Session 1 - Lecture #2

Session 1 - Lecture #2The Ancient Middle EastI. The General SettingThe Ancient Near East encompasses what today are the modern nations ofIsrael, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Turkey.The Ancient Near East is known by many as the "Cradle of Civilization,"due to the many cultural and technological advances that took place in thearea. While the Ancient Near Eastdid not have a monopoly on innovation, it was central to history because itwas the convergence point for three continents Africa, Asia, and Europe. Aswe will see later, the history of Palestine was determined in large part by itsplace in the geopolitical and political framework of the Ancient Near East.Click map to see a larger imageA. The Fertile CrescentThe scholar James Breasted described the band of land extending from theSinai Peninsula to the Taurus and Amanus Mountains and then curvingtoward the Persian Gulf as the "Fertile Crescent." This crescent shaped bandis isolated by natural barriers on all sides: the sea to the west, arid wastelandand deserts to the south and center, and mountains to the north and east.However, due to its position, it received sufficient water from rainfall orfrom the large rivers and possessed a mild enough climate to encouragepeople to settle in the area.

Click map to see a larger imageThe Fertile Crescent itself is divided into two sections: Mesopotamia andthe Levant1. MesopotamiaMesopotamia literally means the "land between two rivers." Itcomprised the eastern arm of the Fertile Crescent from theTaurus Mountains to the Persian Gulf, and resided between twogreat rivers: the Euphrates and the Tigris. Today, parts ofTurkey, northern Syria, what was Mesopotamia.a. The Major Rivers1) The Euphrates Rivera) Originates in the Armenian Mountains in Turkeyand flows south 1780 miles to the Persian Gulf.b) It is slow and sluggish, and suited for bothirrigation and transportation.c) The Euphrates' only tributaries are the Balikhand the Harbor rivers. They join the Euphrates innorthwest Mesopotamia. The city of Haran (Gen.11:31; 12:4) sat on the banks of the Balikh. Thiswas the general area of the Patriarchs.2) The Tigris Rivera) Originates in the Armenian Mountains in Turkeyand flows south 1150 miles to the Persian Gulf.b) It is faster than the Euphrates and has four majortributaries: The Greater and Lesser Zab, the

Adhem, and the Diyala.3) Both rivers were subject to annual floodingwhich could be used for irrigation purposes. Assuch, the inhabitants of Mesopotamia devised asophisticated system of dikes, dams, and canals inorder to harness the rivers.b. Northern and Southern MesopotamiaThe two areas of Mesopotamia differ in terms of geography,climate, and natural resources. The dividing line between thetwo sections is roughly near modern Baghdad, Iraq.1) Southern Mesopotamiaa) The southern portion of Mesopotamia extendsfrom Baghdad south 375 miles to the Persian Gulf.b) The area is a flat plain formed by sedimentsdeposited by the rivers and soil blown from thedesert.c) The summers are hot and the winters are mild.d) Rainfall is scarce.e) The area lacked many natural resources.f) Mud brick was the typical material ofconstruction.g) Important crops included barley, wheat, dates,and sesame oil.h) Fish was the major meat product.i) The major civilizations which arose in this areaincluded the Sumerians, the Akkadians, and theBabylonians.2) Northern Mesopotamiaa) The northern portion of Mesopotamia extendsfrom Baghdad north to the Taurus Mountains.b) It consisted of uplands, steppes, and rollinghills.c) Rainfall is more plentiful than in the south, withsome areas receiving more than twenty inches.d) The summers are hot, yet milder than in thesouth. However, due to the higher elevations thewinters are much harsher.

e) This area has many more resources than thesouth including timber and stone. However, thecommon people still used mud brick forconstruction.f) Important crops included barley and wheat.Herds of cattle, goats, and sheep provided meat.h) The southern end of northern Mesopotamiaserved as the heartland of Assyria. Farthernorthwest, in the area associated with the Harborand Balikh Rivers, was the place from which thePatriarchs came.2. The LevantThe Levant is the name given to the coastal region from theAmanus Mountains to the Sinai. It is sandwiched between theMediterranean Sea to the west and the Syro-Arabian Desert tothe east. The Levant is approximately 400 miles long with anaverage width of sixty to eighty miles. It has an exceptionalclimate with appreciable rainfall. The Levant was importantbecause it served as a land bridge between the greatcivilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Levant itself canbe divided into two sections: Syria and Palestine.Click map to see a larger imagea. Syria1) Syria is the region between the AmanusMountains and Palestine. Today it is comprised bythe modern states of Syria and Lebanon.2) The most fertile area in Syria was the BeqaValley. It was situated between Syria's two

mountain ranges: the Lebanon and Anti-LebanonMountains. These mountains were the source ofthe famous "cedars of Lebanon" which werementioned in the Bible.Cedars of Lebanon3) The Beqa Valley was watered by two majorrivers: the Orontes and the Litani. The Orontesflows northward from the valley while the Litaniflows southwards.4)The cultural identity of Syria varied during itshistory, but there were two distinct cultures whicharose in the area that are important to remember.The first were the Arameans. They dominated theregion from 1200 B.C. to around 800 B.C. Thesecond were the Phoenicians. Theysettled the coastal regions of Syria from which theycontrolled the Mediterranean sea lanes and becamethe greatest sea-faring merchants of the ancientworld.b. PalestineThe southern section of the Levant is known as

