GILGAMESH (2700s B.C.)

A priest-king of the Sumerian city of Uruk (Bible: Erech), who built a 6 mi. wall around it for defense. Sargon was later to destroy this wall. But it was in death that he became immortalized, as the main character in the first piece of great literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Great literature is so because it helps answer some of the questions that are the permenant concerns of mankind, such as, "How should I live?" or "What is justice?" Here, Gilgamesh discovers the dignity of mortality. The ruins of  Uruk were found in 2003, and are being excavated presently amid the chaos in Iraq. Right: Bust of Gilgamesh.

LUGALZAGGISI (2300s B.C.)

The Sumerians started calling their priest-kings 'Lugal' (big man), especially if they were successful in battle. King lists were dawn up in many cities, indicating how they kept time. Lugal-Zaggisi was a powerful king who went out from his minor city (Umma) and fought and defeated the lugals of other, larger, city states: like Lagash and Uruk. This victory would not last long... for a new conquerer would emerge from outside of Sumer, in the center of Mesopotamia.

GUDEA (2100s B.C.)

150 years after Sargon, Sumerian cultural ways persisted in Mesopotamia, and were even adopted by the ruling Akkadians. Cuneiform writing, ziggurat temples for city gods, and urban division of labor all continued. Akkadian language, however, became dominant, replacing Sumerian. Eventually, central control weakened and collapsed. Gudea was a Sumerian ruler of a neo-Sumerian, post-Akkadian period, of the city of Lagash, along with some other city- states. He had irrigation channels revitalized and managed a wide trade area (to Arabia, Sinai & Levant). At this time at Ur, a great ziggurat, 45 ft. high, was built, with huge stairs so the gods might come out to visit.

SARGON OF AKKAD (2300s B.C.)

The first great empire-builder of history, Sargon's city was called Akkad (Gr. Agade). Using bow and arrows and spears, he led his forces south to defeat the civilized cities (including Lugal-Zaggisi's) one by one, unifying them under his control and beginning an Age of Empires (an empire is a heterogeneous territories brought under the rule of an emperor). He is the first to be called "The Great," and he really was a smart guy, good at propoganda: his daughter write poetry on the theme of unity between Sumerians and Akkadians, and he paraded criminals in front of city temples and proclaimed how the gods were 'on his side.'

HAMMURABI (1700s B.C.)

Emperor of Babylon whose city on the Euphrates River became great. He is promotor of Hammurabi's Code, the oldest known law code (1792). "An eye for an eye," it said on stele that were placed strategically in cities so people could see the rules. Preamble: "Hammurabi, exaulted prince, who entreats Marduk to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land, to destroy the wicked and evil-doers, who rules over the black-headed people (Sumerians had dark hair), who makes riches, who enriched Ur, who laid the foundations of Babylon, who brought plenteous water to its inhabitants..."

HATTUSILIS (1600s B.C.)

During the Indo-European migrations around 2000 B.C., some, the Hittites, came south to Anatolia at the same time others went west to become the Greeks. Hattusisis was not the first ruler of the Indo-European Hittites in Anatolia, but the first to extend Hittite power throughout the penninsula and south to the Levant. He then built the fortress citadel at Hattusa, which became the center of Hittite power. A cuneiform tablet found in 1957 discusses his deeds. The Hittites brought the horse and chariot to the complex of the Near Eastern civilizations.

SHALMANESSER III (800s B.C.)

TIGLATH-PILESAR III (700s B.C.)

SARGON II (700s B.C.)

"The Legitimate King." A natural born conquerer who took the power of Assyria to Babylonia, Armenia, Philistia and Israel, among others. Reorganized administration into 70 imperial provinces. Even his name was propaganda: it harked back to the original empire-builder Sargon of Akkad. At the height of his power, Sargon II was cut down in a battle with the Cimmerians... leaving all Assyria to little Sennacherib.

SENNACHERIB (600s B..C.)

Sennacherib's reign over Assyria did not focus on military expansion, but building projects. Stopped a rebellion by a Babylonian king allied with Chaldeans, Aramaens and Elamites by riding with Phoenician sailors down the Tigris. Later the Hebrew Hezekiah revolted, and he went to Israel and laid seige to 46 cities with battering rams to win the day. 10 of the 12 Israelite tribes were carried off never to be heard from again. Psalm 46 speaks of the joy of the last two tribes in surviving.

ASHURBANIPAL (600s B.C.)

The last Assyrian ruler, and probably the greatest... in an overall sense. For Ashurbanipal was a learned man. He built the first library in the ancient world, to catalog all the knowledge then known, as a precursor to the Library at Alexandria and the Library of Congress.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR (500s B.C.)

The Babylonians brought down Assyria and assumed lordship over its territory. Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest Emperor of Babylon during the following 100 years of glory. He took Egypt, rebuilt the city, including the Hanging Gardens. To make the gardens bloom, a moat was flooded from the Euphrates and water brought by simple machines to the top terraces, which then circled down the structure to remind his Persian wife of home. Eight mile walls encircled the city, the Ishtar Gate with its glazed tiles, led to the ziggurat temple of Marduk- known by the Israelites as the Tower of Babel. He sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple of Solomon, and carried the two Hebrew tribes into the Babylonian Captivity for 50 years.

CYRUS (500s B.C.)

Founder of the Persian Empire after leading a rebellion against Babylon. Cyrus built the biggest of all ancient empires.

ZOROASTER (500s B.C.)

Also called Zarathustra, like in Neitzsche, Zoroaster taught a new belief system called Zoroastrianism which took hold in Persia and was the religion of the region for 900 years, until the Arab conquest of the Sassanian Dynasty and imposition of Islam.

