Early Civilizations (2000 BC – 500 BC) Phoenicians, Hebrews, Persians, and Kus
Feb 15, 2016
Early Civilizations (2000 BC – 500 BC)
Phoenicians, Hebrews, Persians, and Kush
SOL Standard Essential Questions• What religious traditions developed in ancient civilizations?• What were the essential beliefs of Judaism?• How did Judaism influence Western Civilization?• What forms of language and writing existed in early civilizations?• How did Persia govern its empire?
Phoenicians• Settled in the Fertile Crescent along the Mediterranean coast (present-day Lebanon).
Phoenicia
Phoenician Colonies• Colony: a land controlled by a distant nation• Phoenicians set up colonies around the
Mediterranean (in yellow)
Phoenician Accomplishments• Alphabet• Great
shipbuilders and seafarers• Spread trade
and civilization
Phoenician Alphabet
• 22 letter alphabet• Basis of all modern
European and West Asian alphabets
• Facilitated trade (made it easier).
Iron-making technology
• Iron was cheaper and stronger than other metals.
• Once mastered, knowledge of its production caused great changes in societies.
•Hittites
Hebrews• Abraham settled in
the Fertile Crescent between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordon River (present-day Israel)
• His descendents became known as Hebrews.
Monotheism
• Hebrews were the first monotheists
•Belief in one god
Abraham• Abraham’s
monotheism became the foundation of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Moses• Led the Hebrews out of slavery in
Egypt to the “promised land”• Delivered the Ten Commandments
Beliefs of Judaism
• One God• Torah• Ten
Commandments
The Religion of the Hebrews
The Ten Commandments• State both
religious and moral conduct
• Require that believers both worship God and live justly with one another
The Torah• Holy book of Judaism: contains the records and beliefs of the Hebrews • The first five books of the Old
Testament of the Bible
Jerusalem• King David
united the tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Exile• Jews were driven from their
homeland by the Romans in AD 132. The state of Israel ceased to exist for 1800 years.
Diaspora• Scattering of the Jews
•Jews migrated all around the Mediterranean Sea
Western Wall• In 70 AD the Romans
destroyed the ancient Temple of Jerusalem.
• The West Wall of the Temple Mount is all that remains today.
• Jews consider this wall their most sacred shrine (holy site).
• They come from all over the world to pray at this shrine.
• The site of the original temple is now occupied by a Muslim Mosque (Dome of the
Rock).• Ownership of these and other holy sites has
been a source of bickering between Muslims and Jews for centuries.
Persian Empire• The largest empire in the world
• It stretched from The Nile to the Indus River• Persia: Present-day Iran
How did Darius and other Persian rulers unite the
Persian Empire?
Persian Rulers• Treated conquered
people with tolerance Developed an imperial bureaucracy
• Built an extensive road system
• Zoroastrianism (religion)
Tolerance• Persian rulers allowed the people they conquered to practice their own
religions and follow their own customs.
Bureaucracy• A system of managing government through
departments run by appointed officials• Darius divided his empire into provinces
each run by a governor (satrap)
Persian Road System• Great Royal Road
• United the empire (provided a means of communication, trade, and governmental control).
Zoroastrianism
• Early monotheistic religion
• Battle between good and evil; darkness and light
Zoroaster
Ahura Mazda• God of truth and light
Kush• Located on the
upper (southern) Nile• Present-day
Sudan
•Also called Nubia
Kush and Egypt• Ideas and
goods flowed along the Nile between Kush and Egypt
Egypt Conquers Kush• Egypt dominated Kush for
1000 years
Gifts for the King from a country called Nubia
Kush Conquers Egypt • Kush conquered Egypt and established
its own dynasty on the Egyptian throne
Contributions of Kush• Meroitic script
(writing)
• Steep sided pyramids and palaces
• Gold, copper, and iron working.
Golden Age of Meroe• After the Assyrians conquered Egypt, Kush continued to prosper in the booming trade between Africa, Arabia and India
Ahmes Nefertari
Nubian Queen
of Egypt around 1550 B.C
Ahmes Nefertari
of Egypt around 1550 B.C
Nubian Queen
Reflection• The origin of Judaism can be traced to
A. Abraham.B. Mohammed.C. Asoka.D. Gautama.
• Which of the following is a characteristic of Persian rulers?A. Abuse of conquered peopleB. Primitive transportationC. Development of imperial bureaucracyD. Hinduism as a religion