The earliest civilization in the Nile Valley developed forty centuries before the birth of Christ. 3400 B.C. The Old Egyptian Empire is founded. Memphis is the capital. 2800--2700 B.C. The Pyramids are built. 2000 B.C. The Old Empire is destroyed by the Arab shepherds, called the "Hyksos." 1800 B.C. Thebes delivers Egypt from the Hyksos and becomes the center of the New Egyptian Empire. 1350 B.C. King Rameses conquers Eastern Asia. 1300 B.C. The Jews leave Egypt. 1000 B.C. Egypt begins to decline. 700 B.C. Egypt becomes an Assyrian province. 650 B.C. Egypt regains her independence and a new State is founded with Sais in the Delta as its capital. Foreigners, especially Greeks, begin to dominate the country. 525 B.C. Egypt becomes a Persian province. 300 B.C. Egypt becomes an independent Kingdom ruled by one of Alexander the Great's generals, called Ptolemy. 30 B.C. Cleopatra, the last princess of the Ptolemy dynasty, kills herself and Egypt becomes part of the Roman Empire. THE JEWS 2000 B.C. Abraham moves away from the land of Ur in eastern Babylonia and looks for a new home in the western part of Asia. 1550 B.C. The Jews occupy the land of Goshen in Egypt. 1300 B.C. Moses leads the Jews out of Egypt and gives them the Law. 1250 B.C. The Jews have crossed the river Jordan and have occupied Palestine. 1055 B.C. Saul is King of the Jews. 1025 B.C. David is King of a powerful Jewish state. 1000 B.C. Solomon builds the Great Temple of Jerusalem. 950 B.C. The Jewish state divided into two Kingdoms, that of Judah and that of Israel. 900-600 B.C. The age of the great Prophets. 722 B.C. The Assyrians conquer Palestine. 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar conquers Palestine. The Babylonian captivity. 537 B.C. Cyrus, King of the Persians, allows the Jews to return to Palestine. 167-130 B.C. Last period of Jewish independence under the Maccabees. 63 B.C. Pompeius makes Palestine part of the Roman Empire. 40 B.C. Herod King of the Jews. 70 A.D. The Emperor Titus destroys Jerusalem. MESOPOTAMIA 4000 B.C. The Sumerians take possession of the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates. 2200 B.C. Hammurapi, King of Babylon, gives his people a famous code of law. 1900 B.C. Beginning of the Assyrian State, with Nineveh as its capital. 950-650 B.C. Assyria becomes the master of western Asia. 700 B.C. Sargon, the ruler of the Assyrians, conquers Palestine, Egypt and Arabia. 640 B.C. The Medes revolt against the Assyrian rule.