Changes

Peru (South America)</td><td> 900 B.C.</td></tr></table>

Peru (South America)</td><td> 900 B.C.</td></tr></table>

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<!--Please don't delete the table, I worked on it hard. -->

History books speculate about "prehistory", which predates writing (i.e., before 3400 B.C.).  But there is no reliable evidence to support this speculation, and it is not worth spending time on.  There is no reason to think that man existed for thousands of years without ever expressing himself in written form.  But in case you are asked on a standardized test, historians describe the period of time known as "prehistory" as the "Stone Age."  They divide the Stone Age into two time periods: "Paleolithic" and "Neolithic".  The Paleolithic Age is older, when man relied mostly on hunting and picking nuts and fruit to supplement his diet.  The Paleolithic Age was followed by the Neolithic Age, which consisted of the rise of agriculture.  The "Neolithic Revolution" means the "Agricultural Revolution," when farming became dominant.  The dates of these ages are controversial, and historians have a bias for giving them older dates than archaeology actually proves.

History books speculate about "prehistory", which predates writing (i.e., before 3400 B.C.).  But there is no reliable evidence to support this speculation, and it is not worth spending time on.  There is no reason to think that man existed for thousands of years without ever expressing himself in written form.  But in case you are asked on a standardized test, historians describe the period of time known as "prehistory" as the "Stone Age."  They divide the Stone Age into two time periods: "Paleolithic" and "Neolithic".  The Paleolithic Age is older, when man supposedly relied on hunting and picking nuts and fruit to supplement his diet.  The Paleolithic Age was followed by the Neolithic Age, which consisted of the rise of agriculture.  The "Neolithic Revolution" means the "Agricultural Revolution," when farming became dominant.  The dates of these ages are controversial, and historians have a bias for giving them older dates than archaeology actually proves.

After the Stone Age came the Bronze Age, beginning in 3500 B.C., when copper and/or bronze tools were used.  That was followed by the Iron Age, which began in Turkey around 2200 B.C. and later spread to other regions.  As its name suggests, people during this period used iron for tools.

After the Stone Age came the Bronze Age, beginning in 3500 B.C., when copper and/or bronze tools were used.  That was followed by the Iron Age, which began in Turkey around 2200 B.C. and later spread to other regions.  As its name suggests, people during this period used iron for tools.

Two of the oldest towns are the biblical town of Jericho, located in Palestine (on the "West Bank" of the Jordan River, between Israel and Jordan today), and Catal Huyuk, located in modern-day Turkey.  Jericho was famous for its high city walls to protect against attack.

Two of the oldest towns are the biblical town of Jericho, located in Palestine (on the "West Bank" of the Jordan River, between Israel and Jordan today), and Catal Huyuk, located in modern-day Turkey.  Jericho was famous for its high city walls to protect against attack.

[[Image:Ancient lands.JPG|right]]

[[Image:Ancient lands.JPG|right]]

The ancient world was the source of the most basic aspects of life that we still use today, such as the seven-day week and marriage.  The Bible remains the best written explanation for these and many other aspects of the ancient world.  Note that all four civilizations discussed in this lecture arose in or near what we now call the "Middle East."

The ancient world was the source of the most basic aspects of life that we still use today, such as marriage and the seven-day week in the calendar.  The Bible remains the best written explanation for these and many other aspects of the ancient world.  Notice that all four civilizations discussed in this lecture arose in or near what we now call the "Middle East."

==Mesopotamia==

==Mesopotamia==

So where did civilization begin?  In a region known as Mesopotamia, which is Greek for "land between the rivers."  The "rivers" are the Tigris and Euphrates, located in Western Asia.  Where, exactly?  Civilization began in fertile areas of Iraq northeast of the desert, known as part of the "Fertile Crescent."  It extends along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (including modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria) and through the fertile valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that run southeast into the Persian Gulf (see the next page for the map).  These rivers deposited silt in the surrounding land, creating rich alluvial soil.  Today the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are not far from the location of our soldiers in Iraq.  But our soldiers are mostly pictured in dry, sandy areas, while the ancient people would have stayed close to the water.  Moreover, ancient floods have probably changed the landscape over time.

