Early Civilizations (2000 BCE – 500 BCE) Phoenicians, Hebrews, Persian Empire, and Kush

PHOENICIANS Great seafaring traders who founded wealthy city-states in the Fertile Crescent along the Mediterranean coast (present-day Lebanon). Phoenicia

set up colonies (lands controlled by a distant nation) Carthage became the most powerful colony

Phoenician Accomplishments First Alphabet (phonetic symbols stand for sounds) –22 letter alphabet (vs. 550 cuneiform characters) –Basis of modern alphabets

Great shipbuilders and seafarers Spread civilization and the alphabet through trade. Use of coins as well as the alphabet made trade much easier.

The Phoenecians

HITTITES Settled in Asia Minor (present- day Turkey) Learned how to smelt iron from ore.

Iron was stronger, sharper, and less expensive than other metals. Iron weapons and chariots helped forge the Hittite Empire.

HEBREWS Abraham settled in the Fertile Crescent between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordon River (present-day Israel) His descendents became known as Hebrews.

Abraham and the Hebrews were the first monotheists Monotheism : belief in one god

Abraham’s monotheism became the foundation of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Moses Led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt to the “promised land”(Israel) Delivered the Ten Commandments

Beliefs of Judaism One God Torah Ten Commandments The Religion of the Hebrews (Jews)

The Ten Commandments State both religious and moral conduct in that they require that believers both worship God and live justly with one another

The Torah Holy book of Judaism: contains the records and beliefs of the Jews The first five books of the Old Testament of the Bible

The Torah

David and Goliath (or how David became king of the Hebrews)

Jerusalem King David united the tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Today Jerusalem is a holy city to Muslims and Christians as well as Jews. Holy City of the Jews

Western Wall In 70 AD the Romans destroyed the ancient Temple of Jerusalem. The West Wall of the Temple Mount is all that remains today. Jews consider this wall their most sacred shrine (holy site). They come from all over the world to pray at this shrine.

The site of the original temple is now occupied by a Muslim Mosque (Dome of the Rock). Ownership of these and other holy sites has been a source of bickering between Muslims and Jews for centuries.

Jerusalem and the Wailing Wall

Exile Jews were driven from their homeland by the Romans in AD 132. The state of Israel ceased to exist for 1800 years.

Diaspora Scattering of the Jews Jews migrated all around the Mediterranean Sea

PERSIAN EMPIRE The largest empire in the world It stretched from The Nile to the Indus River Persia: Present-day Iran

How did Persia govern its Empire?

Persian Rulers Treated conquered people with tolerance Developed an imperial bureaucracy Built an extensive road system Zoroastrianism (religion)

Tolerance Persian rulers allowed the people they conquered to practice their own religions and follow their own customs.

Bureaucracy A system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials Darius divided his empire into provinces each run by a governor (satrap)

Persian Road System Great Royal Road United the empire (provided a means of communication, trade, and governmental control).

Zoroastrianism Early monotheistic religion founded by Zoroaster Belief in two opposing forces: good and evil, light and darkness, heaven and hell.

Ahura Mazda: God of truth and light

KUSH Located on the upper (southern) Nile Present-day Sudan Also called Nubia

Kush and Egypt Ideas and goods flowed along the Nile between Kush and Egypt (Lower Nile) (Upper Nile) Kush

Egypt dominated Kush for 1000 years Gifts for the King from a country called Nubia

Kush conquered Egypt and established its own dynasty on the Egyptian throne

Kush was eventually conquered by the East African Kingdom of Axum

Contributions of Kush Meroitic script (writing)

Steep sided pyramids and palaces

Gold, copper, and iron working.

Kush

Golden Age of Meroe After the Assyrians conquered Egypt, Kush continued to prosper in the booming trade between Africa, Arabia and India

Ahmes Nefertari Nubian Queen of Egypt around 1550 B.C Ahmes Nefertari of Egypt around 1550 B.C Nubian Queen