Eastern Mediterranean Peoples in the Eastern Mediterranean

Why is it Important? No single power controlled western Asia after about 1200 B.C. The Phoenicians became the most important trading kingdom in the eastern Mediterranean area. The Israelites left the world Judaism, a religion that influenced the later religions of Christianity and Islam.

The Role of Nomadic Peoples Nomadic peoples depended on hunting and gathering, herding animals, and sometimes farming for their survival. They lived on the fringes, or outer edges, of the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Pastoral nomads at times overran settled communities, creating empires. Domesticated animals for food and clothing; following migratory paths to provide food for their animals They often passed on new technology to civilizations they came in contact with; bronze and iron Sometimes they attacked other civilizations when over population or drought became a problem

Indo-Europeans were one of the most significant nomadic peoples; Indo-European refers to a group of people who spoke a language from which many other languages came, they include; Greek, Latin, Persian, Sanskrit, and Germanic (English and German) Original Indo-Europeans were based in the steppe region north of the Black Sea or in Southwest Asia; the Caucasus region They began to move into Europe, India, and western Asia around 2000 B.C.

Hittites This group moved into Asia Minor and Anatolia (eastern Turkey) about 1750 BC; mixing with native peoples they created a new kingdom. Rode two-wheeled chariots Used iron weapons; stronger and cheaper Eventually conquered Mesopotamia Adapted Mesopotamian culture to suit them; made Hammurabi’s code to be less harsh. Between 1600 and 1200 BC they created an empire in western Asia threatening the power of the Egyptians. Hittites were destroyed by the “Sea Peoples”

The Phoenicians Lived along the east coast of the Mediterranean; narrow strip 120 miles long The fall of the Egyptians and Hittites brought new found political independence for the Phoenicians Expanded trade; producing goods for foreign markets – lumber, glass, purple dye, ivory, slaves, weapons Built ships becoming great international sea traders Charted new routes in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, reaching Britain and west African coast. Spoke a Semitic language; family of languages native to west Africa and the Middle East The are best known for their alphabet; simplified writing representing the sounds of speech, used to spell all the words of the Phoenician language. Phoenician alphabet was passed to the Greeks. From the Greek alphabet came the Roman that we still use today

The Israelites Another group of Semitic-speaking people, lived to the south of the Phoenicians. Their religion was monotheistic; the only one in the region. Today known as Judaism, later influenced Christianity and Islam. Much of their history and beliefs were recorded in the Hebrew Bible also known as the Old Testament According to tradition, Israelites were descendants of Abraham; the father of the Hebrew people. Their ancestors migrated from Mesopotamia to Canaan where they organized into tribes

Their lifestyle was based on grazing animals not farming. A great drought force them to move to Egypt in search of food, where they were enslaved by the until Moses led them out of Egypt. According to the Old Testament they wandered the desert for many years before they finally returned to Canaan, establishing the united kingdom of Israel. King David ruled the Israelites from about 1000 BC to 970 BC Established control over Israel and Jerusalem became the capital David’s son King Solomon; Expanded the government, army, and encouraged trade Best known for building a temple in Jerusalem. The temple became the symbolic center of the Israelites’ religion and of the Israelite kingdom itself. Under Solomon Israel’s power reached its highest point.

The Divided Kingdom After Solomon’s death the tension among Israel’s tribes led to two separate kingdoms. The 10 northern tribes with its capital in Samaria and the 2 tribes to the south and their capital of Jerusalem. The Assyrians overran the Israel in 721 BC, sending many Israelites to other parts of the Assyrian Empire; Most of which merged with neighboring peoples and as a result lost their identity as Israelites; “ten lost tribes” Judah kept its independence for a while but were eventually conquered by the Chaldeans who completely destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC. Many were sent to Babylonia as captives; known as Babylonian exile When the Persians conquered Babylonia they allowed the people of Judah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their city and temple. The Persians controlled the area until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 300 BC The people of Judah survived; eventually they became known as the Jews and gave their name to Judaism.

Judaism and the Beliefs Monotheistic religion, believing in one god; Yahweh He is the creator of the world and everything in it He rules the world, all people are his servants whether they know it or not He created nature, but is not identified with it. The sun, wind, and other phenomena are not gods, but his creations. They are to be admired and not worshipped. God is just and good and expects goodness from his people If they do not obey his will they will be punished; however he is compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Each person can have a personal relationship with him; other religions only priest had access, no one leader could claim they alone knew God’s will.

Three aspects of Jewish religious tradition; The Covenant; Gods promise that if they followed the Torah he would protect them. Law; The 10 Commandments Prophets; religious teachers to serve as his voice to his people. The age of prophecy; a time when people were threatened or conquered by powerful neighbors – 1000s BC to 400s BC Prophets declared faithlessness would bring catastrophe and turning away from evil would bring God’s mercy. Communicated God’s wishes and later were written down; Hebrew Bible/Torah Introduced ideas that enriched Jewish tradition Protested social injustice, condemned the rich for causing the poor to suffer, and denounced excessive luxuries. God’s command was to live justly Share with others and care for the poor and unfortunate Later expressed concern for all humanity; all nations would find peace with the God of Israel.

Jews would not accept the gods of their conquerors or neighbors. Lack of acceptance created a distinct social separation of the Jews. This separation may have been a factor in creating feelings of hostility toward Jews. It helped them maintain their identity after the loss of Jewish independence.

By 2800 B.C., another civilization had been established on the island of Crete in the eastern Mediterranean. The Minoan civilization flourished from 2700 B.C. to 1450 B.C. The Minoans were not Greek, but they influenced the peoples of the Greek mainland. Named after legendary King Minos of Crete; Structures discovered were similar to the labyrinth he was said to have built. Enormous palace complex discovered at Knossus (royal home) revealed a rich culture Center of a sea empire based on trade; southern Greece to Egypt. Traded pottery, gold, and silver Minoan civilization ended about 1450 BC, some believe a volcanic eruption triggered a tidal wave that wiped them out, most however believe they were destroyed by the Mycenaeans from mainland Greece. The Minoans