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
Map of Modern Mesopotamia
Sumeria
• 4000 – 2340 BC• Cuneiform• Epic of Gilgamesh – king of Uruk, Endiku• Ziggurats• Goddess Ishtar• Abraham from Ur
Map of Sumeria
Cuneiform
Ziggurat
Akkadians
• 2340-2230 BC, centered at Akkad• Sargon the Great overthrows Sumerian cities
Babylonians
• 1800 BC – 1650 BC• Hammurabi• The Code• The Stele• Ishtar Gate
Map of Babylonian Empire
The Assyrians
• Nineveh – mentioned in the Bible, Jonah and the fish
• King Ashurbanipal• Centered around Ashur
Map of Assyrian Empire
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 – 6th or 5th century BC
Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians)
• 626-539 BC• Nebuchadnezzar II – Hanging Gardens of
Babylon• Took Hebrews (Israelites) into slavery,
destroyed the temple in Jerusalem
Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians)
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
Map of Persian Empire