Outline Map of the Middle East

Middle Eastor

(Southwest Asia)

CH 25 Section 1Land and People

• Crossroads of 3 continents– Asia-Africa-Europe

• Connection of Ancient trade routes– Caravans from India and

China connect in the M.E.

– From M.E. goods traveled to

• Europe

• Africa

Cultural Diffusion

• History:– Many different people

including traders and conquers move through M.E.

– Diffusion spreads many ideas

• Alphabet

• Iron making

• Arabic Numerals

• Lateen Sail

• Religions

• Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Lateen sail

European 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Arabic-Indic ٩ ٨ ٧ ٦ ٥ ٤ ٣ ٢ ١ ٠

Strategic Location

• M.E. nations have control of:– Sea and land trade routes

• Suez Canal

• Bosporus and Dardanelles

• Straits of Hormuz (Persian Gulf)

• Oil tanker routes

– Vast Oil Reserves

• The region plays a vital role in the worlds military and economic systems.

During WWI, the Turks closed the straits between the Mediterranean and Black Seas, preventing Russia from exporting her wheat or receiving shipments of materials from her allies. To protect its oil wells in the Middle East, Britain moved a military force up the Persian Gulf to Iraq, where it began engaging Turkish forces.

5 Major Regions• Northern Tier

– Stretches across Turkey and Iran.

– Region of mountains and plateaus

• West -Anatolian Plateau• Ringed by Pontic and Taurus

mtns• Fertile soil and enough

moisture for farming• Located on Asia Minor –

Peninsula connecting Europe and Asia.

• Iranian Plateau (East) • Ringed by Elburz and Zagros

mtns. Dry region

5 Major Regions• Arabian Peninsula

– Vast Plateau

– 1/3 size of U.S.

– Bordered by • Red Sea

• Arabian Sea

• Persian Gulf

– Saudi Arabia is largest nation

– Small Population due to lack of water

– Barren Desert

– Most people live around scattered Oasis

– Major Oil reserves

Arabian Peninsula

5 Major Regions• Fertile Crescent

– Arc shaped region

– Stretches from E. Med along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

– Rich soil and abundant water make it a major population center

– Home to one of worlds earliest civilizations

• Mesopotamoia

• (Land between the rivers)

• Spring melts flood rivers which deposit good soil on fields

• Flooding is unpredictable

• No Natural barriers– Open to invasion by outside

forces throughout history

Nile Valley

• Geographic Advantage over the Fertile Crescent.– Protected on the east and

west by harsh deserts

– Flooding on the Nile was predictable and dependable

The Nile Valley

The Maghreb• The Maghreb

– North African Nations• Algeria, Tunisia, Morroco

• Linked Nations– Libya, Chad, Niger, Mali,

Mauritania

• Maghreb: Arab term meaning “western isle”

• Isolated area surrounded by water, mountains and deserts.

• Around 700, Arab armies took Islam to this region.

• Major features– Northern Sahara, Mediterranean

Sea and Atlas mountains

• Major Crossroads– Rules Southern Med

– Controls gateway to Atlantic

Climate and Resources• M.E. is nearly all desert

– People are clustered along the coast and river valleys

• Adapting to Scarcity– Water scarcity shapes the

culture of the M.E– Less then 10% of land is

farmable– Irrigation systems

• Ancient Egyptians used the Shaduf

• Drip irrigation is the most modern irrigation system in use

Peoples

• The M.E. is home to many different groups

• Languages– Arabic, Hebrew,

Turkish, Kurdish, Greek and Armenian

• Religions– Islam, Christianity,

Judaism

Christian Cross

Star of David (Judaism)

Islamic sign of Allah

Ethnic Diversity

• Arabs make up the majority of the population. The term Arab is used to describe anyone who speaks Arabic

• Also home to – Turks, Iranians, and

Kurds

• Each group has its own languages and traditions

Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat

Grand Erg Occidental-Oriental

• East and West• Located in Algeria• Vast Seas of Sand in

Sahara desert

Grand Erg – Satellite image of a dust storm.

Ch 25 Section 2Early Civilizations

• Sumer• First Civilization

(M.E.)– Started in fertile Tigris

– Euphrates river delta– Rich soil, fish, ready

source of water for irrigation

– Farmers drained swamps and controlled flooding by building canals.

City States• 3500 B.C.

– Successful farming settlements grow to powerful city-states

• City States– Control surrounding

farmland– Had its own ruler – Special god or goddess– Laws– Army– Often fought each other– Erech, Ur and Kish were 3

main city states Bronze war helmet (Sumer)

Religion

• Sumerians believed their gods were all powerful.– Angry gods punished the

people– Priests knew the hymns,

prayers and rituals need to placate the gods

– Ziggurat: huge many tiered temples

• Most important buildings in the city

• Priests occupied the Ziggurats and controlled peoples lives from these temples.