Palestine. We will discuss Palestine in depth at alater time.B. EgyptSo far we have discussed the area of the Ancient Near East known as theFertile Crescent. We now turn our attention to another area of ancientcivilization: Egypt.Click map to see a larger imageEgypt was located southwest of the Fertile Crescent and was the location forthe development of a civilization equal to those in Mesopotamia. However,civilization in Egypt was confined to a 750 mile strip of land along the NileRiver.1. The Nile Rivera. The Nile River was the most important feature of Egyptiangeography. It is formed by the coming together of threetributaries in the area that today is the Sudan.1) The White Nile is the first tributary. It originatesfrom Lake Victoria in central Africa.2) The Blue Nile is the second tributary andoriginates from Lake Tana in Ethiopia.3) The Atbara river is the third tributary. It is fedby the rains and melting snow from Ethiopia.b. The Nile River undergoes an annual flooding which is aresult of the influx of water from its three tributaries.1) The flood is particularly suited to agriculture.The flood begins in June, reaching its highest point

in mid-September before receding. This allowedcrops to be planted in December.2) The flood brought both water and rich sedimentto the land. The new soil was deposited as thewater receded. This negated the problem ofoveruse of the minimal lands available in Egypt.c. The Nile River served as the communication link in Egypt aswell as the major highway for commerce. The prevailing northwind allowedtravel upstream to the south while the current carried trafficnorthward.2. The Land of EgyptEgypt is composed of two distinct parts: Lower and UpperEgypt. The dividing line between the t wo is near modern dayCairo.a) Lower Egypt1) Lower Egypt is a delta formed by the successivedeposits of soil by the Nile River through themillennia.2) Three major branches of the Nile and severalsmaller branches brought an abundance of water tothe area.3) Originally, heavy plant growth kept the areafrom being developed, but eventually the area wascultivated and became the virtual bread basket ofEgypt.4) A portion of northeastern Lower Egypt shouldbe identified as the biblical land of Goshen(Genesis 46-47).5) Significant cities in Lower Egypt includedMemphis, Heliopolis, Pithom and Ramses.b) Upper Egypt1) South of Cairo, the encroaching desert turnsland around the Nile River from a delta to a narrowvalley which never exceeds 18 miles in width andis often narrower.2) The Valley extends southward for about 500miles and is isolated to the east by the Arabiandesert and to the west by the Libyan Desert.3) Several of the more important Egyptiandynasties emerged from Upper Egypt.

4) Significant cities in Upper Egypt includeThebes, Abydos, and Akhetaten.3. Geographic and climatological factors which gave stability toEgyptian civilization.a) The regularity of the Nile flooding.b) The regular climate patterns of Egypt provide the land withfew climatic extremes, plenty of sunlight, and relativeimmunity to drought orviolent storms.c) Egypt is relatively isolated. To the east and west there aredeserts. To the north is the Mediterranean Sea. And to the southare six outcropping of rocks called cataracts that prevented easyaccess to Egypt from the south.Cataracts on the NileC. International Trade RoutesConnecting Mesopotamia and Egypt were two majorinternational highways: the International Coastal Highway andthe King's Highway.

Click map to see a larger image1. The International Coastal Highwaya) This trade route connected Egypt withMesopotamia and as such, was the primary traderoute.b) Beginning in Egypt, the route ran across thenorthern Sinai and into Palestine near its southerncoast. It then traveled northward to the JezreelValley in northern Palestine and then on towardsDamascus in Syria. From Damascus, two mainbranches of the route continued intoMesopotamia. The shorter but more difficult routetransversed the desert while the longer, moresecure route headed north through Syria andfollowed the curve of the Fertile Crescent intosouthern Mesopotamia.2. The King's Highwaya) This route was a less important highway whichlinked Arabia with Damascus.b) The route ran from Ezion-geber at the top of theGulf of Aqabah through the Transjordan toDamascus.

1. Mesopotamia Mesopotamia literally means the "land between two rivers." It comprised the eastern arm of the Fertile Crescent from the Taurus Mountains to the Persian Gulf, and resided between two great rivers: the Euphrates and the Tigris. Today, parts of Turkey, northern Syria, what was Mesopotamia. a.