Changes

World history is also fascinating because there are many mysteries and controversies about it.  How did the Egyptians build the pyramids?  In what language did Jesus preach?  Why did Islam grow so rapidly?  Who was right, the Catholics or the Protestants?  Is modern Israel a fulfillment of biblical prophecy?  Is democracy compatible with Islam?

World history is also fascinating because there are many mysteries and controversies about it.  How did the Egyptians build the pyramids?  In what language did Jesus preach?  Why did Islam grow so rapidly?  Who was right, the Catholics or the Protestants?  Is modern Israel a fulfillment of biblical prophecy?  Is democracy compatible with Islam?

Do not be misled by thinking ancient peoples were dumb or boring because they lacked the technology of modern society.  True, they lacked television and the internet.  Does that mean it was boring or dull in 2500 B.C.?  Not at all.  People were probably smarter than they are today.  The Egyptians, for example, cleverly built the massive pyramids using techniques that no one to this day can figure out or duplicate.  In 2600 B.C., they constructed the pyramid of Khufu containing 6 million tons of stone extending to a height of 481 feet.  The workmanship was superior to what we do today: the rock base was virtually perfectly flat, not varying in elevation by more a half-inch; its orientation is precisely aligned with the points of a compass; its stones were perfect fits.  Inside was a chapel, a causeway, and a temple.  It amazes architects to this day.  We would not be able to duplicate it even now.  Many other cultures, from Mesopotamia to Greece to Rome to India to China, invented things and discovered knowledge that no one today is smart enough to duplicate.  Do you know how to bake bread from scratch?

Do not be misled by thinking ancient peoples were dumb or boring because they lacked the technology of modern society.  True, they lacked television and the internet.  Does that mean it was boring or dull in 2500 B.C.?  Not at all.  People were probably smarter than they are today.  The Egyptians, for example, cleverly built the massive pyramids using techniques that no one to this day can figure out or duplicate.  In 2600 B.C., they constructed the pyramid of Khufu containing 6 million tons of stone extending to a height of 481 feet.  The workmanship was superior to what we do today: the rock base was virtually perfectly flat, not varying in elevation by more than a half-inch; its orientation is precisely aligned with the points of a compass; its stones were perfect fits.  Inside was a chapel, a causeway, and a temple.  It amazes architects to this day.  We would not be able to duplicate it even now.  Many other cultures, from Mesopotamia to Greece to Rome to India to China, invented things and discovered knowledge that no one today is smart enough to duplicate.  Do you know how to bake bread from scratch?

   

   

The feats of our ancestors are one part of the study of history.  Also important are the clash of ideas, values, religions, systems of government and economies.  Individuals, too, make a difference in extraordinary cases.  One of many debates that we will have in this class is this: why did societies rise and fall in power?

The feats of our ancestors are one part of the study of history.  Also important are the clash of ideas, values, religions, systems of government and economies.  Individuals, too, make a difference in extraordinary cases.  One of many debates that we will have in this class is this: why did societies rise and fall in power?