Sennacherib razes Babylon
In quelling rebellious Assyrians in 695 B.C., Sennacherib razes Babylon and diverts one of the principal irrigation canals so that its waters wash over the ruins.
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Assyrian king destroys Armenian irrigation network
After a successful campaign against the Halidians of Armenia, Sargon II of Assyria destroys their intricate irrigation network and floods their land.
God Punishes Man with Six-Day Storm
Ancient Sumerian legend recounts the deeds of the deity Ea, who punished humanity for its sins by inflicting the Earth with a six-day storm. The Sumerian myth parallels the Biblical account of Noah and the deluge, although some details differ.
Moses parts the Red Sea
When Moses and the retreating Jews find themselves trapped between the Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, Moses miraculously parts the waters of the Red Sea, allowing his followers to escape. The waters close behind them and cut off the Egyptians.
Lagash-Umma border dispute
The dispute over the Gu’edena (edge of paradise) region begins. Urlama, King of Lagash from 2450 to 2400 BC, diverts water from this region to boundary canals, drying up boundary ditches to deprive Umma of water. His son Il cuts off the water supply to Girsu, a city in Umma.
Tigris River dammed
A grandson of Hammurabi, Abish or Abi-Eshuh, dams the Tigris to prevent the retreat of rebels led by Iluma-Ilum, who declares the independence of Babylon. This failed attempt marks the decline of the Sumerians who had reached their apex under Hammurabi.
Kishon River flooded in defeat of Sisera
The Old Testament gives an account of the defeat of Sisera and his “nine hundred chariots of iron’ by the unmounted army of Barak on the fabled Plains of Esdraelon. God sends heavy rainfall in the mountains, and the Kishon River overflows the plain and immobilizes or destroys Sisera’s technologically superior forces (“…the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, and the clouds also dropped water,” Judges 5:4; “…The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon,’…
Water as a weapon in the battle of Delium, 424 BC
In the battle of Delium, the Athenians are at war with the Theban Confederacy. It is a custom at that time not to damage sacred areas, such as the waters at the Delium temple. In this conflict, however, the Athenians foul the temple waters and destroy local vineyards and agricultural fields for a short-term military advantage.
Alexander tears down Persian dams
Returning from the razing of Persepolis, Alexander proceeds to India. After the Indian campaigns, he heads back to Babylon via the Persian Gulf and the Tigris, where he tears down defensive weirs that the Persians had constructed along the river. The Greek historian Arrian describes Alexander’s disdain for the Persians’ attempt to block navigation, which he saw as “unbecoming to men who are victorious in battle.”
Spartans poison cisterns of Piraeus
During the second year of the Peloponnesian War, a plague breaks out in Athens. The Spartans are accused of poisoning the cisterns of the Piraeus, the source of most of Athens’ water.