1. The Historical Background of the Middle East to Mohammed

2. Abraham’s Journeys

3. The Original Covenant
It was with Abraham that God, known as Yahweh, made a covenant, promising to protect Abraham and his descendants, to wage wars on their behalf, and to obtain for them the land of Canaan, an area roughly approximate to modern Israel and the occupied West Bank .
In exchange, Abraham and his people were bound individually and collectively to follow the ethical precepts and rituals laid down by God.
In another part of the Torah, God pledges to Abraham's descendants "the land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates," an area much larger than historic Canaan.
Both Jews and Arabs claim descendancy from Abraham and claim to be heirs to the covenant.

4. Abraham’s Descendents
HAGAR
ABRAHAM
SARAH
Ishmael
Isaac
12 Arabian Tribes
Jacob
Esau
12 Tribes of Israel

5. The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area
The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

6. Sargon of Akkad: The World’s First Empire
c B.C.E

7. Menes: Unifier of Upper & Lower Egypt
c B. C. E. ?

8. “Shepherd of His People”
Moses
“Shepherd of His People”
“Prince of Egypt”

9. Route of the Exodus

10. Moses and the 10 Commandmets A new “covenant” with Yahweh

11. Mount Sinai

12. St. Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai

13. Mount Nebo The Promised Land From Mount Nebo
"Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people Deuteronomy 32:49-52

14. A Balance of Power: 1200 B. C. E.

15. King David’s Empire Lived: c.1037 – 967 B.C.E,
Reigned over Judah c B.C.E, and over Judah and Israel c BC.

16. Solomon’s
Kingdom
Born
c BCE
Died
931 BCE

17. King Solomon’s Temple Floor Plan
The First Temple

18. Inside the Temple Tabernacle
The Arc of the Covenant

19. The Temple Mount, Jerusalem Solomon’s Temple Wall: The “Wailing” Wall

20. Kingdoms of
Judah
&
Israel

21. The Assyrian Empire
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22. Nebuchadnezzar II’s Babylon
605 BCE-561 BCE

23. Israelites in Captivity

24. The Persian Empire Cyrus the Great, c. 590 BCE—530 BC,
Frees Jews from Captivity

25. Alexander the Great & the Hellenization of the Near East

26. The Great Library at Alexandria. Egypt

27. Roman Judea

28. Herod the Great’s Kingdom

29. The Jewish Revolt (66-70 C. E.)
Masada

30. Masada
Roman Encampment

31. The Jewish Diaspora

32. St. Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles

33. Constantine Embraces Christianity
Constantine faced Western Roman Emperor Maxentius at the Tiber River's Mulvian Bridge in A.D He saw a flaming cross in the sky bearing the words "in this sign thou shalt conquer."

34. Justinian’s Empire at its Peak

35. Church of Hagia Sophia [Holy Wisdom]

36. Interior of the Church of Hagia Sophia

37. The Spread of Christianity by 600 CE

38. Byzantine & Sassanid Empires, 6c

39. A Threat to the Great Empires
6th Century Arabia
A Threat to the Great Empires ?