New Centers of Civilization

1. New Centers of Civilization Objectives: to understand how the Israelites’ belief in one God resulted in a distinct society

2. Nomadic people • Nomadic people played an important role in the development of Kingdoms and cultures in central Asia. • Through trade, they passed on their technology, such as using iron and bronzed. • The Indo-Europeans were also important because they left behind the root language that would develop into Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Persian, and the Germanic languages.

3. Indo-European Family Tree

4. The Hittites • The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who established an empire at Hattusa in north-central Turkey around the 18th century BC, which reached its height during the mid-14th century BC. • they were the forerunners of the Iron Age developing the manufacture of ironartifacts from as early as the 14th century BC • The Hittite military made successful use of chariots.

5. The Hittites • They were eventually destroyed by the “Sea people” • After their fall and the decline of Egypt we find the Phoenicians.

6. The Phoenicians • Phoenicia, was an ancient Semitic Canaanite civilization situated on the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent and centered in Lebanon. The major Phoenician cities were on the coastline of the Mediterranean. • Trade was the basis of the Phoenician economy • With sea trade they eventually created a trade empire.

7. The Phoenicians • Improved ships • Develop sea trade • Charted new sea routes • Created colonies in the western Mediterranean • Exported their alphabet • Our alphabet derives from the phoenicians.

8. The Israelites • Judaism, a monotheistic religion flourished and later influenced Christianity and Islam. • Their Religion and History can be found in the Hebrew Bible. • They were decedents of Abraham

9. Abraham’s Journey from Mesopotamia (Ur) to Canaan

10. The Isrialites They grazed animals rather than farming They moved to Egypt due to drought They left the land after many years of enslavement (Moses) Returned to Canaan Main city is Israel Major political figures: David, Solomon