World History

Chapter Two

I. EARLY
CIVILIZATIONS
Ancient River Valley Civs
1. Mesopotamia
 A) Sumerians
Polytheism
Belief in many
gods
Cuneiform
earliest known
form of writing
Ziggurats
temples shaped in
towers
 A) Sumerians
Sargon I
Leader of Kish
formed first
known empire.
Abraham!
Ur: becomes the capital city of
Mesopotamia
 Geography
This civilization
rose in the
valleys between
the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers.
Possible location
of the Garden of
Eden?
In what modern day country is the
Fertile Crescent?
Iraq
Social
This is
cuneiform.
Babylonians
wrote using this
wedge-shaped
writing on clay
tablets.
Sumerians: invented the wheel!
The wheel was
invented by 5000
BC!
It helped military,
farming and trade.
At right, this is
made of wood.
More cuneiform writing
More Ziggurats
Economic

Sumerians (Mesopotamians) were known to trade with

the Egyptians and the Indus Valley civilizations.
In later years, these trade routes became Silk Road.
Sumerian Contributions
Building
Writing
Wheel
Circle 360*
Hours 60 mins
Trading
B) The Amorites
Hammurabi
united the land of
Mesopotamia
under his rule.
Code of
Hammurabi
Collection of laws
B) The Amorites

Epic of
Gilgamesh
B) The Amorites
Contributed to Astronomy; used Astrology
II. Egypt
EGYPT
Nile River
Pharaohs
Rameses
King Tutankhamen
Hieroglyphics
Mummies
Egyptian Civilization

Egyptian civilization arose after Mesopotamia.

Geography: It was centered around the Nile River.
The Nile River
A) The Nile River

Egypt: The Gift of

the Nile
Flows Upwards
Highway
 B) Pyramids

Giza pyramids: the most famous.

Pyramids were used as tombs for the Pharaohs.
 B) Pyramids

These were built around 2500 B.C.

How old are they?
C) Egyptian Pharaohs
1. The Old Kingdom
There are 3 kingdoms or periods of Ancient
Egyptian History
a. Menes

United Upper and

Lower Egypt
Memphis
Pharaohs god-kings;
ruled supremely
b. Kufu Cheops

Built the
Great
Pyramid
2. Middle Kingdom
Age of the People
Israelites moved in
Joseph rises to power
Hyksos take over
3. New Kingdom

The Age of the Empire

warrior-kings
Capital: THEBES
a. Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut: 1st
Woman Ruler of
Egypt
Peaceful Reign
(Moses?)
b. Thutmose III
Thutmose III Greatest warrior king of Egypt
Moses frees Israel 10 plagues
c. King Tut
King Tut
child pharaoh;
Tombs riches
Tutankhamun
d. Rameses II
Rameses II 150
yrs. after Israelites
left Egypt
Massive Building
Projects!
Egypt declines
after his death
D) Mummies
Egyptians who could
afford to do so would
have themselves
mummified.
They believed in a
better afterlife if their
body was preserved.
The Egyptians took out all of the internal organs, except
the heart. When they removed them, the organs were put
in canopic jars that were put in the tomb with the
mummy. They did not take out the heart because it was
believed to be the intelligence and emotion of the person.
The Egyptians thought the brain had no significant value,
so they took it out through the nose. The body was
packed and covered with natron (a salty drying agent).
After this the body was left
for 40-50 days.
E) Hieroglyphics
Picture Writing
Hieroglyphics
 What did Egyptians write on?
Ancient Egyptians used papyrus, a
substance derived from the plant of the
same name
III. Land of Canaan
As the Israelites
leave Egypt, they
enter Canaan, The
Promised Land
Hittites;
Phoenicians; and
Arameans
A) Hittites

Based in Asia Minor (Turkey)

Ruled by King or General
Power supported by tribal chief warriors
 Hittites
Excelled in Iron
production
Took Babylon
(Amorites) and Syria
Conflict with Egypt left
them weakened
B) The Phoenicians
 The Phoenicians
Capital Tyre
Merchants of the
Sea
Gained wealth
through mollusks
and Cedar and
Fir Trees
The Phoenicians
Phoenician
Alphabet
Invaded by
Assyrians
Worshipped Baal
Cursed by Eziekiel
C) The Arameans

Crossroads of
Civilization
Land Merchants
and Traders
Damascus
The Arameans

Aramaic common language

Syria
D) The Hebrews

Abraham Father of the Hebrew People

The Hebrews
Josephs rise in Egypt
Tribe of Judah
Israelites become
prosperous and many
Hyksos force Hebrews
into slavery
 The Hebrews
Moses leads Hebrews out of Egypt and into the
Promised Land - Canaan
Mentors Joshua
The Hebrews

Joshua Conquered
Canaan Israel
Monotheism
Theocracy Rule
by God
 The Hebrews

David: King Man after Gods own Heart

Solomon - Wisest; Richest man in History
The Hebrews
Judgment comes
Babylonian Captivity; Nebuchadnezzar;
70 yrs.
IV. Near Eastern Empires
A) The Assyrian Empire

Created
the largest
Empire to
date
The Assyrian Empire
Violent, Driven by
War
Strongest Army at
the time
Capitol: Nineveh
Sargon II
The Assyrian Empire
Sennacherib: attacks
Jerusalem
Isaiah Trust in the Lord
Angel kills 185,000
Assyrian Warriors
Sennacherib killed by his
sons in dishonor
The Assyrian Empire

Were wicked and

cruel
Nineveh
Jonah
Gods judgment
C
h
a
l
d
e
a
n
s
 B) The Chaldean Empire

Nebuchadnezzar New Babylon Height of

Babylons history
Diaspora (scattering) Jews taken into captivity
Astronomy and Astrology Daniel
Belshazzar Writing on the wall
 C) The Persian Empire

o Cyrus Great Conqueror; Defeats Croesus

o Frees nation of Israel
o Rebuilds temple in Jerusalem
The Persian Empire

o Esther Marries
Xerxes; Saves Jews
from extinction
o Nehemiah Servant
in Persian court,
rebuilds Jerusalems
walls
 The Persian
Empire

o Darius the Great:

Empire reaches
its highest
o Persians rule the
world for about
200 years.
The Persian Empire
THE END!