Ancient Near East
900 – 500 BC
New Assyria
New Babylon
Persian Empire
More monarchy and empire
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Crisis of 1200-1000 BC
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Sea peoples
Systems collapse
Near East
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Empires rise and fall
Search for more territory, more wealth
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New Assyria
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900 BC – reemergence of Assyria
Desire for metals, land, sea trade routes
Militaristic
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Foot soldiers more important
Technology – siege towers, battering rams
Chariot archers
Conquered peoples – annual tribute
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Raw material, luxury goods
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Incense, wine, dyed linens, glass, ivory
Assyrian culture
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Male-dominated
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Sennacherib r. 704-681 BC
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Lion hunt
Irrigation equipment
Metal casting
Rebellion
Medes and Chaldeans destroyed Nineveh
612 BC
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LION GATE
CHALDEANS
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Neo-Babylonians
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Nebuchadnezzar II 4 605-562 BC
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Defeated Egyptians
Carchemish 605 BC
Chief god – Marduk
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Ishtar Gate
Rise of Persia
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Cyrus r. 559-530 BC
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Defeats Medes
Babylon 539 BC
Religious tolerance
Darius I r. 522-486 BC
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Extends empire
Satraps
Courier system
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Persepolis today
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Zoroastrianism
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Prophet Zarathustra
Dualism
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Good and evil
Humans decide between purity – impurity
Salvation or damnation
Hebrews
Hebrew Monotheism
c. 1000-539 BC
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History of the Hebrews unclear
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Abraham from Ur to Palestine
Joseph – Egypt 1600-1400 B C
Moses c. 1250 BC
Covenant – obedience led to safety and
prosperity, disobedience punished’
Ten commandments
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After 1000 BC – fully developed
monotheism
Solomon – r. c. 965-928 BCE
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No social differentiation
No vicarious punishment
Trade
Temple
Monarchy splits – Israel and Judah
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Israel and Judah
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Israel conquered by Assyrians in 722 BC
Nebuchadnezzar II conquered Judah
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597 BC
Babylonian captivity
Cyrus
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Return to Palestine
Rebuild temple
Judaism
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Influence on Christianity and Islam
Importance of scripture
Required ritual and ethical purity with
regulation of all aspects of life
Jews retained identity through religious
observance
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