Download The Ancient Near East

9/6/2016
World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras ­ Time Periods ­ The Ancient Near East
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TOPIC CENTER: THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST
The Near East (generally de⤀褅ned as southwest Asia) was
the site of numerous ancient civilizations, including the
Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Hittites, Assyrians,
Hebrews, and Persians. Many of these civilizations were
located in the Near Eastern region known as Mesopotamia
(in present-day Iraq). Mesopotamia, the "land between the
rivers," was ideal for the growth of civilizations because the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers provided a reliable water source
for crops. Near Eastern innovations in such areas as
government, law, and religion had lasting in⤀褅uence on
many later states and cultures.
Many Civilizations
Sumer, which arose in the fourth millennium BCE, is
considered the ⤀褅rst great Mesopotamian civilization. Laying
important foundations for later cultures in the region, the
Sumerians invented cuneiform writing, created a
centralized government and bureaucracy, and constructed
ziggurats (stepped temples made of mud-brick).
About 2300 BCE, Sargon of Akkad founded a state that became a great Mesopotamian empire—Akkad. The
Akkadians conquered much of Mesopotamia, including Sumer. They incorporated Sumerian culture while
also spreading the Akkadian language. Akkad set an example for empires built on military conquest and
powerful kingship.
In Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), the Hittites were a major power from the 19th through 12th centuries
BCE. They are known for their con⤀褅icts with the Egyptians and their early use of iron weapons, which gave
them an advantage in warfare.
The Assyrians used a a highly trained military to build a large empire and ruthless methods to intimidate
rivals. During the early ⤀褅rst millennium BCE, Assyria had the most extensive empire in the world. Though
best remembered for their harsh tactics, the Assyrians also used e⤀ꀈcient legal and administrative systems,
built aqueducts, and connected their empire with a road network.
In Babylonia, a highly in⤀褅uential law code was created by the king Hammurabi, who came to power about
1800 BCE. The code was said to have been given to Hammurabi by the god Shamash. It provided rules for
moral, religious, and economic behavior. The code's punishments could be very harsh—the well-known
penalty of "an eye for an eye" comes from Hammurabi's Code. Nevertheless, by making laws and penalties
clearly de⤀褅ned and known to all (they were inscribed on public monuments), Hammurabi's Code attempted
to provide fairness and o⤀ㄆered a model for later legal systems.
The Hebrews and Judaism
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9/6/2016
World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras ­ Time Periods ­ The Ancient Near East
The Hebrews, a nomadic Near Eastern people, developed an identity that focused on their special
relationship as the "chosen people" of God (Yahweh). The Hebrew leaders Abraham and Moses are very
important ⤀褅gures. Abraham led the Hebrews in search of the homeland promised by God, ⤀褅nally settling in
the land of Canaan (now Israel and Palestine). Moses led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt and gave them
a collection of laws: the Ten Commandments. Moses is also said to have composed the Jewish scripture—the
holy scroll called the Torah—which contains the same books as the Christian Old Testament.
The Hebrews formed their own state, the kingdom of Israel, with its capital and main temple at Jerusalem. In
586, the Babylonians captured Jersualem and took many Hebrews into captivity. The Hebrews eventually
restored their kingdom, but in 70 CE the Romans sacked Jerusalem and many Jews were scattered
throughout the world.
Unlike other Near Eastern religions, which were polytheistic (believing in many gods), Judaism was
monotheistic—it accepted only one God. Judaism focused on the Jews' special relationship with God, in
which the Hebrews followed divine laws and received God's blessing. At di⤀ㄆerent times in Hebrew history,
prophets warned the people to return to a proper relationship with God.
Persian Empire
One of the later Near Eastern states was the Persian Empire, centered in what is now Iran. Founded about
550 BCE by Cyrus the Great in present-day Iran, the Persian Empire would eventually reach from Egypt to
present-day Pakistan. The Persians used military conquest to build and strengthen their empire. Serious
setbacks occurred in the ⤀褅fth century BCE, however, when their invasions of Greece met with failure.
The Persian Empire was divided into satrapies, sections that were governed by o⤀ꀈcers called satraps. The
Persians' tolerance for local customs aided them in ruling the empire's diverse cultural groups. However,
while the Persian Empire grew rapidly, it did not last long, falling to Alexander the Great in 330 BCE.
With its favorable geographical setting and fertile land, the Near East became home to many ancient
cultures. From the Sumerians to the Assyrians, from the Hebrews to the Persians, these societies created
traditions that became fundamental to Western civilization.
Jennifer Hutchinson
COPYRIGHT 2016 ABC-CLIO, LLC
This content may be used for non-commercial, classroom purposes only.
Image Credits
Persian archers from the palace of Darius I: Duruy, Victor. The History of Greece and of the Greek People,
1890
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MLA Citation
Hutchinson, Jennifer. "The Ancient near East." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016,
ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/6. Accessed 6 Sept. 2016.
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Entry ID: 1993856
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