The Middle East: Cradle of Civilization

The Middle East:Cradle of Civilization

Multiple groups shaped the early history of the Middle East • Sumerians • Babylonians • Assyrians • Egyptians • Hebrews • Persians

Sumerians • First of the civilizations in this area • Influenced the Babylonian and Assyrian civilizations http://ragz-international.com/sumeria.htm

Sumerian Firsts • Cuneiform writing • System of numbers based on 60 (led to our 60-minute time segments and 360 degree circle • Cities – often more like small nations http://www.crystalinks.com/sumerlanguage.html

Sumerians • Temples were originally the main institution of the cities. • As the cities grew military leaders replaced the priests. The leaders eventually became kings. Ziggurat Remains at Ur: http://www.hope.edu/bandstra/RTOT/CH1/CH1_BAB.HTM

Babylonians • King Sargon contributed to the start of Semitic language. • A group of nomads, called Amorites, founded the village of Babylon, built on the Euphrates. http://www.crystalinks.com/babylonian.html

Semitic Groups • Their king Hammurabi was famous for his legal code • His kingdom included Sumer, Akkad, Assur, and Ninevah • His idea of justice was “an eye for an eye.” At left, pictures the giving of the laws http://members.tripod.com/clayt/Humanities/Hammurabi.html

Babylonians • Admired Sumerian society • Used the Sumerian language. • Reshaped many Sumerian tales to create “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” http://www.piney.com/Gil01.html

Egypt • Villages along the Nile were split into two countries; Upper and Lower Egypt. • Pyramids were the symbol of the afterlife and still are associated with Egypt. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/maps/mainmap.html

Hieroglyphics • Like the Sumerian system, based on pictures • Eventually changed to a system where the symbols could also represent sound • Written on papyrus, a material made from the reeds of the Nile http://www.elismorrowsch.com/classroomnews/lp6hiero.htm

Egypt • Religion was the key aspect. • Worshipped gods that were associated with Nature. • Pharaoh Amenhotep (right) changed Egyptian religion by creating the worship one god: Aton. http://www.crystalinks.com/akhenaten.html

Egyptian creations • For a short period, monotheism • Surveying – a result of the yearly flooding of the Nile • Geometry • 12-month, 365 day calendar Pyramids of Giza http://www.culturefocus.com/pyramids-2.htm

The Middle East is the birthplace of three major religions • Judaism • Christianity • Islam All are monotheistic (having only one God)

The Hebrews • Recorded their history in the Bible. • Believed in one God with whom they had a covenant- an agreement that He would protect them as long as they obeyed Him Fragments from the book of Ecclesiastes: http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/wsrp/educational_site/dead_sea_scrolls/qohelet.shtml

Hebrews • Famine caused them to travel to Egypt, where they were enslaved by the pharaohs. • Moses, their leader, saved them from captivity. • Given the Ten Commandments http://clipart.christiansunite.com/1065102061/10_Commandments _Clipart/10_Commandments002.gif

Hebrews • Released from Egypt, they fought against the Philistines and others for their promised land • Succeeded in 1025 under the leadership of David, later the king of Israel http://www.israelmybeloved.com/land/pics/map_davidkingdom_med.jpg

Hebrew Legacy • Monotheism (specifically, Judaism) • Greater respect for human life than previous Middle Eastern societies • Deep concern with moral behavior

Persian Culture • Group of Aryan tribes migrated to what is now Iran in about 2000 B.C. • Overwhelmed the natives and seized control • Name comes from Persis, or Pars, an area that was one of the most powerful http://www.execulink.com/~wblank/persia.htm

Persian empire • Created by the conquests of Cyrus the Great and his son-in-law, Darius I • Divided into provinces, it was connected by a system of roads and relay stations (relief from Persepolis - Darius http:// www.livius.org/da-dd/darius/darius_i_0.html

Allowed some political freedom Respected native customs and religions Result was minimized dissent and chances of rebellion Persians PracticedTolerance

Fell to Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. http://aztec.lib.utk.edu/~kidder/alex1.html

Zoroastrianism • Official Persian religion • Dominant from 500 B.C. until Islam replaced it in 7th century A.D. • Still practiced in a few areas • World is governed by two opposing forces, good and evil, who are fighting. However good will eventually prevail. • Followers of good will be rewarded with eternity in paradise

Zoroastrian gods One of the symbols of Ahura Mazda, the sun god http://www.bamjam.net/Iran/Persepolis.html

Persian literature • Ethical and moral works primarily • Best known form is poetry, although prose exists • Poetry used to preserve history, first in pre-Islamic times, and again during 9th and 10th centuries

Shah-nama • National epic of Persian people • Written by Abu’l-Qasim Firdawsi • Used existing stories • Used Persian vocabulary as much as possible • Intended to preserve national identity in the wake of Islamic conquest

Shah-nama • A history of Persia from the beginning of the world to the Arab conquest • Describes the creation and the earliest kings’ fights with the demons of darkness • Long cycle of wars between the Persians and the Turan • Reign of Yazdigird, last pre-Islamic ruler of Persia

Shah-namaMain Characters • Rustam—(Father) • Suhrab—(Son)

Rustam • Greatest hero • Spans three centuries • Adapted into an English poem by Matthew Arnold

Islam • Originated 6th century A.D. • Founded by Mohammad, a citizen of Mecca • Mohammad received revelations from the angel Gabriel. • Revelations became the Koran

From the city of Mecca where Mohammad lived, Islam spread with the conquest of what are now Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Islamic Beliefs • One God, Allah, who is creator and sustainer of all things • All are required to submit to his will; Islam means submission • Five Pillars – submit, pray five times a day, perform acts of charity, fast during Ramadan, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca

Islamic Beliefs5 Pillars of Islam • Worship only Allah

Islamic Beliefs5 Pillars of Islam • Turn to Mecca & pray five times a day

Islamic Beliefs5 Pillars of Islam • Perform acts of charity

Islamic Beliefs5 Pillars of Islam • Fast during Ramadan

Islamic Beliefs5 Pillars of Islam Make a pilgrimage to Mecca

Place of other religions • Torah and New Testament held to be scriptures • Islam is the final and perfect one in a series of religions, including Judaism and Christianity

Islam remains the major religion of the area However, the area has sites sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Arabic literature • Odes – usually committed to memory, but later recorded • Religious commentaries, primarily on the Koran • History • Philosophy • Science • Fiction began later than others

Rumi • A founder of a group of Islamic ascetics known as the whirling dervishes • A major Islamic poet • A best-seller even today with a CD to his credit-Madonna recorded one of his poems. • A writer of passionate love poetry- to Allah http://www.shira.net/dervturk.htm

One Thousand and One Nights • Most famous Arabic lit • A collection of fables & folktales • Framed by the story of Shaharazad, who used the stories to save her life

European nations’ actions have impacted the Middle East After World War I, the British, who with the French had taken over Arab territories, established a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

When the British withdrew in 1948, the State of Israel was proclaimed. Arabs protested bitterly and violence over this issue is a major part of newscasts today.

What does “The land between two rivers mean”? • Name two firsts invented by the Sumerians

3. Who’s code was based on the principle, “eye for an eye”? 4. Name the writing system the Egyptians invented

5. What did a pyramid symbolize for the Egyptians? 6. What was one invention of Egyptian science?

7. What was one key religious difference unique to Hebrew culture? 8. Which culture enslaved the Hebrews?

The Middle East: Cradle of Civilization