Mediterranean Civilizations Chapter 2, Section 4

City of Tyre While the great empire of Hammurabi was rising and falling, the people of a poor city on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea were getting rich by gathering snails. Snails that washed up the shore produced rich purple dye. Highly valued by wealthy people throughout the Mediterranean region Ships from Tyre sold the dye at extremely high prices became a wealthy and active city

City of Tyre

The Phoenicians: Sailors of the Mediterranean Tyre  major city in region called Phoenicia Outlook was toward the west, the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding growing cities Had settled in a land with dense forests of cedar trees Sold the wood along with snails to neighbors

The Phoenicians: Sailors of the Mediterranean As trade grew, the Phoenicians looked to the sea to increase their profits Became world’s largest trading empire 1100 B.C. – 800 B.C. = great sea power Ships sailed all over the Mediterranean Sea Sailed out into the story Atlantic Sailors came back and shared stories of sea monsters  to keep competitors away from Atlantic

Trade

The Phoenicians: Sailors of the Mediterranean Trade brought rich goods from lands around the Mediterranean Sea to the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. Bazaars swelled with foods brought from faraway places Figs, olives, honey, spices Merchants sold strange animals  giraffes and warthogs from Africa; bears from Europe

Bazaar

The Phoenician Alphabet: One Sound, One Letter Needed simple writing because they had so much trade Cuneiform = too complicated Found a way to write using 22 symbols Phoenician alphabet set of symbols that represented the sounds of the language Forms the basic alphabet that people in the USA and other countries use today Each of the 22 letters stood for one consonant sound.

The Phoenician Alphabet: One Sound, One Letter Easier to learn than cuneiform Many more people could learn to write besides scribes

Phoenician Alphabet

The Rise of the Israelites Hebrews (later known as Israelites)  small band of people settled along the shores of the Mediterranean Made a deep impact on our civilization even though they never built a large empire Traced beginnings to Mesopotamia For hundreds of years, lived as shepherds and merchants who grazed their flocks outside Sumerian cities

The Rise of the Israelites According to the Bible, Abraham led his people to a belief in one God  monotheism God promised Abraham that his people would have their own land if they would follow his word 1900 B.C.  Abraham led the Israelites from Mesopotamia to a new home in Canaan 1800 B.C.  famine spread across Canaan Time when there is so little food that many people starve Caused the Israelites to flee south to Egypt

The Rise of the Israelites Lived well in Egypt for about 600 years Enslaved when an Egyptian king grew jealous of their wealth and suspicious of their power

Return to Canaan Moses, an Israelite hero, led the enslaved people out of Egypt Wandered the desert of Sinai for the next 40 years God have the Israelites the Ten Commandments Returned to Canaan and eventually began to build their own cities

Map of Canaan and Egypt

Conquest of Canaan Israelites faced opposition as they moved further north into Canaan Conquered Canaan after several fierce wars Two kings led them to victory Saul  first king of the Israelites David  next king who united the 12 tribes into a single nation; established his capital at the city of Jerusalem

Conquest of Canaan Solomon, David’s son, inherited the kingdom Grew prosperous through trade Developed a sea trade with neighboring lands First voyage = brought back more than 13 tons of gold

Conquest of Canaan Solomon transformed Jerusalem into a magnificent capital. Most prized monument = temple in the center of the city  became the central place of worship for the Israelites

Jerusalem Temple

Jerusalem Temple

Jerusalem Temple

Conquest of Canaan Solomon’s building projects were very expensive. Country faced hard times and after his death, divided into 2 kingdoms Northern = Israel Southern = Judah Assyria, the dangerous neighbor, was gaining power in the divided kingdom.

Conquest of Canaan 722 B.C.  Assyrians seized the kingdom of Israel Punished the Israelites by exiling thousands to distant parts of the empire Exile  force a people to live in another country About 135 years later, Judah fell to the Chaldeans and they were exiled as well.