2nd millennium BC

(3rd millennium BC – 2nd millennium BC – 1st millennium BC – other millennia)

Centuries: 20th century BC, 19th century BC, 18th century BC, 17th century BC, 16th century BC, 15th century BC, 14th century BC, 13th century BC, 12th century BC, 11th century BC

Events

• Second dynasty of Babylon
• Hittite Old Kingdom in Anatolia (1900 BC)
• Civilization in Palestine (1800 BC)
• Captivity of the Israelites in Egypt (traditional date)
• Middle Kingdom in Egypt (2052–1570 BC)
• Egyptian domination over Palestine and Syria (1600–1360 BC)
• Conquest of Canaan (Palestine) by the Israelites
• Mycenaean Civilizations (c.1600 BC)
• Athens founded (1235 BC)
• Beginnings of Judaism (1200 BC)
• Olmec civilization in Mesoamerica (1150 BC)
• Fall of Troy (1184 BC)
• Indians developed caste system
• Horse domesticated
• Chinese record the earliest known sighting of a comet

Significant persons

• Hammurabi, king of Babylon (1792–1745 BC)
• Pharaohs Akhenaton and Rameses II of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt
• Shalmaneser I, king of Assyria (1274–1275 BC)
• Saul Biblical King