Babylonian Exhibit
Published on Nov 18, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
The Babylonians:
The Babylonians were an advanced civilization who resided in 1900-1100 B.C times. They lived by codes of law and these laws gave them the abilities to live and flourish in a world where death and extinction was prominent.
Photo by tomylees
MAP OF MESOPOTAMIA
Advanced Cities:
Babylon- Babylon was an ancient city located near the Euphrates River in present day Iraq. When Hammurabi became king, he made Babylon the capital city of his kingdom. Centuries after his rule, the capital city was rebuilt by Nebuchadnezzar. The new city was built far bigger than its previous state, it became the largest city of the time. The Babylonians were very religious so temples were built to worship their gods and deities. Temples such as the Temple of Marduk and the Tower of Babel. Marduk was a very well known god in Mesopotamia, in fact he became the surpreme god of Mesopotamia once his Temple was built. In 331 B.C, Babylon was taken over by Alexander the Great. After Alexander's death, Babylon fell into the hands of the Seleucids.
Photo by Alaskan Dude
Advanced Cities:
Ur: Ur acted as a port city for the Babylonians and was located along side the Persian Gulf. The city was named after the man who first settled there and the city is said to revolve around the story of Abraham. The city also has a large catacomb complex known as The Great Death Pit which is located beneath the city consisting of tombs and graves. Since Ur was a sea port, the people traded with many countries in Asia including India. Ur became the main trade center for the Babylonians because of its geografic location near the gulf. The city still exists today as ancient ruins in Iraq.
Photo by Jose Javier Martin Espartosa
Social Structure:
- Houses were made of sun dried brick
- Raised livestock (Cattle and Sheep)
- Main crop was Barley
- Farming as main industry
- Relied on Trade for wealth and economy
- King couldn't raise taxes for war purposes
- Important trade partners: India, Europe, Persia, Anatolia and Egypt
- Youth would receive education by reading text on tablets.
Photo by Xuan Che
Religion:
The Babylonians were polytheistic, meaning that they believed in many different gods and goddesses. The Sun God Shamash was in charge of Justice while the Goddess Ishtar embraced both love and war. Each god had their own temple of worship, so different cities would have temples for the gods they worshipped there. Babylonians believed that good behavior throughout their lives would grant them divine powers after death such as resurrection and even immortality.
Photo by listentoreason
Government:
Laws and Justice were key concepts to the Babylonian way of life. Justice was administered by four judges who resided in a court, once they made their decisions against the culprit, those decisions cannot be taken back unless the King chooses to change that verdict. Punishment for crime includes mutilation, slavery and banishment from settlement. For criminal law, the Babylonians created a code known as the Lex Talionis meaning an eye for an eye. The punishment is determined by the caste system ranging from Noble to Commoner and lastly Slave. For example; If a man were to destroy a Nobleman's eye, then his eye would be destroyed as well.
Photo by haahr
System of Writing:
Babylonians used Cuniform as a system of writing. Cuniform is known as one of the first forms of writing in early human history. They would write text on clay tablets for educational purposes or just for writing down historical events.
Photo by The Shifted Librarian
The Code of Hammurabi
THE CODE OF HAMMURABI IS A LARGE STONE PILLER THAT CONTAINS ALL LAWS OF THE BABYLONIAN CIVILIZATION.
THE LUNAR TABLET
A TABLET THAT WAS WRITTEN BY AN ASSYRIAN KING AND IT ILLUSTRATES A STUDY ABOUT THE LUNAR ECLIPSE.
THE FLOOD TABLET
IT DESCRIBES HOW THE GODS SENT A FLOOD TO DESTROY THE WORLD.
THE STONE KUDURRU
THIS DOCUMENT RECORDS A GIFT OF LAND MADE BY THE KING IN 1090 BC.
Babylonian Technology: As far as we know, the Babylonians were great astronomers. They studied stars and using this knowledge they created calendars consisting of lunar months. They also measured time using a sun dial.
Photo by itonys
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Babylonians we're way ahead of their time. They created basic laws to keep their civilization in control, in a way, we still use these laws today. With their skills and their understanding of the world, they helped create the basis of modern society.
Photo by photographerglen
Bibliography:
"Ur." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. .
"Babylon - Capital City of Babylonia." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. .
"Ancient Babylonia - Economy and Social Structure." Ancient Babylonia - Economy and Social Structure. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. .
"Ancient Babylonia - Criminal Law." Ancient Babylonia - Criminal Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. .
"The Avalon Project : Code of Hammurabi." The Avalon Project : Code of Hammurabi. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. .
"Babylonian Culture and Tablets." Babylonian Tablets. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. .
"The Babylonian calendar." The Babylonian calendar. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. .
"Mesopotamia." Student Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. .
"Babylon - Capital City of Babylonia." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.
"Ancient Babylonia - Economy and Social Structure." Ancient Babylonia - Economy and Social Structure. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.
"Ancient Babylonia - Criminal Law." Ancient Babylonia - Criminal Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.
"The Avalon Project : Code of Hammurabi." The Avalon Project : Code of Hammurabi. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.
"Babylonian Culture and Tablets." Babylonian Tablets. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.
"The Babylonian calendar." The Babylonian calendar. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.
"Mesopotamia." Student Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
Photo by sarah_browning
