Essential Questions

1. What did the structure of their education system reveal about the biases in Sumerian society?

2. How do you think the Code of Hammurabi affected Babylonian society?

3. In what ways did the great Assyrian library at Nineveh contribute to the ancient world’s store of knowledge?

4. How does this society compare and contrast to other river valley civilizations?

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THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

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Answers to the Essential Questions

1. What did the structure of their education system reveal about the biases in Sumerian society?

• The Sumerians might have been more successful in fighting off the Akkadians and other invaders if the city-states had united underone government and one leader who could build a strong army.

2. How do you think the Code of Hammurabi affected Babylonian society?

• The Code of Hammurabi regulated most aspects of Babylonian society. Because punishment was harsh, people probably feared breaking the law. It probably helped unify Babylonian society and culture.

3. In what ways did the great Assyrian library at Nineveh contribute to the ancient world’s store of knowledge?

• The great Assyrian library at Nineveh helped to preserve the literature and history of many previous cultures from all over the empire for future generations.