System of Writing• Sumerians had an

advanced form of writing known as Cuneiform (Latin for wedge shaped)– Used a stylus (wedge

shaped reed) to write on clay tablets (

– Clay was then hardened by baking.

– Archaeologists have found thousands of these tablets

– Record laws, prayers, treaties, medical knowledge, etc.

Sumerians created cuneiformscript over 5000 years ago. It was the world's first written language. The last known cuneiform inscription was written in 75 AD.

Other Achievements• Pre-dates the Egyptians

– Wheel

– Sail and sailing ships

– Plow

– Accurate calendar

– System of measure base on the number 60

• 60 second minute

• 60 minute hour

• 360 degree circle

Diffusion

• Outsiders have always been attracted by the Fertile Crescent

• Nomadic tribes moved in and conquered existing civilizations and added to their culture.

• Trade flourished over a wide area and added to the rich culture of the area

Ancient Mesopotamian Civilizations

A Code of Law• 1700 B.C.

– Babylonian King Hammurabi conquers most of Fertile Crescent

– Creates a uniform code of justice

– 282 laws• Regulated economic, social,

and moral affairs

• Distinguished between major and minor crimes

• Punishment was simple: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”

– Laws were carved in stone stele’s for future generations.

Spread of Iron• 1500 B.C.

– Hittites conquer the FC

– Adopted Cuneiform

– Took Mesopotamian culture back to Asia Minor where it eventually influenced Greeks

– Best known for mastery of Iron

– Iron is much stronger than bronze

– Helps in their wars of conquest.

Ancient vase showing the Iron smelting process

The Phoenician Alphabet• Phoenicians move into the are

known as Lebanon during Hittite rule– Set up small city-states along the

Med.– Best known for prowess as sea

traders– “Carriers of Civilization”

(diffused ME culture across a wide area)

– Phoenicians developed the alphabet that evolved into the one we use today.

– Used only 22 symbols and was easy to learn

– Greeks adopted and added 4 symbols

– Diffused to Hebrews, Persians and Arabs

The Persian Empire• 500 B.C.– Persians Conquer an empire that will stretch from Asia Minor to the Indus

Valley.

• Darius I– Creates a system of efficient government– Divides empire into 20 provinces– Each province was the homeland to group of people.

• This allowed each group to maintain its culture

– Governors (Satraps) were responsible for collecting taxes and keeping order.– Darius sent special investigators (eyes and ears of the king) to keep on eye

on his empire.

Communication and Trade

• Persian Comm And Trade– Improved and expanded

road systems

– Main roads connected the four capitals of the empire

• Persepolis, Susa, Nineveh, Sardis

– Relays stations were built to re-supply messengers between the cities

– Set up a uniform coinage system.

• Coins were easier to carry, store and count then trade goods used in barter.

Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Empire.

Zoroaster• Zoroaster (Zarathustra)

– Found of ancient Persian Relgion (Zoroastrianism)

– Lived around 600 a.d.– (read 560-561)

• KingVishtaspa– Accepts Zoroastrianism– Becomes the official

religion of the land

• Play’s a major role in Persians treating conquered people in a humane way.

Greek and Roman Influence

• 334 B.C.– Alexander the Great

conquers most of Persia.

– Alexander dies at an early age and leaves behind a lasting legacy

• Blending of Greek and ME culture

• Becomes known as the Hellenistic civilization

• Alexandria, Egypt becomes center of learning in science, mathematics, philosophy, medicine.

Light house at Alexandria – considered to be 7th Wonder of the World – Ruined by earthquakes in 1303 and 1323

Roman Conquest• A.D. 115• Rome has conquered

most of the M.E.• Empire stretched from

Persian Gulf to Atlantic• Diffusion brought a

combination of Roman and M.E. culture

• The spread of Christianity throughout the empire will play a role in diffusion

Chapter 25 Section 3Religions of the Middle East

• 1800 B.C.• Hebrew people

migrate from Palestine to Egypt

• Enslaved by the Egyptians.

Judaism and Christianity

• Moses– Christian and Hebrew religious

tradition tell the story of Moses– Moses

• Hebrew baby taken in by the Pharaohs daughter.

• Raised by his mother but as a son of the pharaoh.

• Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew

• Moses fled to Midian• Married• YHWH came to Moses in a

burning bush and ordered him to free the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery

Hebrews are Freed• Moses and the Pharaoh

– Moses demanded the release of his people

– Pharaoh Rhamses refused

– 10 plagues of Egypt

– Pharaoh relented and let Egyptians go.

– Chased Moses and his people to the Red (Reed) sea.

