1. Other Early Civilizations
Phoenicians, Hebrews, Assyrians, and Kush (Nubians)
Other Early Civilizations

2. Objectives WHI.3 Objective: Essential Questions:
The student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ancient river valley civilizations, including the Phoenician, Hebrew, Kush, and Persian Civilization, by:
Locating the civilization in time and place
Describing the development of social, political, and economic patterns, including slavery
Explaining the development of religious traditions
Explaining the development of language and writing
Essential Questions:
Why did Ancient Civilizations develop in river valleys?
Where were the earliest civilizations located?
When did these civilizations exist?
What were the social, political, and economic characteristics of early civilizations
What religious traditions developed in ancient civilizations?
What forms of language and writing existed in early civilizations?

3. The Phoenicians (1100 – 842 B.C.E)
Lived along the .

4. Rise of the Phoenicians
Trade
Purple dye
Traded goods from other lands: wine, weapons, precious metal, glass, and ivory
Became powerful traders after Minoan’s decline
Important trading centers
Byblos, Tyre, Sidon
City-states situated around Mediterranean
Ruled by Kings and powerful merchant families
Remarkable shipbuilders and seafarers
First to sail beyond Gibraltar
Believed to sail to Britain, possibly Americas and around Africa

5. The Alphabet Merchants needed a way to record transactions Phonetic
Developed a writing system that used symbols to represent sounds
Adopted by many cultures such as the Greeks
Phonetic
One sign used for one sound
Alpha/beth = alphabet
Enormous contribution

6. End of the Phoenicians Captured by Assyrians 842 B.C.E.
City-states like Carthage in North Africa survived
Later dominated by Babylonians, and then Persians
Conquerors recognized shipbuilding and seafaring skills

7. Ancient Trade Routes
Mediterranean connected to Asia through land routes
Crossed Central Asia through Afghanistan to get to India
Sea routes
Arabian Sea connected to Persian Gulf
Used Monsoon winds to cross Arabian Sea
Networks important, ensured exchange of products and information
Carried goods, ideas, religious beliefs, art, and ways of living
Phoenicians diffused alphabet and other important contributions

8. Origins of Judaism

9. Search for the Promised Land
Phoenicians not the only civilization to live in area later called Palestine
The Hebrews settle in Canaan
Ancient Palestine/ Phoenicia trading crossroads
Between the Jordan River and Mediterranean
Believed land was promised to them by God

10. From Ur to Egypt Torah Abraham First five books of Hebrew Bible
Most sacred writings
Christian “Old Testament”
Contains events that happened and stories
Abraham
God chose him to be father of the Hebrew people
God commanded him to move his people to Canaan
Around 2000 B.C.E. moved to Canaan
Around 1650 B.C.E. moved to Egypt

11. A New Religion Monotheistic God: Yahweh
First monotheistic civilization
Three aspects of Judaism:
Covenant, law, and prophets
God: Yahweh
Had power over not only Hebrews but all people everywhere
Omnipotent
Just and good
Hebrews asked for protection against enemies
God did because of the covenant between him and Abraham
Hebrews migrated to Egypt because of famine and drought
Hebrews coexist with Egyptians peacefully at first
Later forced into slavery
Hebrews fled Egypt between B.C.E.
Called the Exodus
Led by Moses

12. A New Covenant Mount Sinai Return to Canaan Moses climbed and prayed
God spoke to him, gave him Ten Commandments
Became basis of religious laws in Judaism
Based on idea God is just, required high moral conduct
Return to Canaan
Hebrews wandered for forty years
Return to Canaan after Moses’ death
Changed from nomadic to settled farmers and city dwellers
Learned technology from Palestine

13. Kingdom of Israel After Canaan arrival Geography Saul and David
Organized into twelve tribes
Self-governing, independent
Geography
Harsh features
Arid desert, Jordan River,
Grassy Hills, dry hot Valleys
Plentiful water sources
Saul and David
Philistines threatened Hebrews
One large tribe called Judah (Judaism)
B.C.E. Hebrews united under three kings:
Saul, David, and Solomon
New kingdom called Israel
100 years of independence and power
Jerusalem was capital

14. King Solomon 962 B.C.E. Solomon succeeds his father David as King
Most powerful of Hebrew Kings
Height of Israelite power
Known for his wisdom
Built trading empire
Beautified capital of Jerusalem
Builds Temple of Solomon
Home for the Ark of the Covenant
Built to glorify God
Not large but beautiful, inside covered in gold

15. Kingdom Divides Solomon’s building projects a problem
Needs money = more taxes
Men forced to work on temple 1 of every 3 months
Discontent and Split
After Solomon’s death, Jews in the north split from those in south
North= Israel, South= Judah
200 years of confusion, battles, and prosperity
Babylonian Captivity
725 B.C.E. Assyrians attacked Israel
Judah resisted for 150 years
City fell to Nebuchadnezzar 586 B.C.E
Destroys Solomon’s temple, enslaves Hebrews and deports them to Babylon
539 B.C.E. Cyrus the Great releases Hebrews
Return to Jerusalem and rebuild city and Temple

16. Assyrians Beginning 850 B.C.E. Assyrian amassed an empire
Came from the northern part of Mesopotamia
Had to become aggressive due to terrain disadvantage
Spread down through Palestine into Egypt

17. Assyrians Led by King Sennacrib Society glorified military strength
advanced military planning and technical skill
Used iron technology
Great efficiency at organizing conquered territories into an empire
Built beautiful capital at Nineveh
Had a library of 25,000 clay tablets thanks to King Ashurbanipal

18. Fall of the Assyrians Causes
Empire spread itself too thin
Cruelty of Kings
Ninevah destroyed in 612 B.C.E. by the Chaldeans

19. Empire of Kush (Nubia)

20. Kush (Nubians) Location Connection between Egypt and Nubia
Between the 1st cataract and the separation of the White and Blue Nile
South of Egypt
Connection between Egypt and Nubia
Egypt ruled Nubia
Diffused Egyptian culture
Religion, customs, writing

21. Kush (Nubians) The Golden Age of Meroe Guardians of Egyptian values
Kushites moved south for protection to Meroe
Thrived on natural resources and became wealthy
Became center of iron weapons and tools
Became a major trader with India and Arabia
linked trade routes between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea
Guardians of Egyptian values
Decline of Meroe
Challenged by new empires to the South between 250 B.C.E. and 150 C.E.

22. Objectives WHI.3 Objective: Essential Questions:
The student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ancient river valley civilizations, including the Phoenician, Hebrew, and Kush Civilization, by:
Locating the civilization in time and place
Describing the development of social, political, and economic patterns, including slavery
Explaining the development of religious traditions
Explaining the development of language and writing
Essential Questions:
Why did Ancient Civilizations develop in river valleys?
Where were the earliest civilizations located?
When did these civilizations exist?
What were the social, political, and economic characteristics of early civilizations
What religious traditions developed in ancient civilizations?
What forms of language and writing existed in early civilizations?