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A Brief History of the Ancient Near East

A Brief History of the Ancient Near East. Goals for today:. understand general political history of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon understand the importance of these political situations to Israel understand how Israel is able to thrive only when there is a lull on the world scene

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A Brief History of the Ancient Near East

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  1. A Brief History of the Ancient Near East

  2. Goals for today: • understand general political history of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon • understand the importance of these political situations to Israel • understand how Israel is able to thrive only when there is a lull on the world scene • understand how empires took tribute from Israel and other vassal countries

  3. A Brief History of the Nations in the Ancient Near East • A. Languages • B. Nations • Egypt • Sumer • Akkadians • Assyria • Babylon • Syria • Philistia • Hatti (Hittites)

  4. A. Languages • Main languages are the Semitic languages • Hebrew: Israel • Akkadian: Assyria and Babylon • etc. • Other languages • Sumerian: Sumer • Egyptian: Egypt • Hittite: Hatti

  5. Egypt: 3 major period • 1. Old Kingdom: 2800 - 2200 B.C.E. • roughly Early Bronze Age • 2. Middle Kingdom: 2000 - 1750 B.C.E. • Middle Bronze is 2200 to 1550 • 3. New Kingdom: 1550-1150 B.C.E. • Late Bronze is 1550-1200 • periods between: • 2200 - 2000 rival powers in Egypt • 1750 - 1550: Hyksos invaders dominate Egypt

  6. Egypt’s Dynasties • Since the Greek historian, Manetho (3rd century B.C.E.) • There are some problems with these divisions, but it has been done for centuries

  7. Dynasties and Kingdoms • Old Kingdom: 3-6 Dynasties • time of pyramids • 2800 to 2200 BCE • Middle Kingdom: 10-12 Dynasties • ruled from Thebes • 2000 to 1750 • Hyksos period: 13-17 Dynasties • 1750 to 1550 BCE • New Kingdom: 18-19 Dynasties • 1550 to 1200 BCE • 20th Dynasty and beyond goes to Greek conquest

  8. Hyksos (15th) Dynasty

  9. 18th Dynasty • First Dynasty of New Kingdom • Strongest point in Egyptian History • in 1550, Ahmose I reunited Egypt • Egypt controls Canaan • Thutmoses III (1490-1436) leads Egypt to its strongest point • Amenhotep IV: el-Amarna letters written at capital of el-Amarna

  10. Thutmose III

  11. 19th Dynasty • came to power ~1300 w/ Sethi I and Rameses II • reasserted control over Asia Minor • moved capital to border of Sinai in delta • most scholars identify this with period of Exodus • ? Sethi I is Pharaoh who enslaves Israelite • ? Rameses II is Pharaoh of Exodus

  12. Rameses II

  13. 20th Dynasty and beyond • from 1200 down to Greek conquest • Egypt declined at end of Late Bronze Age and start of Iron I Age • never become as dominant • several Iron Age II pharaohs who are strong, but never controls known world

  14. Sumer • first great civilization in the world • arose around 3500 (start of Early Bronze) • Sumer located in marshes of lower Mesopotamia between Tigris and Euphrates • invented writing (Gilgamesh) • advanced mathematics based on number 6 • much of their art / culture was adopted by the Semitic peoples

  15. Akkadians • later the two main countries would be Assyria (in North) and Babylon (in South) • ~2400, Sargon I is first Semitic ruler to defeat the Sumerians • the Akkadians adopted Sumerian culture and religion, but kept Semitic language • controlled Mesopotamia until Cyrus the Great (Persian ruler ~520)

  16. Assyria: 9th century • Ashurnasipal II (888-859) • Shalmeneser III (858-824) • pictured Jehu (842-815) giving tribute • Qarqar in 853 B.C.E. • from 800 to 750 lost control of world due to internal struggles

  17. Battle of Qarqar in 853 B.C.E.

  18. Assyria: 8th century • Tiglath-Peleser III (747-727) • restores power • expands westward • from now until fall of Ninevah (612), Assyria is a constant threat to Israel and Judah • Sargon II (721-705) • Israel falls • Sennacherib (704-681): Judah almost falls • Assurbanipal (668-628): last great king

  19. Tiglath- Pileser III

  20. Tiglath-Pileser III (745–727)

  21. Sennacherib’s 701 campaign

  22. Rise of Assyria

  23. Babylon • After 625, they were able to win over from Assyria • exacted tribute from Canaan just like Assyria had done • defeated Judah in 596 and 586 • Babylon falls to Cyrus the Great (Persian ruler) in 520

  24. The Rise of the Babylonian Empire

  25. The Rise and Fall of the Babylonian Empire

  26. Syria • used Semitic language • language known from Ugarit and Ebla • kingdom of Aram • culture similar to Canaan but not exactly the same (although many scholars make too many parallels)

  27. Philistines • they occupy the coastal area in Canaan • come onto the scene about the time the Israelites arrive on the scene • they are one of the Sea Peoples, but not all Sea Peoples are Philistines • wiped out in early 6th century by Babylon

  28. Hittites • they occupied the area of modern Turkey • as a world power, they fell at the end of the Late Bronze Age and start of Iron Age • this is about the time period when Israel comes onto the scene • not a huge presence for Israel, but a presence in terms of culture (esp. cov’t)

  29. Conclusions: • remember: Israel’s economic resources • Israel thrived when there was a lull in the world political situation • Israel needed contacts with other nations • these relationships help us understand the political scene in Israel and Judah, and also the religious texts that evolve out of these settings.

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