– YHWH parted the sea and Hebrews escaped to Promised land (40 years later)

1. Water to blood 2.Frogs 3.Knats

4. Flies 5.Diseased livestock 6. Boils

7. Thunder and Hail 8. Locusts

9. Darkness 10. Death of the Firstborn

Kingdom of Israel

• Israelites (Hebrews)– Escape from Egypt

– Wandered on Sinai Peninsula 40 years

– 1025 B.C. formed Kingdom of Israel in Palestine

– Palestine is the crossroads of Egypt and Mesopotamia

– Frequently invaded

King David

• David– Defeats the giant Goliath in

Battle

– Becomes King• David is a skilled General

• Unified Israel and became the ruling power of the Middle East

Michelangelo's 500 year old marble statue of David

King Solomon

• Solomon the Wise

• Transformed the city of Jerusalem– Built palaces

– Great temple• Stone walls

• Inner structures were made of wood but covered with gold

– Heavily taxed the people

– Revolt after Solomon’s death tore Kingdom apart

– Taken over many times by foreign rulers

– Rebuilt by the Hebrews around 500 B.C. as allowed under Persian rule.

Mount Moriah is an elongated stretch of land running north-south and lying between Kidron Valley and "Hagai" Valley, between Mount Zion to the west and the Mount of Olives to the east.

Diaspora• 70 A.D.

– Jews revolt against the Romans

– Romans defeat the Jews in a savage war

– Jewish people are dispersed throughout the Roman Empire to prevent them from revolting a second time.

– This scattering of the Jews is called the Diaspora

– Jew diffused their ideas throughout the world as a result of the Diaspora

Teachings of Judaism• Monotheistic

– Yahweh (YHWH)(God)

– Creator of the universe

– Torah (Sacred book)• Early Hebrew history as well

as moral and religious law

• Importance of the Law– Records

• Giving of 10 commandments

• Many other laws outlined the daily conduct of peoples lives

• Ex. Allowing slavery but requiring master to treat slaves with kindness

"And God spoke all these words, saying: 'I am the LORD your God… ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.' THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.' FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.' FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.' SIX: 'You shall not murder.' SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.' EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.' NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.' TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour's.'

The Laws given to Moses are found at Leviticus 19

Teachings of Judaism• Ethical View of the World

– Belief that people and their leaders must lead moral lives

– Prophets (teachers) reminded Jews of their duties

– When Jews strayed from the law the prophets reminded them of God’s wrath.

– Jews did not believe their rulers were deity.

– Jews believed that people must be responsible for their actions

– Believed in good and evil

Rise of Christianity• Jesus Christ

– Story of Jesus life comes from the Gospels (Good News)(biblical text)

• Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

– Born in Bethlehem

– Early years• Learned carpentry

• Studied with Rabbis– Teachers of Jewish law

– Age 30 • Began to teach and perform

miraclesClassic Nativity Scene painting

The Life of Jesus• Prophecy

– Christian believe that much of the Old Testament is a symbolic prophecy of the coming of a messiah (Savior)

– Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that prophecy.

– The Old Testament book of Isaiah (written around 700 B.C.) is the best example of those prophecies.

• Isaiah prophesied:– Messiah would be born of a

virgin

– Descendent of King David

– Would be God

– Minister in Galilee

– Light to the Gentiles

– Be both man and God

– Would be righteous (perfect)

– Would die for the sins of the world

– Be resurrected to live for eternity

Christ’s Teachings• Belief in God (Hebrew

God YHWH)– Preached compassion for

fellow humans– Taught that eternal

salvation was a gift from God (Grace)

– Taught the good works would be natural result of the acceptance of the gift of salvation

– Jesus spoke in parables • Short stories with simple

moral messages.• Ex. Prodigal Son Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son

Christ’s Death• Christ’s followers believe:

– He was persecuted and beaten

– Nailed to a cross

– Speared

– Placed in a tomb

– Came back to life 3 days after his death

– Ascended to heaven after 40 days on earth.

– Christ’s death and resurrection atoned for the sins of all who believe in him

– Faith in Christ is the only way to receive an eternal life with God

Spread of Christianity• Disciples

– Ex. Peter and Paul– Spread the message of

Christianity throughout the Roman Empire

– Persecution• Romans were suspicious of

Christians because they refused to worship Roman Gods

• Early Centuries – 1000’s of Christians were martyred for their beliefs.

• Persecution only caused Christianity to grow.

– A.D. 313 Constantine declares Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

This Painting is called the last prayer

Appeal of Christianity• Offered people a hope of salvation

and eternal life• Later, an official church was

formed with bishops playing the role of leadership.

• The Bishop of Rome eventually became known as the Pope (Father of the Church)

• Rome was divided into East and Western Empires in 330 A.D.

• Byzantine (eastern ) ruler refused to recognize the Pope as head of the church

• Church splits into 2 parts– Eastern Orthodox (Constantinople– Western Catholic (Rome)