River Valley Civilizations Summary

First civilization in Mesopotamia.
Organized as separate city-states, each with its own ruler.
Rulers initially chosen from religious leaders.
Notable leaders:
- Gilgamesh (Uruk)
- Abraham (Ur)
Wrote in cuneiform.
Inventions:
- Wheel, sail, plow
- Base 60 number system
- Cities with walls for defense
Built large temples called ziggurats.
Polytheistic religion involving multiple gods, who were blamed for floods.
Pessimistic view of the afterlife: "Land of No Return"
- Everyone would be a servant of the gods.
- They would eat dirt and clay for eternity.
- This pessimism connects to the geographic disadvantages of Mesopotamia.

United through law and bureaucratic government.
Hammurabi's Code:
- Provided rights for women and the lower class.
- Featured harsh punishments based on the principle of "an eye for an eye."
Invented the 7-day week and the 60-second minute.
Hammurabi conquered neighboring cities for wealth and resources.
His successors couldn't maintain his achievements, leading to the empire's fall.

Ashurbanipal was a ruthless but great military leader.
Nineveh was a major city in Assyria.
- First library was built here, which included a copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Art depicted glorious battle scenes.

Not a river valley civilization; centered on the Mediterranean.
City-states:
- Tyre
- Carthage
- Byblos
- Sidon
Sailors and traders who traded books, glass, and purple dye.
Created the first alphabet, influencing many current day scripts such as the Latin script.

Founded by Abraham, a prophet and messenger of God.
Ethical monotheism: Doing what's right because that’s what God wants.
Holy texts:
- Torah: The first 5 books of Moses.
- Talmud: Text discussing law, ethics, customs, and history.
Moses:
- Received the 10 Commandments.
- Led the Jews out of Egypt (Exodus).
Believe in a covenant, an agreement between God and themselves.
Created a kingdom in Palestine under Saul, David, and Solomon.
Later split into two kingdoms.
Saul: First king of Israel, known for military success against the Philistines.
David: Unified tribes and established Jerusalem as the capital.
Solomon: Most powerful, built the temple and palace, and established a trading empire with allies.
- Charged high taxes to support buildings and required men to work 1 out of 3 months on building the temple.
The temple was destroyed by Chaldeans but later rebuilt.
Constant movement in Jewish history leads to Diaspora.
Holidays:
- Passover: freedom from slavers in Egypt.
- Rosh Hashanah: jewish New Year.
- Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement.
- Hanukkah: Victory over tyrants who tried to destroy Judaism.

Located in the Nile River Valley, a strip of arable farmland on both sides of the Nile, including the delta.
Deserts surrounding the Nile Valley served as natural barriers.

Narmer (Menes) united upper & lower Egypt.
Pharaohs were gods and rulers (theocracy).
Under Imhotep, the construction of pyramids began as tombs for mummified pharaohs.
Polytheistic religion.
Egyptians looked forward to the possibility of a pleasant afterlife.
Mummification reflected the belief that the body would be used again in the afterlife.
After death, individuals would be judged by their deeds on earth.
If deemed good, they would enter a wonderful afterlife.
Mummification led to advanced medical knowledge.
Created a calendar based on the predictable flooding of the Nile and astronomy.
Creation of hieroglyphics.
Much of what we know about ancient Egyptians results from translating the Rosetta Stone.

Asiatic outsiders conquered Egypt with chariots, bronze weapons, and composite bow.
During this time, Jews settled in Egypt until the Exodus.
Jews were treated as honored citizens because the Hyksos were similar to them.

Highest point of Egypt.
Pharaohs now buried in the Valley of the Kings because pyramids started facing grave robberies.
Famous Pharaohs:
- Hatshepsut: Female pharaoh who encouraged trade.
- Amenhotep: Created a monotheistic religion for the God of the Sun Disk Aton.
- Tutankhamen: Restored polytheism.
- Thutmose: Conquered Nubia.
- Ramses: Peace treaty with the Hittites.

Isolation because of the Gobi Desert, Taklimakan Desert, Pacific Ocean, and Himalayan mountains.
Huang He (Yellow) River provided the basis for agriculture.
After flooding, it left rich yellow topsoil (loess).