Land Between Two Rivers: The Fertile Crescent
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Presentation Transcript
Chapter 2 The Fertile Crescent
Present Day Iraq What 2 rivers? • Mesopotamia – Greek = between 2 rivers • Tigris • Euphrates • Make up the Fertile Crescent – region in Southwest Asia that was the site of the world’s 1st civilization • Named that because it is shaped like a crescent moon • Great area to farm
Good rivers…Bad rivers • Spring – snow in mountains melted = rushing water with topsoil in it – floods = rich soil = farming • Also provide: • Fish • Clay for buildings • Reeds for boats • Floods not same time - water sweeping away: • People • Animals • Houses • Crops
Lets Start Cities • Farming success = surplus of food = cities • By 3500 B.C. earliest known cities grew • In region of Sumer
How did the cities work? • Cities shared a common language & culture • No single ruler • Stayed independent – city-states – a city that is also a separate, independent state • In Sumer each had their own: • god or goddess • Army • Government • king
What did they look like? • Public square – busy • Where all the action in the city took place • Merchants display goods • Musicians, acrobats, beggars, water sellers in streets • For a fee scribes – professional writers, would read and write letters • Houses faced away from crowded streets onto inner courtyards – families ate and children played • Hot nights – slept on flat roofs • Oil lamps - light
What about religion? • At center of every city – ziggurat – temple to main gods or goddesses of the city • Made of terraces one on top of the other • Steps and ramps linked each level • At top – shrine • They thought gods used it as a way to get to Earth • Believed in many gods – polytheism • Poly = many in Greek • Theism = belief in a god or gods • Myth – stories about gods that explained people’s beliefs – warned gods would punish • Those who angered them • Also promised rewards
What did they do for the gods? • Honor them with religious ceremonies • Priests washed statues before and after each meal offered to them • Incense burned • Huge plates of food – then food eaten by people • They would gain qualities of those goods
Bye-Bye Sumer • Its wealth was the down fall • City-states fought over land and use of river water • 2300 B.C. Sumer conquered by Akkad – area near by • King Sargon united the Sumerian city-states • Improved government and military • 100 years later fell apart again • After 2000 B.C. no longer major power • Fell to Babylonia in 1700 B.C.
Influence on other religions • Has influenced Christianity and Islam • Same geographic region • Monotheistic • Honor Abraham, Moses, and other prophets • Same moral point of view
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