Peoples Gods and Empires

Peoples, Gods, and Empires (1700-500 BCE) Introduction Hesiod and the five ages of human history o History evolved with humanity o We can confirm and correct Hesiod Transformations in the ancient Near East o New imperial powers o Web of diplomacy, trade, and exchange o Iron and bronze o New and more brutal empires o Emergence of new religious traditions Indo-European Languages and Peoples Language o Sir William James discovers a connection between Sanskrit, Latin, and Greek o Shared features with Latin and Greek as well as Gothic and Old Persian o Proto-Indo-European language spoken by a single population? o Indo-European forms appear after 2000 BCE o Semitic-speaking people also begin to appear in Near East New settlers in Anatolia o The Assyrian presence  Trade networks between Anatolia and Mesopotamia  Carried Mesopotamia civilization into Anatolia and northern Syria Hittites and Kassites o Hittites  Indo-European speaking people  Imposed themselves on conquered people of the region  Intensely militaristic culture  Adopted cuneiform  Controlled trade routes o Kassites  Peaceful and prosperous control over city of Babylon Kingdom of Mitanni o Innovations  Horse-drawn chariots  Innovative cavalry tactics  Eventually dominated by Hittites New Kingdom of Egypt Transformations o Foreigners o Hyksos invasion (1700 BCE)  Legitimized rule in accordance with Egyptian precedents  Centered power in lower Egypt o Nubians  More independent of Egyptian influence  Established kingdom of Kush o Hyksos drive out, thus establishing the 18th Dynasty Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty o New phase of Egyptian history; high point of power and influence o New developments taking place  New type of nobility – an aristocracy of military commanders  Wealth acquired through war  Empire forged in battle Pharaohs of the New Kingdom Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty o Thutmose I (c. 1504 – 1492 BCE)  Subdued Nubians to the south  Seized gold mines  Expanded to the northeast; greatest expansion of borders  Maintained strong military presence in Near East for 400 years Legacy of Hatshepsut o Served as pharaoh in her ow right for 21 years o Displayed pictures of herself with a masculine figure and beard o Series of military successes o New style of burial  “Valley of the Kings” (near Thebes) Transformations Religious change and political change o New wealth  Personal glorification of pharaoh  Military aristocracy  Temples o Temple of Amon (Thebes)  Amon identified with the sun god Ra  An Egyptian national god; divine forced behind 18th Dynasty  Priest of Amon o Reign of Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) (1352 – 1336 BCE)  Amenhotep IV inclined toward sun—god worship  Replaced Amon-Ra with Aten, the physical sun disc  Name change from “Amon is pleased” to “He who is profitable to the Aten”  Akhenaten’s religion approached monotheism  Built new capital, Akhetaten Resistance to capital  Succeeded by Tutankhaten/Tutankhamun (King Tut) Transnational Networks of the Late Bronze Age Age of superpowers Transnational diplomacy o Balance of power stabilized trade and diplomacy o Language of diplomatic rank Transnational trade o Flourishing seaborne trade o Trade routes as conduits for culture o Development of simpler writing in coastal town of Ugarit o Treaty between Ramses II and the Hittites  Geopolitical stability  Furthered economic integration Expansion and interdependence Aegean Civilization: Minoan Crete, Mycenaean Greece Heinrich Schliemann and the ancient Greeks o Homer and Troy o Citadel at Mycenae Sir Arthur Evans and the great palace at Knossos o Recast thought on ancient Greece Minoan Thalassocracy o Thalassocracy – “empire of the sea” o Centered on island of Crete o Natural protection of the sea o Vital trade nexus in Mediterranean  Redistributive economy  Palace at Knossos  Contacts with Egypt, southwestern Anatolia, Cyprus o Bull cult o Written language: Linear A and Linear B o Contacts with Mycenaeans remains unclear Mycenaeans o Mycenaean citadels  Warrior culture  Trade and piracy  Centers of government o Mycenaean imitation of Near Eastern examples o Interaction with other Mediterranean rulers  Reputation as warriors and mercenaries o Linear B tablets and economic and political rights o Greek gods Sea Peoples and the end of the Bronze Age o Waves of destruction – obscure origins o Disruption of northern trade network  Mycenaean collapse  Hittite empire disintegrates  Egypt survives but suffers o New political configurations emerge States of the Early Iron Age: Phoenicians Geopolitical changes o Patchwork of small kingdoms in Anatolia replace old power structure o Similar development in the Levant Phoenicians (a.k.a. Canaanites) o Independent city-states o Each with own royal family  Colonies different, ruled by aristocratic elite o Egyptian connections and trade  Papyrus – City of Byblos – Greek name for “book”  Purple dye, “purple people” o Colonies  Planted trading colonies throughout Mediterranean  Began to venture as far as Atlantic o Cultural influence  Greek trading partners  Alphabet Geopolitical changes o Patchwork of small kingdoms in Anatolia replace old power structure o Similar development in the Levant Philistines Great national enemy of Hebrews Lack of written records o Historians forced to rely on archaeology and written records of their enemies Retention of a separate identity o Possible strong cultural ties to Mycenaean past Pentapolis (heavily fortified citadel) o Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath o Citadels very similar to Mycenaean strongholds Relationship between Philistines and the Hebrews Hebrews Origins: Old Testament as historical resource o Mythology, laws and ritual practice, genealogical records, book of prophecy, proverbs, poetry, and royal chronicles o Borrows from other Near Eastern cultures o First 5 books form retrospective history of Hebrews Wandering herdsmen in the Levant at the time of Philistine arrival o 12 tribes  Tribes of Judah (in south)  Tribes of Israel (in north) o Struggle for Hebrew identity  Philistines conquered Levantine coast (c. 1050 BCE)  Hebrews struggled against Philistines  Samuel and King Saul  David his allies triumphed over the Philistines  King David Consolidation of the Hebrew Kingdom o David strengthened his new kingdom (c. 1000 BCE) o Reduced Philistine influence o Built Jerusalem as the political and religious capital  Ark of Covenant  Recognizes priesthood of Yahweh  New collective identity centered on his family and its connections to Yahweh Reign of King Solomon o Temple complex at Jerusalem o Instituted oppressive taxation o Maintained a large standing army o Forced labor Split between northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms Revival of the Assyrian Empire Devastation of Sea Peoples; struggles for survival Neo-Assyrian empire o Assurnasirpal II (883-859 BCE)  Revived Assyrian strength  Aggressive military campaigns and savagery  Fierce resistance from neighbors o Sargon II (722-705 BCE)  Claimed descent from Sargon of Akkad  Extended border of empire  Western Iran to Mediterranean, including parts of Egypt  Destroyed kingdom of Israel  Subjugated kingdom of Judah Neo-Assyrian government and administration o An armed state o King as hereditary monarch and earthly representative of the god Assur o o o Extensive bureaucracy Spy network Strict law codes  Modeled on Hammurabi (though much harsher)  Extremely patriarchal Neo-Assyrian Culture and Power • • Neo-Assyrian military-religious ethos o Holy war and exaction of tribute through terror  All those who did not accept Assur’s supremacy were enemies o The worship of Assur among conquered people  Henotheists o Neo-Assyrian domination  Yearly plunder  Mutilation, rape, and mass deportations  Artwork celebrates butcher and torture o Neo-Assyrian warfare  Massive standing army  Steel weapons  Heavily armed and armored shock troops  Archery and chariots  Catapults and siege engines Legacy of Neo-Assyrian power o Sennacherib (704–681 B.C.E.)  Rebuilt Nineveh o Assurbanipal (669–627 B.C.E.)  Internal reforms  Library at Nineveh o The end  Chaldeans allied with Indo-European Medes  Neo-Assyrian empire was destroyed  Chaldeans conquered kingdom of Judah Rise of the Persians • Successor state to the Neo-Assyrian Empire o Followed after the Chaldean Empire (612–539 B.C.E.) • Origins of the Persian Empire o Emerged from obscurity when Cyrus became ruler of all Persians o Threw off the lordship of the Medes o Lydian gold and silver o Croesus launched preemptive war against Persians (546 B.C.E.) o Cyrus invaded Mesopotamia, conquered Babylon o Cyrus used more enlightened policies  Considerable self-determination  Cultural and religious policies • Consolidation of Persia o • Darius I (521–486 B.C.E.)  Consolidated military gains  Improved state administration (satraps)  Allowed various people to retain local institutions  Persepolis  The Royal Road (Susa to Sardis)  Postal systems and spy networks  Attempted expansion into Greece  Imperial model emulated Legacy of Zoroastrianism o Zarathustra sought to purify traditional customs  Eradicating polytheism, animal sacrifice, and magic  There is one god—Ahura-Mazda (“the wise lord”) • Light, truth, and righteousness • Counter deity—Ahriman • Influenced Christianity and Islam  Toleration  A personal religion (not tribes or states)  Resurrection of the dead on judgment day Development of Hebrew Monotheism • • From monolatry to monotheism o Early Hebrews were polytheistic  Azazel and El  Temple at Jerusalem had altars to Ba’al and Asherah o Move toward monolatry (c. 1000 B.C.E.) o Levites and the Yahweh cult  Power of literacy  Ties to David’s dynasty  Jerusalem • Linked political/religious identity of Hebrews to cult of Yahweh o Transcendent theology o Ethical considerations  Commandments and laws  Moral standards not applicable when dealing with non-Hebrews o Regional distinctions in the Yahweh cult o Neo-Assyrian threat From monolatry to monotheism o Demands for an exclusive monotheism  Only by worshiping Yahweh could the Hebrews combat Neo-Assyrian religious imperialism  Amos and Hosea  Isaiah and Jeremiah  Ezekiel and the “second Isaiah” o Doctrines  Absolute monotheism  Yahweh is the God of righteousness  Yahweh demands ethical behavior Development of Judaism • Judaism takes shape o Josiah, king of Judea (621–609 B.C.E.)  Committed monotheist  Employed Jeremiah and other prophets at his court  Redrafting and revision of “Law of Moses”  Book of Deuteronomy “discovered” o After Josiah  Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem  Babylonian captivity  Ezekiel—salvation only through religious purity • Ignoring all foreign gods • Worshiping only Yahweh o Conflicts over nature of Judaism o Jewish religious teachings as ethical obligations toward God Conclusion • Epoch of empires • New empires were different – Capital cities – Centrally managed systems of communication – Sophisticated administrative structures – Aggressive imperialism that demanded more obedience • New religions: Zoroastrianism and Judaism