes known as Sunnis (those who follow the teachings of the Prophet.) Some Muslims preferred to have Muhammad’s son-in-law, Alai to become caliph. This group formed a minority Islamic sect that were called Shiites (people who favor the house of the Prophet.) The early Arab rulers eventually gave way to the Turks who had become Muslims. In some areas Turkish rule lasted for 900 years 1100s to 1923 C.E.

20. Look at the map Pg. 264
Which empire controlled the most territory?
Judge the Muslim rule in India between 1000 and 1500 C.E. In terms of well-being of the Indian people, was it positive or negative. Be able to support your positions with evidence from the text.
750 C.E. -
Abbasid Dynasty
1000 C.E. -
Seljuk Turks
1250 C.E. -
Mongols Invaded
1453 C.E. -
Ottoman Turks reunite Muslim lands
Seljuk, a chieftain of Turkish nomads converted to Islam and led tribes that became known as the Seljuk Turks. They served as soldiers for Abbasid dynasty ( C.E.), a Sunni Muslim dynasty that treated Arabs and non-Arabs alike. The Abbasids built a new capital called Baghdad, but their government eventually became corrupt because they indulged in riches and distracted themselves for the business part of government. The Abbasids were responsible for a change in the status of women. Before this, women moved freely, and many upper-class women had political influence and were educated. Under the Abbasids, however, the Persian custom of veiling women gradually became common. The Seljuk Turks were so powerful that before the end of the century they dominated the world of Islam.
In 1055, the Seljuk Turks invaded Baghdad, the Seljuk rulers did not get rid of the Abbasid caliphs, but created a sultan (ruler). The sultans were the real powers in the Empire. The Seljuk armies attacked Byzantine land in Asia Minor, defeating the Greeks in 1071 at the battle of Manzikert. Because of this, all of Asia Minor was available to Turkish conquest, these advanced prompted the First Crusade. Religious and economic reasons fueled the crusades. Muslims were shocked by the conduct of the Christian conquerors, they were convinced that the crusaders killed friends and enemies. They disliked the crusaders’ eating habits, bathing customs and medical practices. Over time, some crusaders acquired scientific and technological skill, along with food and clothing preferences and too these discoveries back to Europe.
In the mid-1200s, the Mongol Genghis Khan went into the Middle East, devastating lands. Baghdad was ransacked and burned in 1258 C.E., and more than 100,000 citizens and their caliph were massacred. The Muslim world was shattered. This ended the Abbasid dynasty and there would never be another Arab caliph.
The Mongols destroyed mosques, libraries and the vast network of farmlands that fed the population of Mesopotamia. It is also at this time that much of Islam’s cultural heritage was lost. A mercenary army in Egypt called the Mamluks, stopped the Mongols from advancing any further westward.
Once servants of the Seljuks, around 1300, the Ottoman Turks conquered lands in Asia Minor and the edge of the Byzantine Empire. After many attacks, the Ottomans gained control of much of Asia Minor. By 1453 C.E., the Ottoman Turks did what the Arabs had tried to do for 750 years, they captured Constantinople and changed the name to Istanbul. They conquered and reunited the Muslim lands of the Middle East. By 1500, the provided the Islamic world with unified leadership.
It was because of this success, that Muslim forces renewed attacks on India. Around 1200 C.E., tribes from present-day Afghanistan streamed through the Hindu Kush Mountains and invaded India.
The most important Muslim kingdom was in the city of Delhi, from 1206 – 1526 C.E. most of the northern part of India was governed from Delhi. The Delhi Sultanate’s history is not a pleasant one. Their rulers were of two extremes. Either they were very fair, or incredibly brutal. There was very little mixing between the two cultures. The Muslims thought they were superior and this attitude, while Hindus were disgusted that Muslims ate meat and how they treated their women.
On pg. 266, there is evidence either positively or negatively how the Muslims ruled the Indian people.
The Muslims looked at Hindus as idol worshipers and infidels (unbelievers). They also didn’t understand the Hindu caste system because Islam taught that all people were equal in the eyes of God. The caste system was immoral to the conquerers.
C.E. -
Delhi Sultanate established