Later People of the Fertile
Crescent
Chapter 3; Section 4
72-77
Fertile Crescent Empires
Hittite
Babylonian
Kassite
Fertile Crescent
Empires
Phoenician
Assyrian
Chaldean
Later Empires of the Fertile
Crescent
Babylonian
Hittites
Kassites
Assyrians
Chaldeans
Phoenicians
Later Empires of the Fertile
Crescent
Babylonian
Hittites
Kassites
Assyrians
Chaldeans
Phoenicians
•Conquered
Sumer
•Hammurabibrilliant leader,
ruled for 42
years
•Hammurabi’s
Code-1st law
code written
down, 282 laws,
and eye for an
eye concept
•Created
Irrigation
Projects and
improves tax
system
•Hammurabi
dies and empire
declines
(weakens)
•Captured
Babylon
•Empire in
presentday
Turkey
•Used
Chariots
and fire
arrows
around
the
battlefield
•Hittite
rule did
not last
long
•Kassite
people
captured
the Hittite
people
after their
king was
assassinat
ed
•Ruled for
400 years
•In 900 BC, they
started to conquer all
of the Fertile
Crescent
•STRONG,
ORGANIZED ARMY
•They spread terror
•Demanded heavy
taxes and punished
those who resisted
•Built roads to link
parts of the empire
•Messengers on
horseback to deliver
messages
•Series of wars
weakened the
empire
•Destroyed
Nineveh and
the Assyrian
Empire and
rebuilt Babylon
•Nebuchadnezz
ar was their
most famous
ruler
•Nebuchadnezz
ar build one of
the wonders of
the world
“Hanging
Gardens”
•Admired
Sumerian
culture and
studied their
language
•Present-day
land of Lebanon
•Wealthy trading
society
•Cedar and
Purple Dye
•Mountains
blocked their
trade routes, so
they turned to
the sea
•Tyre-harbor
•ColoniesCarthage
•Had fast ships
•Traveled
around
Mediterranean
•World’s 1st
alphabet
Tips: Remember this Sentence
Sam and Bob heard
kangaroos and
chimpanzees playing.
Sam (Sumer) and
(Akkad) Bob
(Babylonian) heard
(Hittites) kangaroos
(Kassites) and
(Assyrians)
chimpanzees
(Chaldeans) playing
(Phoenicians)
Main Idea 1:
The Babylonians conquered Mesopotamia and
created a code of law.
• Hammurabi was Babylon’s king.
• During his rule, Babylon became the most
important city in Mesopotamia.
• Hammurabi’s Code was a set of 282 laws
he created that dealt with almost every
part of daily life.
Hammurabi
Babylon’s king and
the city’s greatest
monarch, or ruler
of a kingdom or
empire
Brilliant war leader
who brought all of
Mesopotamia into
his Babylonian
Empire
• Oversaw building
and irrigation
projects and
improved the tax
system
• Developed a set
of laws that was
written down for
all to see
Hammurabi’s Code
• Hammurabi wrote down 282 laws which contained some ideas still
found in laws today.
• Specific crimes brought specific penalties.
• Social class was taken into account. It was a greater crime to injure
a rich man than a poor one.
• It was unique not only because of how thorough it was, but also
because he wrote it down for all to see.
Main Idea 2:
Invasions of Mesopotamia
changed the region’s culture.
• Armies battled for control of fertile land.
• Different peoples ruled Mesopotamia.
– Hittites
– Kassites
– Assyrians
– Chaldeans
• Each group affected the culture of the region.
The Hittites & Kassites
The Hittites were the first to master ironworking, so they made
the strongest weapons of the time.
They used the chariot, a wheeled, horse-drawn cart, which
allowed them to move quickly around the battlefield.
They were taken over by the Kassites after their king was
assassinated.
The Kassites ruled for almost 400 years.
The Assyrians
• The Assyrians had a strong army that used chariots and iron
weapons.
• They spread terror before battles by looting villages and burning
crops.
• Assyrian kings ruled their empire through local leaders who each
governed a small area.
• The local leaders demanded heavy taxes.
The Chaldeans
• The Chaldeans attacked the Assyrians when they were weak and
destroyed their empire.
• Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon into a beautiful city that had the
famous Hanging Gardens.
• They admired the Sumerian culture, studied their language, and
built temples to Sumerian gods.
• Babylon became a center for astronomy.
Main Idea 3:
The Phoenicians built a trading society in the
eastern Mediterranean region.
Resources
• Prized Cedar
trees for timber
• Accessed the sea
for trade
• Built great
harbors
Expansion of
Trade
Trade
• Sailed ships
around the
Mediterranean
Sea
• Founded several
new colonies
along the trade
routes
• Became wealthy
Alphabet
• Recorded their
activities
• Made writing
much easier for
everyone
• Is the basis for
the English
language
Chapter 3 Summary
Chapter 3-4 Questions
When did Hammurabi become Babylon’s king?
How did Hammurabi conquer Mesopotamia?
Why would it have been helpful for people to have the law
code written down?
4. Why did the Hittite Kingdom come to an end?
5. What military advantages did the Assyrians have?
6. How do you think the use of chariots by Hittites affected the
opposing army’s foot soldiers?
7. How did the Assyrians rule their empire?
8. What advances did the Chaldeans make?
9. Where did Phoenician ships sail?
10. Why was the Phoenician alphabet an important
development?
11. What led the Phoenicians to create a successful sea trade?
1.
2.
3.