1. Mesopotamia

2. Where was Mesopotamia? Present day Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Iran Word means “land between two rivers” The rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Judeans (Israelites), Assyrians, Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians), Persians

3. Map of Modern Mesopotamia

4. Sumeria 4000 – 2340 BC Cuneiform – wedges, clay tablets Epic of Gilgamesh – king of Uruk, friend Endiku, goddess Ishtar Ziggurats Abraham from Ur

5. Map of Sumeria

6. Akkadians 2340-2230 BC, centered at Akkad Sargon the Great overthrows Sumerian cities

7. The Akkadian Empire

8. Babylonians 1800 BC – 1650 BC Hammurabi The Code of Hammurabi The Stele

9. Map of Babylonian Empire

10. The Assyrians Nineveh – mentioned in the Bible, Jonah and the fish King Ashurbanipal Centered around Ashur

11. Map of Assyrian Empire

12. Judea 1800 BC – Abraham from Ur (in Babylon) Isaac, Jacob (Israel), 12 sons including Joseph Captivity in Egypt 1300 BC – Moses born Israelites freed during Ramses II reign, return to Palestine Babylonian Captivity – 6 th or 5 th century BC

13. Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians) 626-539 BC Nebuchadnezzar II – Hanging Gardens of Babylon Took Hebrews (Israelites) into slavery, destroyed the temple in Jerusalem

14. Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians)

15. Persian Empire Also known as Achaemenid Empire 550-330 BC Cyrus the Great freed Israel, let them go back to Jerusalem and rebuild temple Zoroastrianism – monotheistic 518 BC – Darius the Great took power, built Persepolis

16. Map of Persian Empire