Phoenicians, Hebrews, Assyrians, and Kush (Nubians)

OTHER EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

Objectives WHI.3

 Objective:  The student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ancient river valley civilizations, including the Phoenician, Hebrew, Kush, and Persian Civilization, by:  Locating the civilization in time and place  Describing the development of social, political, and economic patterns, including slavery  Explaining the development of religious traditions  Explaining the development of language and writing  Essential Questions:  Why did Ancient Civilizations develop in river valleys?

 Where were the earliest civilizations located?

 When did these civilizations exist?

 What were the social, political, and economic characteristics of early civilizations  What religious traditions developed in ancient civilizations?

 What forms of language and writing existed in early civilizations?

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Rise of the Phoenicians

 Became powerful traders after Minoan’s decline  Important trading centers  Byblos, Tyre, Sidon  City-states situated around Mediterranean  Ruled by Kings and powerful merchant families  Remarkable shipbuilders and seafarers  First to sail beyond Gibraltar  Believed to sail to Britain, possibly Americas and around Africa  Trade  Purple dye  Traded goods from other lands: wine, weapons, precious metal, glass, and ivory

The Alphabet

 Merchants needed a way to record transactions  Developed a writing system that used symbols to represent sounds  Adopted by many cultures such as the Greeks  Phonetic  One sign used for one sound  Alpha/beth = alphabet  Enormous contributi on

End of the Phoenicians

 Captured by Assyrians 842 B.C.E.

 City-states like Carthage in North Africa survived  Later dominated by Babylonians, and then Persians  Conquerors recognized shipbuilding and seafaring skills

Ancient Trade Routes

 Mediterranean connected to Asia through land routes  Crossed Central Asia through Afghanistan to get to India  Sea routes  Arabian Sea connected to Persian Gulf  Used Monsoon winds to cross Arabian Sea  Networks important, ensured exchange of products and information  Carried goods, ideas, religious beliefs, art, and ways of living  Phoenicians diffused alphabet and other important contributions

ORIGINS OF JUDAISM

Search for the Promised Land

 Phoenicians not the only civilization to live in area later called Palestine  The Hebrews settle in Canaan   Ancient Palestine/ Phoenicia trading crossroads Between the Jordan River and Mediterranean  Believed land was promised to them by God

From Ur to Egypt

• Torah – First five books of Hebrew Bible – Most sacred writings – Christian “Old Testament” – Contains events that happened and stories • Abraham – God chose him to be father of the Hebrew people – God commanded him to move his people to Canaan – Around 2000 B.C.E. moved to Canaan – Around 1650 B.C.E. moved to Egypt

A New Religion

• Monotheistic – – First monotheistic civilization • Three aspects of Judaism: Covenant, law, and prophets • God: Yahweh – Had power over not only Hebrews but all people everywhere – Omnipotent – Just and good – • Hebrews asked for protection against enemies God did because of the covenant between him and Abraham • • • Hebrews migrated to Egypt because of famine and drought Hebrews coexist with Egyptians peacefully at first Later forced into slavery • – Hebrews fled Egypt between 1500- 1200 B.C.E.

– Called the Exodus Led by Moses

A New Covenant

• Mount Sinai – Moses climbed and prayed – God spoke to him, gave him Ten Commandments • Became basis of religious laws in Judaism • Based on idea God is just, required high moral conduct • Return to Canaan – Hebrews wandered for forty years – Return to Canaan after Moses’ death – Changed from nomadic to settled farmers and city dwellers – Learned technology from Palestine

Kingdom of Israel

• After Canaan arrival – Organized into twelve tribes • Self-governing, independent • Geography – Harsh features • Arid desert, Jordan River, – Grassy Hills, dry hot Valleys Plentiful water sources • Saul and David – Philistines threatened Hebrews – One large tribe called Judah (Judaism) – 1020- 922 B.C.E. Hebrews united under three kings: • Saul, David, and Solomon – New kingdom called Israel • 100 years of independence and power • Jerusalem was capital

King Solomon

 962 B.C.E.   Solomon succeeds his father David as King • • Most powerful of Hebrew Kings Height of Israelite power Known for his wisdom – Built trading empire – • Beautified capital of Jerusalem Builds Temple of Solomon – Home for the Ark of the Covenant – – Built to glorify God Not large but beautiful, inside covered in gold

Kingdom Divides

• Solomon’s building projects a problem – – Needs money = more taxes Men forced to work on temple 1 of every 3 months • Discontent and Split – After Solomon’s death, Jews in the north split from those in south – North= Israel, South= Judah • 200 years of confusion, battles, and prosperity • Babylonian Captivity – 725 B.C.E. Assyrians attacked Israel – Judah resisted for 150 years • City fell to Nebuchadnezzar 586 B.C.E

• Destroys Solomon’s temple, enslaves Hebrews and deports them to Babylon • 539 B.C.E. Cyrus the Great releases Hebrews – Return to Jerusalem and rebuild city and Temple

Assyrians

 Beginning 850 B.C.E.

Assyrian amassed an empire  Came from the northern part of Mesopotamia  Had to become aggressive due to terrain disadvantage  Spread down through Palestine into Egypt

Assyrians

 Led by King Sennacrib  Society glorified military strength  advanced military planning and technical skill  Used iron technology  Built beautiful capital at Nineveh  Had a library of 25,000 clay tablets thanks to King Ashurbanipal  Great efficiency at organizing conquered territories into an empire

Fall of the Assyrians

 Causes  Empire spread itself too thin  Cruelty of Kings  Ninevah destroyed in 612 B.C.E. by the Chaldeans

Empire of Kush (Nubia)

Kush (Nubians)

 Location  Between the 1 st cataract and the separation of the White and Blue Nile  South of Egypt  Connection between Egypt and Nubia  Egypt ruled Nubia  Diffused Egyptian culture  Religion, customs, writing

Kush (Nubians)

 The Golden Age of Meroe  Kushites moved south for protection to Meroe  Thrived on natural resources and became wealthy  Became center of iron weapons and tools  Became a major trader with India and Arabia  linked trade routes between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea  Guardians of Egyptian values  Decline of Meroe  Challenged by new empires to the South between 250 B.C.E. and 150 C.E.

Objectives WHI.3

 Objective:  The student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ancient river valley civilizations, including the Phoenician, Hebrew, and Kush Civilization, by:  Locating the civilization in time and place  Describing the development of social, political, and economic patterns, including slavery  Explaining the development of religious traditions  Explaining the development of language and writing  Essential Questions:  Why did Ancient Civilizations develop in river valleys?

 Where were the earliest civilizations located?

 When did these civilizations exist?

 What were the social, political, and economic characteristics of early civilizations  What religious traditions developed in ancient civilizations?

 What forms of language and writing existed in early civilizations?