The Assyrian Empire & Israel

1. The Assyrian Empire& Israel By: Lauren Wiezorek & Laurel Haas

2. The Assyrian Empire 911–612 B.C.E First to rule over far-flung lands and very diverse people and cultures Originated from northern Mesopotamia Northern Mesopotamia was more ideal for agriculture The Assyrian empire was from the Iranian plateau to the eastern shore It was the first empire of its time that conquered this much land Much of the conquering was brought from the Neo-Assyrian Empire

3. Political Monarchy Other forms of government were attempted Their king was the “Center of the Universe” The king oversaw everything Ultimately everything belonged to the king The Neo-Assyrian empire was very aggressive and conquered much land They supported their military for the most part

4. Religious Polytheistic religion Ashur was their chief god The king was chosen by the gods The king’s action were those of the gods The king over saw all religious rituals they preformed many rituals for everything they did They had temples and libraries

5. Economic Most of the money went to the military and ultimately the king Conquered much land so had diverse trade Had the biggest long distance trade route Were right in the middle of big trade routes Tributes and Taxes The taxes were given to the king and he decided what to do with it

6. Social King was above everyone and a very high being They had the elite class, people who lived in the cities and had specialized jobs The elite class shared in the wealth of the king There were three main social classes Free landowning citizens Farmers and Artisans (didn’t have to be citizens) slaves Slaves were often prisoners of war Life was very controlled even the arts and literature

7. Israeldurring 2000-500B.C.E. -Located on the western edge of Assyrian Empire -History of ancient Israel is marked by 2 major interconected events 1.) A loose collection of nomadic kinship groups engaged in herding and caravan traffic became sedentary, agricultural people, devolped complex political and social insititutions, and became integrated into comercial and diplomatic  networks of the Middle East     2.) change from desert god into concept of a single, all powerful, and all knowing deity (Judaism and Christianity) -Know by many names: Canaan, Israel, and Palestine

8. Israel Cont. -Info about ancient Israel comes from archaelogical excavations and references in contemporary documents, however the fundemental source is from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testement) -Traditions of Israelites were transmitted oraly until 10th century where they were written down in script borrowed from Phoenicians

9. King Saul and David  -    Oil Painting by GUERCINO, 1646 Political -Monarchy - Religous leader Samuel recoginized Israel's need for stronger central authority - Saul anionted first king around 1020 B.C.E. -When Saul died throne pased to David, a musician, warrior, and politician -David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, making the city a  religous as well as a political center -Census was taken to facilitate collection of taxes, with soilders paid by and loyal to the king, was institued which caused string of miltary victories

10. Political cont. -David's son Solomon marked high point of Israelite monarchy -To strengthen link between religous and secular authority Solomon built the First Temple (central shrine) in Jerusalem -After Solomon's death monarchy split into to kingdoms: Israel in north with its capital at Samaria and Judah in south territory around Jerusalem  -Assyrians destroyed nothern kingdom of Israel -Kingdom of Judah lasted for more than a century longer but was later captured by Neo-Babylonian monarch Nebuchadnezzar -Deportees maintained strong religous and cultural tradition

11. Religious Monotheism- the absolute belief in Yahweh as the one and only God -Religous tied closely with the goverment -Hebrew Bible tells story of Abraham who rejected idol whorship of Mesopotamia and made covenant with the Israelite god -Abraham's great grandson was sold into slavery by his brothers where by luck and ability became high official in pharaoh's court. -A drought struck Israel and forced Israelites to move to Egypt where Egyptians looked down on the rough hereders and forced them to work as slaves. -Hebrews led out of Egypt by Moses where they where they wandered through the desert for 40 years, still devoted to God. -Joshua, Moses's sucessor, led Israelites to Cannan, where they attacked and destroyed Jericho and Canaanite cities

12. Economic -Israel is a crossroad, linking Anatolia, Egypt, Arabia, and Mesopotamia -Very few natural resources know to the land -Solomon and Hiram, king of Phoenician Tyre, together commissioned a fleet that sailed into Red Sea and brought back gold, ivory, jewels, sandalwood, and exotic animals -Trade with Sabain south Arabia and Horn of Africa

13. -Temple priests became powerful and weathly when Solomon strenghtened religous and secular authority.  -Temple heirarchy changed social composition of Israelite society -Gap between urban and rural, rich and poor, polarized a people that had lived homogenous -Phrophets chalenged behavior of Israelite rulling elite. -Phrophets often spoke out for uneducated, inarticulate, illiterate, and powerless lower classes  -Isralites lived in extended families, under authority of eldest male -Marrige usually arragned, important economic and social institution.  Groom gives gift to father of bride. Social

14. Social cont. -First born heirs were of paramount importance, given double the inheritance.  If a couple had no son, they could adopt or the husband could have a child with his wife's slave attendent. If a man died childless his brother was expected to marry his widow and sire and heir -Women were respected and enjoyed relative equality with husband.  Unlike men, women did not have right to divorce, inheritance of property or extramartital relations. -Women labored in agriculture, herding, housework, childcare, cooks, bakers, perfumers, nurses, prostitutes, and singers.  *A few women reached reached positions of influnece