GIMILLU (500s B.C.)

An infamously corrupt satrapy official who collected taxes and embezzled money. But he was probably the exception. Persia was known for its effective administration and tolerance. John Green on Crash Course even speculated whether it would have been better if Persia had defeated the Greeks in their wars... probably not.

DARIUS (500 B.C.)

This emperor had big shoes to fill. Cyrus conquered so much land that he spent his time administering it effectively. The Royal Road was constructed under Darius, and inns placed every horse-day of travel on the road. It took 2 weeks to get from Sardis, Lyida, on the extreme northwest frontier all the way to Susa, the capital in modern Iran. Darius did, however, attack Greece at Marathon when Athens helped the Greek city of Miletus revolt against the empire.

XERXES (400s B.C.)

Well, this is how he is in the movies anyway.

DARIUS III (300s B.C.)

The last Persian Emperor of the Achmenaid Dynasty, Darius III met an innoble end when he fled twice from the battlefield against Alexander and the Greeks. His own men did him in out of embarrassment, and the Persian Empire was rendered defunct.

SHAPUR I (200s)

Alexander came and went 500 years earlier, and in the in-between time, Persia was part of the Hellenistic Selecucid Dynasty run by Greeks, before arising again as the Parthian Empire. Now Rome would be its main enemy. Shapur I scored the greatest victory against the Romans when he captured Emperor Valens and stuffed him, taxodermy style, and put him up in Persepolis.

MANI (200s)

A religious reformer, Mani tried to reconcile Christian influences from the west with Buddhist influences from the east, and all that with Zoroastrian influences in the area of Persia between the two. It didn't work out.

HIRAM

Tyre specifically, as he and his Phoenicians were a city-state people. Descended from Canaanites, he had Ball and Astarte to worship. He allied with David and Solomon, but was neutral when Israel fought the Philistines. He sold Solomon the ceder trees used in construction of the Temple.

1005-945

King of Phoenicia

CROESUS (6th century BC)

SHEBA

1000-940

Queen of Sheba

ABRAHAM

Of semi-legendary and humble origin, "Abraham went forth from Ur of the Caldees (in Mesopotamia) into the Land of Canaan". Upon arrival, by way of a special covenant, God 'gave to him all the land from the Jordan River to the sea,' later to become Israel. Abraham is the patriarch of the ancient Hebrews, whose monotheism was the seed for today's Jewish and Christian faith in the one and only God. His son Ishmael, by his maidservant Hagar, was sent into the wilderness and is revered by Muslims as the ancestor of the Arab peoples.

1750-1575*

Patriarch of the Hebrews

ISAAC

Son of Abraham by Sarah and Hebrew patriarch, Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was not very far behind. His very birth was a gift. His famous role in Genesis was that of sacraficial lamb: he is to be a sacrafice to God given by his father: the killing of his only son. On the intercession of God, in the final moments, Isaac is spared, and Abraham's loyalty and faith in God is affirmed. Isaac lived to be over a hundred as well. He married Rebecca, who bore two sons.

1690-1560*

Hebrew Patriarch

JACOB

Son of Isaac. His twin brother Esau and he were both taught the traditions of the fathers, but on the day Abraham died, when they were 15, Esau sold Jacob his birthright (the Abrahamic covenant) as eldest sibling, for a mess of pottage (lentil soup). Later when their father (now blind) died, Jacob disguised himeself as Esau and received his paternal blessing as well. He fled, and had a vision of 'Jacob's Ladder,' a stairway to heaven with angels descending and ascending. One night, he wrestled with an unknown stranger, who was later revealed as the angel of the Lord. God changed Jacob's name to Israel, 'he who is strong against God,' as God was proud of his son. Israel had twelve sons, 'the Children of Israel,' each of whom would become fathers of the 12 historic Hebrew tribes.

1670-1560*

Hebrew Patriarch

JOSEPH

Joseph had many brothers, and his brothers, jealous of his many-colored coat (among other things), sold him into slavery in Egypt land. This was during the Hyksos period following the collapse of the Middle Kingdom, and the pharaoh became enamored with Joseph's ability to interpret dreams.

1600-1520*

Hebrew Patriarch

MOSES

1310-1220

Lawgiver of the Hebrews

JOSHUA

Moses' chosen successor, Joshua is mentioned in many books of the Bible, and walked for the 40 years in the wilderness. Before getting to the Promised Land, Moses died, and Joshua brought down the Walls of Jericho and won the conquest of Canaan- probably the greatest win for the Israelites in organized battle.

1285-1200

Israelite Leader

SAMSON

1100-1050

Israelite Warrior

SAUL

1060-1020

King of Israel

GOLIATH

1045-1018

Philistine Warrior

DAVID

1035-962

King of Israel

SOLOMON

1010-930

King of Israel

ELIJAH

This prophet of the Levant who said "kings should not break laws with impunity, but conform to the same laws as anyone else." Crazy, right? Even Nixon said he was not above the law- that was Elijah talking, not Machiavelli. Elijah's stories are a big part of the Old Testament.

860-820

Israelite Prophet

JEREMIAH

Son of a loved priest, Hilkiah, he was a Biblical prophet who came to the scene at the moment Judah had turned away from God, and he made it his mission to bring them back. Unpopular, Jeremiah prophisized the fall of Jerusalem, which later occurred under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. He wrote two books of the Bible, and these books reveal the introspective, honest and saddened state that Judah's rejection and subjugation evoked from Jeremiah.

680-630

Israelite Prophet

JOSIAH

660-609

Israelite Prophet

DANIEL

580-520

Israelite Prophet

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