1. Mediterranean Civilizations
Sec. #4
Mesopotamia

2. Phoenicia
Tyre was the major city in Phoenicia located on the Mediterranean Sea
Phoenicians traded the purple dye found in snails and wood from cedar trees
Phoenicia became a great sea power
Goods from all over the Mediterranean came to the markets even animals from Africa

3. Phoenician Achievements
Writing had to be simplified to keep records for trade so a new alphabet was created
The new alphabet made it easier for more people to learn to write

4. The Israelites
A group of people settled south of Phoenicia on the shores of the Mediterranean called Hebrews later known as the Israelites
A leader, Abraham led his people to the belief in one god called monotheism
The Israelites later settled in Canaan but a famine forced them to leave to Egypt
At first the Israelites lived rich lives as merchants and government officials, but later they were enslaved when an Egyptian king grew jealous of their wealth

5. Return to Canaan
The bible tells how Moses led his enslaved people out of Egypt
Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years
While in the desert Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, a code of laws

6. Israelites build an empire
King Saul was the first king of Israel who helped control all of Canaan
The next king David united the 12 Israelite tribes into a single nation
The capital was the city of Jerusalem
Solomon, the son of David inherited the kingdom and created a sea trade which led them to wealth

7. Decline of the Israelites
After the death of King Solomon the kingdom split into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah
The Assyrians seized Israel and exiled the Israelites to distant parts of the empire
The Chaldeans conquered Judah and the Judeans were also exiled