Ancient World History

1. Ancient World History Introduction, Origins, & Sumer

2. Introduction & Origins

3. [Video] https://answersingenesis.org/media/video/creation/heaven-and-earth/ Creation Video

4. It helps us know how we got here • The ancient past is connected to what we do today • [video] http://video.foxnews.com/v/4332286493001/isis-coordinated-attacks-kill-at-least-50-in-egypt-/?#sp=show-clips • It can be inspirational! • It’s interesting (…for some…really!) • It tells us how God has worked in this world throughout history (the Incarnation of Jesus Christ being the pinnacle) Why is Ancient World History Important?

5. Evolutionists’ View on the Origins of “Life” (life forms, not simply humans): Life on Earth began more than 3 billion years ago, evolving from the most basic of microbes into a dazzling array of complexity over time. [www.livescience.com] • Electric Spark View (Lightning) • Community Clay View (Molecules mixed with clay to create life) • Deep Sea Vents View (Molecules mixed under water) • Chilly Start View (Ice kept underwater molecules protected from the sun until the ideal time) • RNA View (RNA within DNA helps create proteins, leading to life…though the existence of RNA also requires an explanation) • Simple Beginnings View (Basic molecules gradually combined and changed into more complex molecules, leading to life) • Alien View (Life-inducing molecules landed on earth from meteorites) Where Did We Come From? (Secular Views)

6. History of Life (according to the BBC)

7. Darwin's "Tree of Life"

8. Darwin's Doubt – The Cambrian Explosion

9. Traceable Ancestor Theories—Both Christians and non-Christians believe that human DNA can be traced back to one man and one woman. The Bible explains this by referring to Adam and Eve. • “Mitochondrial Eve Theory” and “Y Chromosomal Adam Theory” • Human Civilization—Both Christians and most non-Christians believe that “civilizations” started to form roughly 6,000-10,000 years ago. • Mr. Wiley’s Conclusions—Human life began with Adam and Eve about 6,000 years ago. Civilizations were formed shortly afterwards…And here we are today. Where Did We Come From? (a Creationist View)

10. Genesis 3—Satan, in the form of a serpent, tempted Adam and Eve to reject God’s authority, bring upon themselves curses. • The Good News—Despite humanity’s rebellion, God promised to provide a redeemer who would defeat sin and Satan (Genesis 3:15). • Sin & World History—Every single person is a sinner, having followed the footsteps of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God. In order to understand world history accurately, we must realize that people in world history have been tainted by sin, just as we have been as well. • “The moral of the story…”—We can observe the moral decisions of famous people in history to better understand things like virtue, sacrifice, and love, as well as to avoid things like greed, anger, or pride. • [video] https://vimeo.com/46431986 Sin & World History

11. Cradle of Civilization—This region in the Middle-East is where virtually all scholars believe civilizations first arose. (likely during the Pangea supercontinent) • Area—This resides around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. • Post-flood—After the Flood, this was likely the “launching pad” for new civilizations. Pre-Flood People Groups

12. [see movie clip] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LKe8V-h7h8 • A Christian/Creationist Perspective—If we accept that the Bible can be trusted, then we will read that God caused a worldwide, catastrophic flood to occur. During this catastrophe, it is likely that volcanoes erupted throughout the world, causing water temperatures to rise. Warmer waters can lead to powerful storms during summer, but also much harsher winters. Since nothing has matched the impact of the Flood, it’s no problem for Christians to explain that the Flood brought on the Ice Age. • [link, read with discernment] http://www.livescience.com/48874-warming-climate-produces-more-snow-storms.html The Ice Age

13. Shem • Ham • Japheth • [video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLvTIrgmPrI Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Descendants of Noah)

14. Tower of Babel—In Genesis 11:1-9, the Bible tells us how languages divided people groups. • Semitic Languages—This is a “language family” of the Middle-East that shares similarities. Origins of Language

15. Of the 4 earliest civilizations (that we know of), what is the shared aspect in geography?

16. Every man, woman, and child for himself • On a piece of paper, come up with as many possible usages for the wheel in 60 seconds • Begin when Mr. Wiley says, “GO!” • Stop when told • Whoever has the most, wins! Activity

17. Monotheism—The belief in one God • Polytheism—The belief in many gods • Henotheism/Monolatry—The belief in many gods, but also in a God who is greater than the others • See Deut. 3 (vs. 23-25) &4 (vs. 35 & 39) • Resurgence of Monotheism (Israel) **How does this video game explain the origins of religion?** Origins of Religion

18. Sumer • Egypt • Israel • Assyria • Babylon • Persia • Greece • Rome Major Civilizations (B.C.)

19. Sumer

20. In what modern-day country did the first civilization (Sumer) form? Pop Trivia

21. In what modern-day country did the first civilization (Sumer) form? • Iraq • [google earth] Pop Trivia

22. Location—The Sumerians lived within the “Fertile Crescent,” or Mesopotamia • Pros—It would near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and had healthy soil for growing crops. • Cons—It would eventually become desired, with threats from both the north and south. SumerianGeography

23. City-building • The wheel • Cuneiform = their writing system • [Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbZ2asfyHcA • Mathematics (numerical system) & the 60-second/60-minute time system • [link] https://bamahammer.com/2014/05/07/61-things-you-can-do-in-60-seconds/ • Irrigation = well-established SumerianCulture

24. Divide into 2 teams • Write a message in cuneiform (up to 15 letters) that the other team will attempt to translate • The message must be a coherent phrase/sentence • Whoever translates the message the quickest wins! Cuneiform Competition

25. [video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lESEb2-V1Sg • Skip 13:00-13:34 Ancient Civilization Video

26. Theocracy—The king defended his right to rule on the basis of having the gods’ approval • Sky gods = male • Earth gods = female • Polytheistic—They believed in many gods SumerianReligion

27. Jr./Sr. date, anyone?(well, it’s actually an image of a Sumerian worshiper)

28. Around 2500 B.C. • Content—It is a story of adventure between King Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu • Purpose—It was a reflection on morality (what is right/wrong) and mortality (death) • [link] http://www.icr.org/article/noah-flood-gilgamesh/ • [Arabic Movie Trailer] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqlY_WBvRfQ Epic of Gilgamesh

29. Around 2350 B.C., Sumer was overtaken by the powerful city-state of Kish, ruled by a man named Sargon. • Definition of Empire—The rule of one people over another. • Religious Change—While much of the religious authority in Sumer rested in the priests, the king’s authority in the Akkadian Empire became much more important (he was a god-king). Sargon & the Akkadian Empire

30. The Amorites—They formed the “Old Babylonian” Empire, and eventually overtook Sumer/the Akkadian Empire. • Code of Hammurabi—Hammurabi was the 6th king of the Amorites, who developed an extensive law code. Some similarities can be made with the Mosaic Law (see textbook, pgs. 24-25). The Amorites