Ancient River Valley

Civilizations

Permanent Settlements

• During the New Stone Age, permanent settlements appeared in river valleys and around the Fertile Crescent.

• River valleys provided rich soil for crops, as well as protection from invasion.

River valley civilizations (about

3500 to 500 B.C.)

• Mesopotamian civilization —Tigris and

Euphrates River Valleys (Southwest Asia)

River valley civilizations (about

3500 to 500 B.C.)

• Egyptian

civilization

—Nile River

Valley and

Delta

(Africa)

River valley civilizations (about

3500 to 500 B.C.)

• Indian

civilization

—Indus

River Valley

(South Asia)

River valley civilizations (about

3500 to 500 B.C.)

• Chinese

civilization —

Huang He

Valley (East

Asia) “Yellow

River.”

• These river valleys offered rich

soils for agriculture, and they

tended to be in locations easily

protected from invasion by

nomadic peoples.

Other early civilizations (about

2000 to 500 B.C.)

• The Phoenicians settled along the

Mediterranean coast (part of Fertile

Crescent in Southwest Asia)

Phoenicia

Phoenician City-States • In about 1100 B.C. the Phoenicians were the

most powerful traders in the Mediterranean

region.

• They founded city-states around the

Mediterranean Basin, rather than a single

country.

Sea Traders • The Phoenicians were remarkable shipbuilders

and seafarers.

• They were the first Mediterranean people to sail

beyond the Strait of Gibraltar.

• They may have even sailed around the entire

continent of Africa.

• The Phoenicians’ most important city-states

were Tyre and Sidon.

• Tyre and Sidon were known for their production

of red-purple dye.

• They traded goods they obtained from other

lands such as wine, weapons, precious metals,

ivory and slaves.

Phoenician Alphabet

• The Phoenicians

developed a writing

system that used

symbols to represent

sounds so they could

record transactions.

• They introduced the

writing system to their

trading partners, and it

was adopted by the

Greeks.

Other early civilizations (about

2000 to 500 B.C.)

• Nubia was

located on the

upper (southern)

Nile River

(Africa).

“Cradles of Civilization”

• River valleys were the "Cradles of

Civilization." Early civilizations made

major contributions to social, political, and

economic progress.

Other early civilizations (about

2000 to 500 B.C.)

• Hebrews settled

between the

Mediterranean Sea

and the Jordan

River Valley (part

of the Fertile

Crescent in

Southwest Asia).

• The monotheism of Abraham

became the foundation of

Judaism, Christianity, and

Islam—religions that changed

the world.

• The Hebrews were the first to

become monotheists.

Origins of Judaism

• According to the

Torah – God chose

Abraham to be the

“father” of the

Hebrews.

• Abraham – Shepherd

who lived in Ur,

Mesopotamia.

Wandering of Abraham

• God commanded Abraham to move to Canaan.

• Eventually Abraham moved to Egypt and then

back to Canaan.

Geography

• Palestine – eastern

coast of the

Mediterranean Sea.

• Strategically located

on the sea and

among empires.

• South of the

Phoenician

homeland.

•TORAH - First five books of the Hebrew Bible

(Christians call this the Old Testament).

Judaism

• Yahweh – God of the Hebrews.

• According to Genesis – Yahweh

made a pact with Abraham called a

covenant.

• Covenant – promises between God

and the Hebrews to remain loyal to

one another.

Exodus

• 1500 – 1200 B.C. –

Hebrews lived in

harmony in Egypt at

first.

• Eventually forced into

slavery.

• Exodus – Hebrews

flee Egypt.

Cannan

• Land promised to the

Hebrew people,

according to the Old

Testament.

• Palestine, was the

ancient home of the

Hebrews – ancient

name for the Jews.

Moses

• According to the

Bible – God told

Moses to lead the

Hebrews out of

Egypt.

• Moses – Hebrew

who was raised by

wealthy Egyptians.

Mount Sinai -

• Mountain in south central Arabia.

• Moses climbed to the top to pray.

• Is said to have talked to God.

• Returned from the mountain with the Ten Commandments.

Ten Commandments

• Principles of the

Hebrew Bible that

God gave Moses

on Mount Sinai.

• Became the basis

for the civil and

religious laws of

Judaism.

Israel

• The Hebrew

people conquered

Palestine and

eventually set up a

kingdom there.

• David established

Jerusalem as the

capital and Solomon

built a temple there.

Exile

• According to the

Hebrew scriptures,

they disobeyed God’s

law and were

defeated by Assyrians

and Neo-Babylonians.

• The Jews were

Exiled from their land

and taken to Babylon.

• While the Jews were in exile, the teachings

of Judaism spread.

• Later the Persian King Cyrus the Great

allowed the Jews to return to Palestine and

rebuild Jerusalem.

Diaspora • Afterward the Jews

were dominated by

the Greeks and

Romans.

• As result of constant

rebellions, the Jews

were scattered from

their homeland again.

• This Diaspora, further

spread the teachings

of Judaism.

Ancient River Valley

Civilizations Review

Development of social patterns

• Hereditary rulers (dynasties of kings,

pharaohs)

• Early society had a rigid class system,

where slavery was accepted.

Development of political patterns

• World’s first states (city-states, kingdoms,

empires)

• Centralized government (often based on

religious authority)

Development of political patterns

• Written law codes

(Ten

Commandments,

Code of Hammurabi)

Development of Economic

Patterns

• Metal tools and weapons (bronze, iron)

• Increasing agricultural surplus (better

tools, plows, irrigation)

Development of Economic

Patterns

• Increasing trade along rivers and

by sea (Phoenicians)

• Development of the world’s first

cities

• Specialization of labor

Religion

Development of religious traditions

• Polytheism was practiced by most early

civilizations.

• Monotheism was practiced by the

Hebrews.

Language and writing

• Pictograms: Earliest written symbols

Hieroglyphics: Egypt

Alphabet: Phoenicia

Cuneiform: Sumer