The Ancient Near East (ca. 3000 BC – ca. 330 BC)
The Ancient Near East How can we compare/contrast the civilizations of this region? Do we share anything in common with them?
The Ancient Near East
The Ancient Near East
The Ancient Near East Significant Terms Polytheism Monotheism Anthropomorphic Monarchy
The Ancient Near East Mesopotamian Religion Polytheistic The gods Immortal, powerful Feared Afterlife Hammurabi and Shamash
The Ancient Near East Religion Very spiritual people Polytheistic
The Ancient Near East The Afterlife Ka lives on after death Judgment before divine tribunal Mummification
The Ancient Near East Mummies, British Museum, London
The Ancient Near East
The Ancient Near East
The Ancient Near East Religion Hebrew God: YHWH Cult Creator, redeemer No images! Cult Male priesthood Tabernacle, altars Holy days Sacred text: Torah
The Ancient Near East
dedicated to Supreme Creator The Ancient Near East Zoroastrianism Prophet: Zarathustra (ca. 1000-550 BC) Ethical, inward-looking Dualistic: Light vs. Darkness Magi Open-air fire altar dedicated to Supreme Creator
The Ancient Near East Questions?
The Ancient Near East Mesopotamian Monarchy Developed by 2700 BC Almost always kings Functions Representatives of gods Legislators Justice Patrons King Sargon II (r. 722-705 BC)
The Ancient Near East The Pharaoh Egypt’s monarch Divine offspring of sun god Ruled through bureaucracy Worshiped after death Pharaoh Tutankhamun (r. 1333-1324 BC)
The Ancient Near East Hatshepsut (r. 1479-1457 BC) Widow of Thutmose II, regent to Thutmose III Declared herself pharaoh! Peaceful reign Thutmose sought to destroy memory of her
The Ancient Near East Hebrew Kingship King not divine YHWH’s servant, vassal Greatest monarchs David (r. 1004-965 BC) Solomon (r. 965-928 BC) King David
The Ancient Near East Edward Poynter, The Queen of Sheba before Solomon (1890)
The Ancient Near East Solomon’s Temple, Jerusalem
The Ancient Near East The Persian King “King of kings” Had khvarna Brilliant in appearance! Bound by rule of law and nobility King Darius I (r. 521-486 BC)
The Ancient Near East Questions?
The Ancient Near East
The Ancient Near East The Rosetta Stone at the British Museum
The Ancient Near East The Code of Hammurabi 282 legal rulings Violent punishments! Hammurabi and Shamash depicted “When the god Marduk commanded me to provide just ways for the people of the land in order to attain appropriate behavior, I established truth and justice as the declaration of the land, I enhanced the well-being of the people.”
The Ancient Near East The Code of Hammurabi “196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. 197. If he break the other man’s bone, his bone shall be broken. 198. If he put out the eye of a freed man, or break the bone of a freed man, he shall pay one gold mina. 199. If he put out the eye of a man’s slave, or break the bone of a man’s slave, he shall pay one-half of its value.”
The Ancient Near East The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17) “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. [1] You shall have no other gods before me. [2] You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them…[3] You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. [4] Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh is a Sabbath to the LORD your God…”
The Ancient Near East The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17) “[6] Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. [7] You shall not murder. [8] You shall not commit adultery. [9] You shall not steal. [10] You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
The Ancient Near East
The Ancient Near East Questions?
The Ancient Near East How can we compare/contrast the civilizations of this region? Do we share anything in common with them?