So where did civilization begin?  In a region known as Mesopotamia, which is Greek for "land between the rivers."  The "rivers" are the Tigris and Euphrates, located in Western Asia.  Where, exactly?  Civilization began in fertile areas of Iraq northeast of the desert, known as part of the "Fertile Crescent."  It extends along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (including modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria) and through the fertile valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that run southeast into the Persian Gulf (see the next page for the map).  These rivers deposited silt in the surrounding land, creating rich alluvial soil.  Today the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are not far from the location of present-day Iraq.

Genesis 2:8-14 describes the beginning in Mesopotamia as follows: "Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ... A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. ... The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur.  And the fourth river is the Euphrates."<ref>This course uses a variety of translations for the Bible, this time using the "NIV" version.</ref>  Using the ages mentioned in the Bible and counting backwards, biblical scholars have dated this as about 6000 years ago, or about 4000 B.C.  This is about 500 years before our earliest record of ancient writings, which is what one might expect; it wouldn't take long for man to start writing messages, but the oldest messages are unlikely to be "extant" (still existing today).

Genesis 2:8-14 describes the beginning in Mesopotamia as follows: "Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ... A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. ... The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur.  And the fourth river is the Euphrates."<ref>This course uses a variety of translations for the Bible, this time using the "NIV" version.</ref>  Using the ages mentioned in the Bible and counting backwards, biblical scholars have dated this as about 6000 years ago, or about 4000 B.C.  This is about 500 years before our earliest record of ancient writings, which is what one might expect; it wouldn't take long for man to start writing messages, but the oldest messages are unlikely to be "extant" (still existing today).

In the fourth millennium before Christ, between about 3500 and 3000 B.C., cities began to sprout their own political and economic systems.  Both of these developments occurred in southern Mesopotamia.  The first such city (that we know of) was called Sumer, and its occupants were the Sumerians.

In the fourth millennium before Christ, between about 3500 and 3000 B.C., cities began to sprout their own political and economic systems.  Both of these developments occurred in southern Mesopotamia.  The first such city (that we know of) was called Sumer, and its occupants were the Sumerians.

We owe a great deal to the work of the Sumerians.  They developed the first system of writing (the cuneiform), the first codes of law and the first "city-state" (essentially a nation consisting only of a large city).  Their inventions were marvelous: the seed plow, the sailboat, and the potter’s wheel.  (Distinguish "cuneiform" symbols from "ideograms", which show ideas with symbols such as arrows for war, from "phonograms", in which symbols represent sounds).

We owe a great deal to the achievements of the Sumerians.  They developed the first system of writing (the cuneiform), the first codes of law and the first "city-state" (essentially a nation consisting only of a large city).  Their inventions were marvelous: the seed plow, the sailboat, and the potter’s wheel.  (Distinguish "cuneiform" symbols from "ideograms", which show ideas with symbols such as arrows for war, from "phonograms", in which symbols represent sounds).

Most workers in Mesopotamia were farmers, but some devoted their time to trade.  They had a calendar based on the moon to aid the farmers, and they developed a mathematical system using base 12.  They were marvelous inventors, creating complex systems of irrigation and discovering the plow, the cart and the wheel, and used bronze (a mixture of copper and tin) to make good farming tools.  Both men and women owned private property, had slaves, and were ruled by a king.

Most workers in Mesopotamia were farmers, but some devoted their time to trade.  They had a calendar based on the moon to aid the farmers, and they developed a mathematical system using base 12.  They were tremendous inventors, creating complex systems of irrigation and discovering the plow, the cart and the wheel, and used bronze (a mixture of copper and tin) to make good farming tools.  Both men and women owned private property, had slaves, and were ruled by a king.

[[Image:Mesopotamia2.PNG|right]]

[[Image:Mesopotamia2.PNG|right]]

They built cities known as Eridu, Lagash, Ur, Uruk, Isin, Kish, just to name a few.  They were smart, and developed Akkadian as their language.  One interesting aspect of Akkadian is that it lacks any tense forms such as past or future tense.  The verbs expressed the manner of an action rather than its time.

They built cities known as Eridu, Lagash, Ur, Uruk, Isin, Kish, just to name a few.  They were smart, and developed Akkadian as their language.  One interesting aspect of Akkadian is that it lacks any tense forms such as past or future tense.  The verbs expressed the manner of an action rather than its time.