nile river is the longest river in the world (4,000 miles). splits into 2 major branches lower egypt...

Nile River is the longest river in the world (4,000 miles). Splits into 2 major branches

Lower Egypt – Nile Delta

Upper Egypt. – Land upstream to the South Yearly flooding important for growing crops. Nile was also important for transportation.

Egypt Geography

Egypt had natural barriers-desert, Red Sea, cataracts (rapids) on the Nile and the Mediterranean Sea-helped to protect Egypt from invasion. This gave the Egyptian people a spirit of confidence.

Religion:

Polytheistic- had sun gods and land gods, Sun= Atum/Re (human body/head of a falcon), the Egyptian ruler took the title = Son of Re

Osiris=river god, brought civilization to Egypt Isis =land god, married to Osiris

Seth=Osiris’s evil brother, cut Osiris into 14 parts and tossed the parts into the Nile. Isis with the help of other gods brought Osiris back to life. Osiris took on an important role as a symbol of resurrection.Isis Osiris

ruled the realm of the dead.

Seth

The Egyptian dead were placed in tombs, kings were placed in pyramids. It was thought that the dead would be reborn. The flooding of the Nile and the new life it brought to Egypt were symbolized by Isis’s bringing Osiris back to life.

Egyptian History: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom

During these periods there was long term stability, strong leadership, freedom from invasion, the building of temples and pyramids, and considerable intellectual and cultural activity.

The Intermediate periods were between the periods of stability and were ages of political chaos and invasion.

The first Egyptian dynasty was begun around 3100 B.C by Menes, the king, when he united Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom. A dynasty is a family of rulers whose right to rule is passed on within the family.

Double crown=united kingdom

white=upper Egypt red=lower Egypt

Old Kingdom:

Pharaoh- “great house/palace” is the title that the Egyptian monarchs used.

Pharaohs had absolute power but

a bureaucracy (an administrative

organization with officials and

regular procedures developed). An

important office was vizier (“the steward of the whole land”) who was responsible for the bureaucracy.

Pyramids were built during the Old Kingdom. These pyramids were built as burial places for the dead pharaohs, their families and pharaoh’s officials. The tombs contained all types of supplies and food for the dead pharaohs because the Egyptians believed that human beings had 2 bodies (physical/spiritual which they called the ka). If the physical body was properly preserved and the tomb furnished with objects of regular life, then the ka could return.

Bodies of pharaohs and wealthy Egyptians were mummified (process of slowly drying a dead body to prevent it from rotting). First the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines were removed and placed in four special jars that were placed in the tomb.The brain was also

removed by extracting

it through the nose. Then they covered the body with a natural salt that absorbed the body’s water.

Society in Ancient Egypt:Pharaoh

Nobles, priests (ran the government)

Merchants, artisans, scribes, (“middle class”) carried on trade

Largest number worked the land of the nobles, paid taxes in the for of crops and provided military service.

Daily Life in Ancient Egypt:

•Married young (girls/12, boys/14)

•Monogamy (marriage to 1 person) unless wife couldn’t have children

•Husband master of the house, wife in charge of the household and education of children

•Women’s property remained w/them even in marriage

•Some women operated businesses

•Marriages were arranged, only sons could carry on the family name, could get a divorce

Mesopotamia Egypt

Geography Fertile Crescent Africa

Rivers Tigris/Euphrates Nile

Natural Barriers Flat plains Deserts, seas, cataracts on Nile

Religion Polytheistic Polytheistic

Government City-states,Theocracy. kings

Rural villages, dynasties, kings

Social Structure Nobles, commoners, slaves

Upper class, merchants, artisans, peasants

Economy Farming/trade Farming/trade

Writing cuneiform hieroglyphics

MESOPOTAMIA

Mesopotamia- The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (now Southern Iraq) overflowed their banks and deposited fertile silt.

Good for farming.

Ancient Mesopotamia: cities include:Assyria, Akkad, Sumer

FERTILE CRESCENT:

Fertile Crescent: an arc of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf.

Irrigation and drainage ditches provided water control which made it possible to grow crops on a regular basis and support a civilization.

SAMARIA

Sumerians: their origins a mystery

Most famous city-URUK-surrounded by walls

Formed city-states-a city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside.

Dwellings made of mud,

shaped by hand and then

dried in the hot sun until hard

Invented arch/dome

SAMARIA CONTINUED

Built some of the largest brick buildings in the world

Ziggurat-a massive stepped tower on which was built a temple dedicated to the chief god/goddess of a Sumerian city

People believed that gods/goddesses owned the cities-spent much of their wealth on building temples

YEP: STILL SAMARIA

Temples served as the center of the city physically, economically and politically.

Priests and priestesses had a great deal of power

Theocracy-government by divine authority-gods ruled the cities-then passed on to kings and priests and priestesses helped the kings rule.

Traded for copper, tin and timber in exchange for dried fish, wool, barley, wheat and metal

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT IN EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

Theocracies-A government in which religious law is linked with secular law and the leader is often seen as a divine figure.

Examples: Mesopotamia- kings were considered to be representatives of the gods.

Egyptians believed that kings were gods, almost as great as the gods in the heavens.

King Tut

Cleopatra

JUDAISMAbraham – founder of Judaism

Judaism – religion of the Hebrews

first monotheistic

religion

Monotheism – belief in one God

Polytheism – belief in many Gods

The Ten Commandments:

In the Hebrew civilization, the Ten Commandments are a list of religious and moral imperatives which, according to Biblical tradition, were written by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of two stone tablets. They feature prominently in Judaism and Christianity. Because the origins of Christianity are rooted in Judaism, the Ten Commandments are often considered by many Americans to be the foundation of U.S. law and sometimes placed in judicial buildings and other legal structures.

HAMMURABI’S CODE

Hammurabi’s Code is the legal code of King Hammurabi (1792 B.C.-1750 B.C.) of Mesopotamia. His law was severe and specified crimes and punishments which fit the crimes to ensure uniformity and to help judges impose penalties. This collection of 282 written codes from ancient Mesopotamia was one of the earliest known legal systems that regulated people’s relationships with one another. These laws were engraved on stone pillars in cuneiform writing and publically displayed for all to see and obey as the punishments for violating the Code of Hammurabi were severe.

IMPACT OF HAMMURABI’S CODE

Established the idea that government regulates criminal and civil matters

Established statutory laws as a basis of social control and necessary for society

Reflected the idea that punishment should fit the crime

Established the idea that all in the society should follow the legal code BUT punishments in Hammurabi’s Code varied based on social class

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Moral and religious code believed to have been given by God through Moses to the Hebrews

IMPACT: Became the moral basis of both Judaism and Christianity

Organized the tradition of monotheism (belief in one God)

•Created cuneiform- a style of writing using a stylus and made wedge-shaped impressions on clay tablets

stylus

cuneiform

Technology

•Invented a sundial

•Invented a potter’s wheel

•Invented a number system to 60 which relates to our concept of 60 minutes/hour, 60 seconds/minute

•Invented the wheel in 3,000 B.C.

•Sumerians well known for their metal work, woolen textiles and pottery.

•Developed astronomy and the concept of constellations