History of the Middle EastMr. AptSandy Run Middle School8th Grade Social Studies

Origin of the Term Middle East:Coined by British and American

explorers in 19th Century to describe lands between Arabia and India

Later used to describe all “Arab” lands during the 20th Century.

Resources AvailableStone and SandWater from rivers provided fertile

land in a desert landscapeWild life provided food and

wealth. Animals would also be used in war.

Walled CitiesPolytheistic societies: Multiple G-

ds controlling different aspects of daily life.

TopographyMostly desert, often MountainousVery hot summers, very little

rainfall.Flooding of nearby rivers

provided most of water.Only land based trade route

between Europe, Africa, and Asia

InnovationFarming and Irrigation techniques

improved due to scarcity of waterUsed topography to their

advantageCities on Mountains, Valleys, or

by Rivers and Seas.Created large militaries to

conquer other civilizations, and incorporate them into their own.

Mesopotamia and EgyptTwo Oldest Civilizations in the

Region.Both Date back to 10,000 B.C.EBoth centered around rivers: Tigris

and Euphrates, and the Nile.Two Empires: Egypt under Pharaohs: 3150 B.CE-

332 B.C.EBabylonia: 1894 B.C.E-332 B.C.E

Kingdom of JudeaLand on coast of Mediterranean:Important trade route from Egypt

to Persia.Mountainous and Fertile: Geographically considered to be

the center of the Ancient World, connecting three continents.

Inhabited by tribal cultures, and ultimately dominated by monotheism.

Rise of MonotheismFirst Monotheistic City state in

Jerusalem roughly 1000 B.C.E under kingdom of Judea.

Judea falls to Babylon in 586 B.C.E

Babylon conquered by Persia in 539 B.C.E

Babylon-Persia conquered by Macedonians in 332 B.C.E

Alexander the GreatBrought Hellenistic Culture to the

Middle East from Greece and Macedonia.

Hellenism ultimately overruns Egyptian and Persian polytheism.

Monotheism considered illicit, and allowed to practice freely.

Divides the Middle East under two generals, Ptolemy and Seleucid.

The Roman EmpireMiddle East occupied by Romans

in 1st Century B. C.ERoman architecture found in

Egypt, most of modern day Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey.

Christianity founded in 1st Century C.E. (2nd Branch of Monotheism)

Christianity spreads to Europe in 4th Century C.E.

Discussion QuestionsWhat role did the availability of

water play in the development of Middle Eastern civilizations?

Why do you think Europeans were so interested in the area?

How do you think European intervention affected the development of these areas? Are those effects still demonstrated today? Why