HISTORY TIMELINE

Timeline of Ancient Near East events from 3000 B.C. to 500 B.C.

A DAY IN THE LIFE DURING ... THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST
by Jacquelin Cangro
Meet Pahir and his friend Adad as they study in a Babylonian school to master cuneiform writing in order to become palace scribes.

MESOPOTAMIAN TRIVIA:TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
by Kelly Ann Butterbaugh

Have someone read aloud this Mesopotamian trivia quiz to you and see how well you know the ancient civilization. Your categories are: Landmarks, People, and Advancements.

GREEN REVOLUTION! THE FERTILE CRESCENT
by Corey Habbas
Thousands of years ago in the Fertile Crescent, humans domesticated plants and animals, but it may have been the climate that domesticated humans! Find out how it all happened.

HAMMURABI'S CODE: WOULD YOU SINK OR SWIM?
by Joanne Liu

In ancient Babylonia, knowing how to swim could mean the difference between innocence and guilt, life and death. If someone accused you of a wrong, the only way to determine the truth was for you to jump into the Euphrates River! Each one of King Hammurabi’s 282 laws reveals a cultural, legal, or social aspect that helped maintain order and justice in Babylonian society. Decide whether you would sink or swim under Hammurabi’s Code.

STUDYING THE SKY: BABYLONIAN ASTRONOMY
by Steve Carper
Our calendar follows a direct line of descent from the Babylonians. Babylonian stargazers looked up into the sky and recorded the movements of the planets, the rising of the sun and the moon, the cycle of eclipses, and the patterns that the stars made – all in exceptional detail. Discover how, in their hands, sky watching became the formal science of astronomy.

CYLINDER SEALS: IMPRESSIONS OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST
by Christy Lenzi
Fashioned of stone or other hard material, these tiny objects were engraved with signs and images that left an impression when rolled over soft clay. Reconstructing the Ancient Near East and its history is a little like fitting together the pieces of a difficult but intriguing puzzle. Learn how, with the help of cylinder seals, a vivid portrait is slowly but surely coming together.

THE POWERFUL ART OF MESOPOTAMIA
by Candace Lindemann
How to grab control of and hold onto power were the main concerns of the rulers of Mesopotamia. At their command were armies, laborers, and priests – and also artists who represented the awesome authority of these rulers. Examine the art through various periods of Mesopotamian history to see how the artwork reflects the ancient rulers.

THE HITTITES:SUPERPOWER OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
by Jim Cort

Superpowers are great nations whose wealth and military might spread their influence far and wide across the globe, but they are not an invention of the modern world. They have existed in every time and on every continent. The great empire of Rome was one such superpower in the ancient world, but long before the rise of the Romans was the empire of the Hittites. Enter the world of the Hittites to find out about the rise and fall of their empire.

THE BUILDING OF SOLOMON'S TEMPLE
by Rachel Hartman

The temple stood out as a grand structure in Solomon’s kingdom. Many came from nearby nations to see the temple - they wanted to see the glittering gold, precious carvings and fine craftsmanship. Find out how and why Solomon built the temple.

ASSYRIAN SHOCK AND AWE: THE WORLD'S FIRST PROFESSIONAL ARMY
by Deborah Bryson
Hidden under the sand in the deserts of Northern Iraq lie the ruins of palaces from the ancient empire known as Assyria. For hundreds of years, Assyrian kings waged war on their neighbors. Artists carved histories of their battles onto huge slabs of stone used to line palace walls. These bas-relief carvings depict destruction and death in graphic detail. They also reveal amazing advances in the machinery and methods used to wage war. Who were the Assyrians and how did they change warfare? The answers to these questions lie thousands of years in the past…

THE GREAT CEDARS OF LEBANON
by Catherine L. Osornio
Take a trip to the ancient city of Tyre and hear all about the great cedars of Lebanon in this short story.

CARTHAGE:THE LEGEND AND THE REALITY
by Adrian Lowe

By about 300 B.C., the North African city of Carthage was the “Queen of the Mediterranean Sea.” It was famous for both riches and great naval power. Then, after fighting three terrible wars with Rome, it was wiped off the face of the earth. But what were the origins of Carthage? Uncover the answers to the question that ancient and modern writers have answered very differently.

DIDO: LEGENDARY QUEEN OF CARTHAGE
by Michael A. Dimitri
Listen to the legend that bridges the Ancient Near East to the founding of Rome - the story of Queen Dido.

SIEGE! THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
by Aaron Sharp

One of the most amazing cities to visit in the Ancient Near East would have been Jerusalem, the capital of ancient Israel. It is safe to say, however, that no one would have wanted to be in Jerusalem in the years 587–586 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar’s armies laid siege to the city. Read what happened during the siege and what the final outcome was.

PETRA: GHOST CITY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
by Michael A. Dimitri
Years after its premiere, many of us still feel a sense of thrill as Indiana Jones rides into that strange desert city in search of the Holy Grail in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. We wish that we, too, could find such a magical, remarkable place. In fact, there are people with an interest in archaeology and ancient history who fantasize about finding a lost civilization. The amazing good news is that this city is real! Find out how the ghost city of the ancient world came to be.

MESOPOTAMIAN TREATS by Vicky Alvear Shecter

MAKE YOUR OWN CYLINDER SEAL by Christy Lenzi