Transcript Ancient_Egypt - worldhistorybrady

Ancient Egypt
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Mesopotamia first civilization but Egypt is the
longest lasting and most successful
“The gift of the Nile”- long river emanating from
central Africa
Population centers around the Nile River - 5% of
Egypt habitable
Floods 5 to 15 miles off of river annually for
predictable silt and great growing opportunities
Egyptian Societal Growth
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First efforts at centralization came from efforts to
drain marshes, irrigate and then plant cereal grains
~ 3000 B.C.E. Menes unites Upper and Lower
Egyptian areas
Pharaoh - name given to the ruler; viewed as a god
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Pharaoh was above reproach…separated from the realm of
humans
Hierarchal society: Pharaoh, upper class of nobles
and priests, merchants and artisans, agricultural
peasants
Pharaoh
Upper Class of
Nobles and Priests
Merchants and Artisans
Agricultural Peasants
Old Kingdom (~ 2700-2100 BCE)
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Time of great Egyptian prosperity and stability 
ISOLATED unlike Mesopotamia
Time associated with the GREAT PYRAMIDS
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City of the dead, glorification of the dead Pharaoh
Tombs for dead with rooms of supplies to help the Pharaoh
into the afterworld
Humans have physical and spiritual bodies
Life continues despite the death of the physical body if the
surrounding environment is supplied and secure
The “Great Pyramid” covers 13 acres, almost 500 ft per side
 Provides evidence of astronomy/scientific knowledge as
the pyramid faces true north
Pyramids require teams working toward completion of a single
project
Egyptian Religion
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Herodotus’ history claimed Egyptians were the most
religious of all peoples
Religion focused on the afterlife (continuation of life)
Polytheistic belief that gods control all aspects of life
One of the most famous gods is Osiris, the story of
his resurrection can explain the Egyptian focus on
mummification
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Prevents the physical body from decomposing
Process: take the human organs out of the body, absorb the
water from the body, fill the body with spices and create a
lifelike mask on the body
Middle and New Kingdoms
(~2100 – 1100 BCE)
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Lessened power of the Pharaoh as religion becomes
more elaborate
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Old Kingdom primarily focused on the “god” Pharaoh;
increasingly other gods diffused the focus
New Kingdom (1500 - 1100 BCE) - time of Egyptian
expansion into Mesopotamia along the Mediterranean
coastline
Queen Hatshepsut - prominent female Pharaoh in the
New Kingdom (1400s BCE)
Contact/Conflict with the Hittites led to a famous
battle at Qadesh in 1274 BCE which led to an overall
decline of both societies
Writing
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Hieroglyphics - picture characters/pictographs (not
an alphabet)
First writing was on clay (similar to cuneiform) then
writing was on papyrus paper made from reeds
Pictographs proved to be inefficient; eventually leads
to development of demotic script
The meaning of the hieroglyphics was lost to the
world for thousands of years until …
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Rosetta Stone found in the early 1800s helps decipher the
meaning of the hieroglyphics (Hieroglyphic, demotic script
and Greek)
Egyptian Achievements
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Demotic script and written record keeping
The preservation of bodies leads to great knowledge about
the physical body, advanced surgeries and awareness of
anatomy
Trade: Connections with Africa and the Nubian empire
along the Red Sea which eventually leads to Asian contact
Most famous accomplishment is the pyramids
(astronomy/scientific knowledge)
Greeks and Romans studied and tried to emulate Egyptian
society
Pervasive interest in Egypt today
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King Tutankhamen's tomb found untouched in the 20th century
leads to a dramatic resurgence in Egyptology
Decline in Egyptian Power
(~1100 - 1000 BCE)
• New societies arise – the Hittites, famous for the
development of iron
• Phoenicians - a people along the Mediterranean coast in
modern day Lebanon, famous for international trade and
ship improvement
– Ships: 1) explore the entire African coastline, 2) sail north to the
British Isles
– First great commercial trading empire; set up trading cities and
established colonies such as Carthage and Marseille
– Spreads Mesopotamian culture throughout the Mediterranean Sea
basin
– Phoenicians also develop letters or first alphabet, used by the
Greeks and the Romans
Hebrews
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One of the most prominent societies in the Western
world
Politically insignificant but culturally important
First monotheistic people - belief in one god,
Yahweh
Origins and history are written in the Hebrew Bible
(known today as the Old Testament)
Written mostly between 1000 and 500 BCE includes
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The Torah - Book of Moses
The Prophets - God’s unfolding relationship with his
people
The Writings - Stories such as Psalms and canticles that
convey moral ideas
Hebrew History
~ 2000 BCE Abraham was told by God to move from Ur to the
“promised land” of Israel
 Many people move to the area of modern Israel
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Eventually Hebrew people resettle in the “promised land” and
divide it into two areas: Israel to the North and Judah to the
South
Famous kings of the Israelites: Saul, David and Solomon
Famous temple built during Solomon’s reign represents the
center of Jewish religion
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Over time many Hebrews were carried into bondage in Egypt
This bondage leads to the famous exodus of Moses and “his people”
The remaining ruins are known as the Wailing Wall
Eventually Israel was conquered by the Assyrians (722 BCE)
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Leads to the forced emigration and enslavement of the Hebrews
Judah was similarly captured by the Babylonians (586 BCE)
Hebrew Legacies
Idea of covenant/contract/bargain between God and his
people
 The term covenant implies a chosen people, it also
implies a reciprocal relationship with rights and
obligations on both sides
 Ethical monotheism - God demands specific types of
behaviors, ex. The Ten Commandments
 Social justice movements (i.e.. abolition) are rooted in
this religious background more than in a
secular/political/legal background
 Western literature makes heavy reference to the Bible
 “New Israel” – the belief of many societies that they are
God’s “chosen people” (including the US – “American
exceptionalism”)
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New Empires Arise
• Building of larger empires
• Assyrians effectively use iron, large armies
and cavalry to conquer much of the
Mesopotamian area (including Northern
Israel in 722 BCE)
• The exiled Hebrews became the ten lost tribes
• Made effective use of military war chariots
against enemy armies and crippled civilian
resistance using terror tactics
• State terrorism - even Assyrian art glorifies
destruction and death
Nebuchadnezzar II
• Neo-Babylonians (600-500 BCE) revolt and lead a
coalition against the Assyrians
• Original Babylonians were led by King Hammurabi
(~1700 BCE)
• King Nebuchadnezzar makes Babylon the center of
the empire, Babylon becomes one of the great
cities of the ancient world
• Babylonians conquered Judah destroying
Jerusalem in 586 BCE
• Begins era of Babylonian captivity - famous Jewish story
in the Old Testament, exemplifies Jewish perseverance in
the face of adversity
• Relatively soon Hebrews are able to return and rebuild
Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple when the Persians
conquer the Babylonians
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
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Great pyramids in Egypt
Hanging Gardens in Babylon – multi-level gardens
reaching 75 ft. high
Statue of Zeus in Olympia during the Greek period
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus during the Greek
period
Mausoleum of Maussallos at Halicarnassus during the
Hellenistic period of history
Collossus of Rhodes during the Hellenistic period
Lighthouse at Alexandria during the Hellenistic
period