SUMER AND EGYPT

SUMER: - Unpredictable climate nature was an adversary

- Arose as independent, rival city states

- Ruled by a Lugal or Big Man who used force and inCmidaCon to secure loyalty

- Religion oDen contributed to conflicts, as city-states fought to win victory for their patron gods

- Kingship depended on the personal charisma & military power of the ruler

EGYPT:

- Environmentally stable Nile flooded predictably reliably ferCle soil

- Though regional (Upper & Lower Egypt), less rivalry, bound by Nile and narrow geography

- Pharaoh = great household represented the enCre apparatus of govt

- Pharaoh was assoc. w/ divine forces credited w/ seasonal renewal

- Pharaoh died & was reborn as renewed manifestaCon of the divine

- Its all about the packaging! The leadership paradigm possessed a mechanism for conCnuity, peaceful transiCon of power

Women in the Old Kingdom of Egypt

ProtecAons and Rights:

LimitaAons- Women could not:

- Could file lawsuits, divorce - Defend themselves & act as witnesses - Own and dispose of property

- Be trained as scribes

- Hold high office other than priestess (rare excepCons)

- Have extra-marital relaCons (wealthy men could)

The EgypAan Priesthood:

- Ancient Egypt Old, Middle, New Kingdoms: 2686 BCE 1077 BCE

- 18th Dynasty, New Kingdom major expansion & conquest

- Vast wealth went to glorificaCon of Pharaoh, military elite, offerings to gods (lions share)

- Priesthood controlled wealth set aside for the gods, became greatest power aside from Pharaoh, someCmes pressured him/her

1400 BCE

Diplomacy and Trade: - Late Bronze Age age of superpowers -EgypCans, Hihtes, Assyrians, Kassites (Babylonia) - Despite frequent skirmishes, balance of power stabilized region

Diplomacy leaders communicated by leiers, referred to each other as brother, lesser leaders referred to superiors as father

- Trained emissaries handled sensiCve poliCcal dialogue

Trade Conduit for exchange of goods, culture, ideas, cooperaCon

Do these forces, Diplomacy and Trade, maintain peace or contribute to instability today?

Mycenaean Greece

Minoan Fresco, c. 1500 B.C.E.

Mycenaean World: By 1400 B.C.E.

- Led by a powerful king/war leader

- Warrior aristocracy was influenCal - A palace bureaucracy assisted governance

- Complex economy engaged in sophisCcated trade network w/ neighboring empires - Large territorial empire, mighty citadels doied the hills

By Contrast, Classical Greece (800-400 B.C.E.)

- Small city states - Greek unificaCon/cooperaCon was sporadic

THE SEA PEOPLES: DESTRUCTION OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOMS

- Of unknown origin - Wiped out most Mediterranean civ.

- Narrowly defeated by Egypt, 1176 BCE

- PhilisCnes were descendants of them

Drawing of wall mural depicCng baile between Egypt and The Sea Peoples

The Phoenicians:

- Canaanites from The Levant (E. Med. Coast) spoke a SemiCc language akin to Hebrew

- Colonized N. Africa, Spain, Med. Islands (Carthage in N. Africa)

- Aristocracies emerged & ruled in their colonies

- Their Alphabet was their greatest contribuCon

Phoenician colonization

The PhilisAnes:

- Descendants of the Sea Peoples, lived in PalesCne

- Vilified by the Hebrews whom they dominated

- Did not use wriien word to record their own history

- Destroyed Hebrew holy site of Shiloh, Ark of Covenant (10 commandments) lost in the process

- Subdued Hebrews, extracted tribute

- VicCms of bad PR?

The Hebrews

- Old Testament of the Bible source of info on Early Hebrew mythology, laws, genealogy, poetry, royal lineage

Nature of Old Testament: - Assembled over hundreds of years by mulCple, mostly anonymous authors

- Many stories borrowed & adapted from other near-east cultures

Purpose of OT to jusCfy Hebrew tradiCons and claims on territory

(Great Flood, Moses childhood story akin to Akkadian king Sargon)

King David & King Solomon

- Early Hebrew kings Biblical heroes - Historically - Expansionist kings, solidified Hebrew rule, subjugated PhilisCnes, levied oppressive taxes

- 12 tribes, 2 united kingdoms, North rebelled against Solomon

The Assyrian Empire: 859 627 B.C.E.

- Different from the pre-Sea-People nomadic trading Assyrians

- Claimed to be descendants of Sargon of Akkadia, 1st king in Mesopotamia

- Conquest involved holy war, desecraCon of rival gods, extracCon of tribute through terror - Complex military power that used cavalry, engineers, armor

- Key contribuCon Library of Nineveh preserved ancient texts, Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Persian Rule:

Several groups combined to destroy Assyrians

Cyrus 1st king of Persia: - Freed Hebrews from Assyrian capCvity in Babylon, helped them set up vassal state & rebuild temple

- Allowed local customs, religions

Zoroastrianism- monotheisCc Ahura-Mazda or Wise Lord

- Ahriman counter-deity responsible for evil, weaker than A-M - A-M universally benevolent loves everyone

- The faith lent itself to moderate leadership

Darius consolidated Persian Empire, mostly followed Cyrus policies

- Angered by Greek non-compliance w/ generous Per. Rule:

Persia contd:

- 490 BCE Baile of Marathon Persians aiack Athens, lose badly - Xerxes his son tries to avenge the loss 10 yrs. Later, loses to combined Athens/Sparta force

Legacy accommodaCon of local customs, tradiCons, trained bureaucracy, rapid communicaCon system between govt & prov- inces serves as model for other lasCng empires

Persian Empire

Hebrew Monotheism:

- Polytheists at first, cult of Yahweh was viewed as extremist

- Monolatry eventually they worshipped 1 god w/out denying existence of others

- King Solomon acknowledged Baal & his wife Asherah, who was also associated with Yahweh as his wife

- David formed alliance w/ the Levites, an influenCal tribe w/ priestly authority, solidifying pol. Support for cult of Yahweh

- Possessed of similar traits as other gods had an irascible streak, had territorial limitaCons to his power, possessed phys. traits

Hebrew Monotheism contd: - Hebrew monotheism evolved to include the following:

- Unique contribuCons to subsequent Western religions: - Yahweh transcends nature exists outside of it - Yahweh appointed men to rule over nature by divine mandate

- ArCculated a concept of universal jusCce

- Assyrian conquest of Israel and Judah galvanized prophets who saw military resistance as fuCle

- Rally around Yahweh = Hebrew survival compeCCon w/ Assur, Assyrian god whom capCve Hebrews were compelled to worship

Hebrew prophets generated 3 core principles:

1. Yahweh is the ruler of universe all other gods are false

2. Yahweh is exclusively righteous evil comes from men

3. Yahwehs righteousness demands ethical behavior from his people charity, jusCce, honesty, etc.

Key Development Yahwists developed Judaic idenCty in exile as solely idenCfied w/ acceptance of the above principles There emerged a Judaic idenCty without a territory or govt

- Judaic religion transcended poliCcs and geography