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The Ancient Near The Ancient Near East East The Birth of Civilization The Birth of Civilization and the Origins of Life and the Origins of Life in the Ancient Near East in the Ancient Near East

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  • The Ancient Near EastThe Birth of Civilization and the Origins of Life in the Ancient Near East

  • I. The Birth of Civilization in Western AsiaCities vs. VillagesEarliest cities emerge in MesopotamiaImportance of cooperation in irrigationMilitarism produced rulersThe role of religion

  • I. The Birth of Civilization (cont.)Standing in awe of the divineReligion organized societyTemples were complex institutionsMesopotamia was civilized by 3200 B.C.E.

  • Civilization: The stage in human organization when governmental, social and economic institutions have developed sufficiently to manage the problems of order, security, and efficiency.

  • II. Mesopotamian Civilization

  • A. Ancient Sumer (3200-2000 BC)Southwestern territory of the ValleyIndependent cities conquered by Sargon the Great around 2300 BCEUnpredictable Weather ConditionsEvolution of view of the Sumerian gods

  • A. Ancient Sumer (cont.)Significance of Sumerian TemplesInvention of the Wheel (around 3200 BCE)Invention of cuneiform writingVery Hard language to learnEarliest Sumerian literature--worlds oldest poetry

  • B. Old Babylonia (2000-1600 BCE)Invasion of semitic language groups like the AmoritesMost famous Amorite ruler = HammurabiHammurabis Code of Law-- An Eye for an eye-- Let the Buyer BewareProcedures in Amorite trials

  • B. Old Babylonia (cont)Some sense of justiceSome sense of a welfare stateThe Epic of GilgameshIntroduction of personal religionMajor mathematical achievementsBabylonian social life

  • C. The Dark Age (1600-1300 BCE)Reasons for the fall of the AmoritesHorse-drawn chariots challenge traditional ox-drawn chariotsInvasion of the HittitesKassite OccupationPrestige of Iron weapons and implementsAssimilation of previous cultural accomplishments

  • The Assyrian Empire (1300-612 BCE)Semitic language group settling in the north Tigris area as early as 3000 BCEBecame skilled in chariot warfare and began to conquer neighborsReign of Sennacherib (705-681 BCE)

  • D. The Assyrian Empire (cont)The Assyrian capital city: NinevehPalace LibraryAssyrians known for brutality in warfare--only Mesopotamian civilization to submit to a queenBrutality of Assyrian art

  • D. The Assyrian Empire (cont)Assyrian brutality produced hatred and rebellions among subjugated peoplesSophisticated, far-sighted and effective military organization--invented concept of a corps of engineersThe defeat of the Assyrians and the destruction of Nineveh

  • E. New Babylonia (612-539 BCE)Medes and Chaldeans defeat the Assyrians in 612 BCEMost famous Babylonian ruler was NebuchadnezzarThe defeat of Belshazzar by the Persians in 539 BCE

  • E. New Babylonia (cont)The ancient city of BabylonThe Ishtar GateThe Hanging GardensBabylonian astronomical achievementsNot astrologersBabylonian court astronomers and their diaries

  • III. Egyptian CivilizationPicture of serenity and stabilityLong periods of peaceSmiling Egyptian statuaryReasons for Egyptian stabilityCentrality of the Nile River--khed meaning to go downstream--khent meaning to go upstream

  • A. Political History Under the PharoahsDivided into 6 ErasArchaic Period1st PharoahOld Kingdom PeriodBuilding of 1st pyramid and era of royal absolutismFirst Intermediate Periodcentral authority disappeared

  • A. Political History (cont)Middle Kingdom PeriodGolden Age of royal cooperation with middle class and democratization of religion--concept of maatSecond Intermediate PeriodHyksos invasionNew Kingdom PeriodEra of Empire and the Exodus of the Israelites

  • B. Egyptian ReligionPolytheism to Quasi-Monotheism back to PolytheismSignificance of the Sun God Amon-Re and Osiris, the God of the NilePharoah was the representative of Amon on earthCult of Osiris personified the life-giving power of the Nile

  • B. Egyptian Religion (cont)Mummification and the HereafterEgyptian polytheism took many forms including the worship of animalsStress on ethics in Egyptian religionAmenhotep institutes the worship of Aton around 1375 BCE--Queen NefertitiKing Tut restores worship of old gods

  • C. Egyptian Intellectual AchievementsHieroglyphicsImportance of the Papyrus PlantExperimentation in all sorts of literatureInterested in practical sciencecalendar unrivalled until the time of Julius CaesarMedical AchievementsMathematical Achievements

  • D. The Splendor of Egyptian ArtSudden appearance of the PyramidsPyramid of KhufuReasons for the voluntary labor that built the pyramidsTemple Building replaces Pyramid Building during the Middle Kingdom--Temple of Karnak

  • D. Egyptian Art (cont)Statues of Pharoahs were colossal in sizeRigidity and impassiveness symbolized Egyptian love of stabilityAnatomical distortion was practicedAkhenatons naturalistic revolution in art--Famous bust of Nefertiti

  • E. Social and Economic Life in Ancient EgyptClass system in Ancient EgyptHuge gap between the rich and the poorTreatment of WomenEconomic system built on agricultureTrade flourished after 2000 BCEEarly Egyptian factoriesEgyptian Business Innovations--invented deeds, contracts and wills--oldest known currency in history

  • IV. The Persian Empire (539 BCE on)Far-sighted Diplomats who allowed subjects to practice native customs and religionsCyrus the Great allowed the Jews to return to JerusalemPersians gave the Ancient Near East political unity and cultural diversityThe rule of Cyrus the Great

  • IV. The Persian Empire (cont)Later Rulers: Darius and son XerxesEfficient administration of a huge empirePersian Road systemAramaic languageWealthy and Distant Royal AbsolutismEarly Persian ReligionIntroduction of Zoroastrianism (circa 600 BCE)