Mediterranean Civilizations Sec. #4 Mesopotamia

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

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

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

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

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

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