1. 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

2. Map of Modern Mesopotamia

3. Sumeria 4000 – 2340 BC Cuneiform Epic of Gilgamesh – king of Uruk, Endiku Ziggurats Goddess Ishtar Abraham from Ur

4. Map of Sumeria

5. Cuneiform

6. Ziggurat

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

8. Babylonians 1800 BC – 1650 BC Hammurabi The Code The Stele Ishtar Gate

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 – monnotheistic 518 BC – Darius the Great took power, built Persepolis Greeks revolted, Persians lost Battle of Marathon in 493 BC

16. Map of Persian Empire