UNIT 3

BRONZE AGE EMPIRES

1700-1200 B.C. – Hittite Empire

934-609 B.C. – Neo-Assyrian Empire

625-539 B.C. – Neo-Babylonian Empire

560-330 B.C. – Persian Empire

POST-EGYPT EMPIRES

From the Levant

As early as 3000 B.C.

First to develop the alphabet The alphabet was ground-breaking in that each script represented

a single sound, not a syllable or a whole word

Referred to as Phoenicians by the Greeks The interactions and trade between the Phoenicians and the

Greeks is critically important to Greek literature, education and philosophy

Sidon and Tyre

Great sailors and traders, eventually founded Carthage Located in modern-day Tunisia

CANAANITES/PHOENICIANS

Wasn’t discovered until 1905

1700 B.C. – 1200 B.C. (approx.)

Hattusha was it’s capital, located in Northern AnatoliaHATTUSHA PHOTOS

Hittite was their language

The Hittites were an Indo-European people of mixed race

HITTITES

Major Empires - approx. 1400 BC.

HITTITE WARRIORS Renowned for chariot warfare

circa 1600 B.C.

Pitched battles in the spring and summer

They often besieged cities too, but we know little about their tactics

Invaded Mesopotamia and sacked Babylon around 1600 B.C.

Battle of Qadesh (Kadesh) in 1280 B.C. They also had diplomatic

relationships with Egypt and Assyria

NEO-ASSYRIAN EMPIRE934-609 B.C.

Benefited the most from the fall of Egypt and the Hittites

Masters of siege warfare

Ruthless warriors, eventually expanded to the Mediterranean

“I felled 3,000 of their fighting men with the sword. I carried off prisoners, possessions, oxen and cattle from them. I burnt many captives from them. I captured many troops alive, I cut off some of their hands and arms; I cut off of others their noses, ears and extremities. I gouged out the eyes of many troops. I made one pile of the living and one of the heads. I hung their heads on trees around the city. I burnt their adolescent boys and girls. I razed, destroyed, burnt and consumed the city” – Neo-Assyrian warrior; Quoted in J. Oates, Babylon

NEO-ASSYRIAN EMPIRE

Lines of deportees, returning favor of the gods

Reasons empire was successful:1. plunder2. locating deportees 3. first professional army4. King had strict rule5. Belief in superiority6. Adept at agriculture

They were ordered by the gods to “depopulate and repopulate”

NEO-BABYLONIAN EMPIRE

Highest point – 625-539 B.C.

Babylon became the most important city in the world

Math, astronomy, and science excelled

Eventually ended with the invasion of the Persians

AKA: Achaemenid Empire

560-330 B.C.

Founded by Cyrus II or Cyrus the Great

Extended as far west as the Mediterranean and as far east as present-day Afghanistan

RISE OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE

The empire was 2500 miles E-W and 1000 miles N-S!!

Conquered lands were afforded a lot of freedomReligion, rituals, arts, customs

Darius I took over and expanded the empire further

Taxed little, consolidated power and ruled effectively

Eventually the empire was overthrown by Alexander the Great

RISE OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE

UNIT 3

MINOANS AND MYCENAEANS

MINOANSIsland of Crete

2500 B.C.

Named after Minotaur

Labyrinth – human sacrifice

Arthur Evans, 1900-1905, named them “minoans”

KNOSSOS

- Over 1200 rooms

- 5 stories high

- - Frescoes of Bull-jumpers

BULL LEAPING

MINOANSMatriarchal religion

What does this mean?

Human sacrifice

Economically stable, contact with mainland

Linear A

SANTORINI VOLCANOSmall island North of

Crete

Most likely destroyed much of Minoan success

LOST CITY OF ATLANTISNo one knows where it

is located

Mentioned by Plato

Never been found, not sure if it existed or not

Believed to have been sunk in the Santorini Volcano tidal waves

AKROTIRI…..OR ATLANTIS?

- No skeletons!.....why is this an important

MYCENAEANS1600-1100 B.C.

The IliadTrojan WarParis of Troy take

Helen, Achilles wants revenge

Greeks (Mycenaeans) win, Trojan Horse

DID TROY EXIST??Heinrich Schliemann

OBSESSED with Greek literature

Wasn’t sure of location

Found in 1868

“The Treasure of Priam”

MYCENAEAN SOCIETY

More militaristic than Minoans

Linear B We can read this!

Strong fortresses, passageways, walls as thick as 26 feet!

Walls are called Cyclopean Walls

Unit 3

Israel

Israel and JudahDid not build cities or

rule over large territories

Well-known for the Hebrew BibleDetails their relationship

with their god. Yahweh

Yahweh made a bargain with Abraham, the oldest of Israelites

Myth and HistoryDifficult to distinguish myth from history

There is no simple solution because all history is subjective to a certain extent

Both should be read as reflections of society that produced them

Myth – sometimes written, other times oralUsually much more fluid, can change quickly

History – written text; fixed version and doesn’t change much over time

Hebrew BibleFirst history of the western world

Torah – first five books of the BibleThese are attributed to Moses

Sometime between 1200-400 B.C.Comprised by a whole culture, has some

repetitions and inconsistencies

Early IsraelAdam and Eve, Great Flood (Noah’s Ark)

Abraham, born in Ur Jacob, Abraham’s grandson Jacob had 12 children, 12 tribes of Israel

During a famine, they fled to Egypt – Moses led them back to the “Holy Land”

This led to the Ten Commandments

No one is sure if the exile happened or not, no historical proof of it

Monarchy and Babylonian ExileEarly kings – Samuel, David,

Solomon

Late 1000s – early 900s

Empire expanded to the Euphrates in the East, Red Sea in the South

Jerusalem was the capital city

925 B.C. - Northern population split, formed kingdom of Israel, kingdom of Judah remained

Monarchy and Babylonian ExileIntermittent fighting

722 B.C. – destroyed by the Assyrians

597 B.C. – conquered by Babylon; exiled to Mesopotamia

538 B.C. – Cyrus allowed them back – “Babylonian Exile”

This information is constantly debated by historians

Israeli Society and FamilyMore rural than Mesopotamia and Egypt

Focused primarily on agriculture; even in the household

Two story homes – floor level stores produce and livestock; second floor hold the family

Slavery was common, most families lived in a patriarchal homeWhat does this mean?

Israeli Society and FamilyMen paid bride-prices, polygamy was

common

Women married young, had a primary role within the home

Inheritance went to the oldest son

Slaves were both Hebrew and foreign, Hebrew slaves released after 7 years

Covenant with Abraham is based on monotheism

Hebrews would sometimes worship God in addition to local deities

Law is very important in Jewish society, need to stay away from “unclean” fluids, meat and people

Most legal text probably came from the 6th-5th centuries

Religion and Law

Religion and LawYahweh and the temple were very sacred

Prophets – personally called by Yahweh to remedy the evils of their dayUsually looked out for the poor and downtrodden

Believed that Yahweh punishes them for past mistakesThis helped create a sense of cohesion amongst the

people

Israelites had a sense of identity because of the BibleEven though they had many different cultures and

ethnicities…

History of Israel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baXIyOOTQBc