Cities/Urban

Cities/Urban

• Cities/Urban

• Political/Military system

• Social Hierarchy

• Economic/Job Specialization

• Complex Religion

• Written Language

• “Higher Culture” – Art & Architecture

• Public Works

“Between the Rivers”

• “Between the Rivers”

• Tigris and Euphrates

• Modern-day Iraq

• Cultural continuum of “fertile crescent”

• Sumerians the dominant people

Nutrient-rich silt

• Nutrient-rich silt

• Key: irrigation

• Necessity of coordinated efforts (reservoirs, canals, dikes, dams)
• Promoted development of local governments
• City-states

• Sumer begins small-scale irrigation 6000 BCE

• By 5000 BCE, complex irrigation networks

• Population reaches 100,000 by 3000 BCE

• Attracts Semitic migrants, influences culture

Cities appear 4000 BCE

• Cities appear 4000 BCE

• Dominate region from 3200-2350 BCE

• Ur (home of Abraham, see Genesis 11:28), Nineveh

• Ziggurat - home of the city god

• Divine mandate to Kings

• Regulation of Trade

• Defense from nomadic marauders

• Technology:

• Carts & plows
• Sundials & 12 month calendar
• Sexagesimal number system - 60

Semitic peoples from northern Mesopotamia overshadow Sumer

• Semitic peoples from northern Mesopotamia overshadow Sumer

• Sargon of Akkad (2370-2315 BCE)
• Destroyed Sumerian city-states one by one, created empire based in Akkad
• Empire unable to maintain chronic rebellions

• Hammurabi of Babylon (1792-1750 BCE)

• New weapon: compound or composite bow
• Improved taxation, legislation
• Used local governors to maintain control of city-states

• Babylonian Empire later destroyed by Hittites from Anatolia, c. 1595 BCE

The Code of Hammurabi

• The Code of Hammurabi

• Established high standards of behavior and stern punishment for violators

• lex talionis – “law of retaliation”
• Social status and punishment
• women as property, but some rights
• More rights than in Sumer
• Could be merchants, traders and scribes
• Could divorce if subject to cruelty

Astronomy

• Astronomy

• Could predict movement of planets and eclipses of the moon
• Developed lunar calendar
• Astronomy was linked to astrology

Weakening of central rule an invitation to foreign invaders

• Weakening of central rule an invitation to foreign invaders

• Assyrians use new iron weaponry

• Beginning 1300 BCE, by 8th-7th centuries BCE control Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, most of Egypt

• Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (r. 605-562) takes advantage of internal dissent to create Chaldean (New Babylonian) Empire

• Famously luxurious capital

Bronze (copper with tin), c. 4000 BCE

• Bronze (copper with tin), c. 4000 BCE

• Military, agricultural applications

• Iron, c. 1000 BCE

• Cheaper than bronze

• Wheel, boats, c. 3500 BCE

• Shipbuilding increases trade networks

Ruling classes based often on military prowess

• Ruling classes based often on military prowess

• Originally elected, later hereditary
• Perceived as offspring of gods

• Religious classes

• Role: intervention with gods to ensure fertility, safety
• Considerable landholdings, other economic activities

• Free commoners

• Peasant cultivators
• Some urban professionals

• Slaves

• Prisoners of war, convicted criminals, debtors

Men as landowners, relationship to status

• Men as landowners, relationship to status

• Patriarchy: “rule of the father”

• Right to sell wives, children

• Double standard of sexual morality

• Women drowned for adultery
• Relaxed sexual mores for men

• Yet some possibilities of social mobility for women

• Court advisers, temple priestesses, economic activity

• Introduction of the veil at least c. 1500 BCE

Sumerian writing systems form 3500 BCE

• Sumerian writing systems form 3500 BCE

• Pictographs

• Cuneiform: “wedge-shaped”

• Preservation of documents on clay
• Declines from 400 BCE with spread of Greek alphabetic script

Trade

• Trade

• Astronomy

• Mathematics

• Agricultural applications

• Calculation of time

• 12-month year
• 24-hour day, 60-minute hour

Epic of Gilgamesh, compiled after 2000 BCE

• Epic of Gilgamesh, compiled after 2000 BCE

• Heroic saga

• Search for meaning, esp. afterlife

• This-worldly emphasis

The Hebrews descendants become the Israelites whose descendants become the Jews.

• The Hebrews descendants become the Israelites whose descendants become the Jews.

• Patriarchs and Matriarchs from Babylon, c. 1850 BCE

• Parallels between early biblical texts, Code of Hammurabi

• Early settlement of Canaan (Israel), c. 1300 BCE

• Biblical text: slavery in Egypt, divine redemption

• On-going conflict with indigenous populations under King David (1000-970 BCE) and Solomon (970-930 BCE)

Hebrews shared polytheistic beliefs of other Mesopotamian civilizations

• Hebrews shared polytheistic beliefs of other Mesopotamian civilizations

• Moses introduces monotheism, belief in single god

• Denies existence of competing parallel deities
• Personal god: reward and punishment for conformity with revealed law
• The Torah (“doctrine or teaching”)

Assyrian conquest, 722 BCE

• Assyrian conquest, 722 BCE

• Conquered the northern kingdom
• Deported many inhabitants to other regions
• Many exiles assimilated and lost their identity

• Babylonian conquest, 586 BCE

• Destroyed Jerusalem
• Forced many into exile: Diaspora
• Israelites maintained their religious identity and many returned to Judea

City-states along Mediterranean coast after 3000 BCE

• City-states along Mediterranean coast after 3000 BCE

• Extensive maritime trade

• Dominated Mediterranean trade, 1200-800 BCE
• Traded cedar, colored dyes, glass and much else

• Development of alphabet symbols

• Simpler alternative to cuneiform
• Spread of literacy

Common roots of many languages of Europe, southwest Asia, India

• Common roots of many languages of Europe, southwest Asia, India

• Implies influence of a single Indo-European people

• Probable original homeland: modern-day Ukraine and Russia, 4500-2500 BCE

• Domestication of horses, use of Sumerian weaponry allowed them to spread widely

Hittites migrate to central Anatolia, c. 1900 BCE, later dominate Babylonia

• Hittites migrate to central Anatolia, c. 1900 BCE, later dominate Babylonia

• Influence on trade

• Horses, chariots with spoked wheels
• Iron
• Migrations to western China, Greece, Italy also significant