1. Early Mesopotamian Civilizations (Sumerians) (c. 3500-2000 BC)First cities: Ur, Uruk, Lagash. Cuneiform writing. Abraham is associated with Ur of the Chaldeans (Gn 11)2. Old Babylonian Empire (c. 1894-1595 BC)Hammurabi (c. 1792-1750): Famous for his Code. Babylon becomes dominant city of Mesopotamia3. Assyrian Empire: Middle Assyrian Period (c. 1392-934 BC)Neo-Assyrian Empire (911-609 BC)Ashurnasirpal II (Jonah)Tiglath-Pileser III "Pul" (745-727): tribute from Menahem (2 Kg 15) first deportation of IsraelShalmaneser V (727-722): siege to Samaria (2 Kg 17): 3 yearsSargon II (722-705): capture of Samaria and deportations, cf. also Is 20;1Sennacherib (705-681) invaded Judah under Hezekiah, besieged Jeursalem (2 Kg 18-19; 2 Chr 32; Is 36-37)Esarhaddon (681-669) cf. 2 Kg 19,37 & Is 37,38; Ezra 4,2Ashurbanipal (669-631) = Osnappar (Ezra 4,10(?)Prophets in this period: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Jonah (sent to Nineveh)4. Neo-Babylonian (Chaldean) Empire (626-539 BC)[Nabopolassar (626-605): founder; destroyed Nineveh, not mentioned in bible]Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) cf. 2 Kg; 21 Chr; Jer; Ez; Dan; defeated Judah several times; first Babylonexile (including Daniel); destroyed Jerusalem & Temple in 586Amel-Marduk (Evil-Merodach) (562-560) cf. 2 Kg 25 & Jer 52Nabonidus (556-539): background to Daniel 5Belshazzar (co-regent): "king" in Daniel 5, saw the "writing on the wall". Conquered by Cyrus of PersiaProphets: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel5. Persian (Achaemenid) Empire (550-330 BC)Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC): Conquered Babylon in 539 BC; allowed Jews to return to Judah (Ezra 1);mentioned positively in Isaiah 44-45 and Ezra 1; cf. also 2 ChrDarius I (522-486 BC) cf. Ezra, Haggai, Zech; uncertain: Daniel 6: supported rebuilding of TempleXerxes I (Ahasuerus) 486-465 BC: husband of EstherArtaxerxes I 465-424 BC: sent Ezra to Jerusalem; authorised Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem's walls (Neh 2)Biblical books: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi6. Greek EmpireAl...