I. Mesopotamia and Egypt: Geography and political development [MAP]
        A. The importance of rivers: Tigris, Euphrates, Nile

        B. Mesopotamia
                1. Sumerians - formed city-states c. 3200 BCE
                2. Akkadians; Sargon (c. 2334-2279 BCE) [MAP]
                3. Babylonians; Hammurabi (1792-1750 BCE)
                4. Hittites (c. 1600-1200 BCE)
                5. Assyrians (c. 800-612 BCE)
                6. Chaldeans, or Neo-Babylonians (c. 612-539 BCE)
                        Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BCE)
                7. Persians; Cyrus II (c. 585-529 BCE) [MAP]

        C. Egypt [MAP]
                1. Pre-dynastic and early dynastic period (c. 3150-2770 BCE)
                2. Old Kingdom (c. 2770-2200 BCE)
                3. First Intermediate Period (2200-2050 BCE)
                        - pharaohs lost much of their power
                        to provincial governors
                4. Middle Kingdom (2050-1786 BCE)
                5. Second Intermediate Period (1786-1560 BCE)
                        - invasion by Hyksos
                6. New Kingdom (1560-1087 BCE)

II. Religion: the basis of early civilizations
        A. reformed v. unreformed religions
                - unreformed = polytheistic, relatively tolerant

        B. Why was religion so all-encompassing?
                - Why was religion such an important aspect of their lives?
                - Gilgamesh
                - mythopoeic = myth-making

        C. How did this religiosity affect the Mesopotamians?
                1. importance of priests
                2. temples [Ziggurat]

III.  Government, Law and Society
        - Mesopotamia [Code of Hammurabi]
                1. In general, how would you describe the laws?
                2. What are the different levels of people
                        in Mesopotamian society?
                3. How would you describe the position of
                        women in Mesopotamian society?
                4. What other information do the laws
                        provide about Mesopotamian society?

IV.  The Hebrews
        A. Geography and political development [MAP] [MAP - close up]

        B. Religion
                Yahweh: one, sovereign, transcendent, good

        C. Government, Law and Society [Genesis] [Exodus]
                1. the position of women
                2. the Covenant and law

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