REL 328: History and Culture of the Ancient Near East. Review sheet for Midterm. RJDKnauth
Readings: Kuhrt ch. 1-3 + intro (Mesopotamia and Egypt through Middle Bronze >> 1600/1550 BCE).
Kramer: Intro, ch. 1-39, Appendix A&B. Bible: Gen. 1-12,37,39-50; Exod. 20-23.
Arnold #1-6, 9, 12, 18, 27-30, 35,45, 66, 82, 90. Pritchard pp. 3-5, 12-16, 24-27, 173-175, 231, 252-257, 260-262.
There WILL be map questions on the midterm, so study my map handout.
Cycles of political unity and power interspersed with interludes of splintered weakness
Differing views of “history” – the scattered, conflicting and biased nature of our evidence.
Differing understanding of religion – differing worldviews. “Removed in time, space and mindset.”
Manetho Kinglist, Turin Royal Canon, Palermo Stone, Narmer Palette, inscribed mace heads, bowls, year names.
“Pre-Dynastic:” Dyn 00, Dyn 0. Scorpion/Crocodile. Narmer/Menes unification of Upper / Lower (Nile Delta) Egypt. Hierakonpolis.
“Early Dynastic:” Dyn 1-2. This/Thinis - Abydos Mastabas (“Subsidiary burials”) >> Memphis/Sakkara.
Evidence for Unification and for dynastic transitions. Nature of sources.
“Old Kingdom:” Dyn. 3-6. Capital at Memphis (Memphite god Ptah given primacy).
Age of Pyramids. Djoser/Zoser (“Stepped”); Snefru, Khufu/Cheops, etc. (“True”) at Sakkara, Giza, etc.
“1st Intermediate:” Dyn 7-11 (?) – High turnover of rulers, multiple power centers, civil war (Herakleopolis & Thebes).
“Middle Kingdom:” Dyn 11 - Mentuhotep II (2040 unification). Dyn 12: Amunemhet / Sesostris, Q. Sobeknefru. Itj-Towy.
Flowering of literature (Sinuhe, Neferti, “instructions,” Harpers song, etc.); little architecture survives.
“2nd Intermediate:” Dyn 13-17 – high turnover of rulers, multiple power centers, foreign rule of Hyksos (Avaris)
Hyksos expelled 1550 BCE by Kamose/Ahmose, ends Middle Bronze. Joseph connection?
Memphite Theology, Deliverance of Mankind, Sinuhe, Neferti/Nefer-Rohu, etc.
Major gods/goddesses: Horus, Osiris, Ptah, Re/Atum, Amun, Thoth, Seth, Hathor, etc.
Major cities/capitals: Hierakonpolis, This/Thinis-Abydos, Memphis-Giza-Sakkara, Herakleopolis, Thebes, Itj-towy, Avaris
8,000 BCE: Neolithic Revolution – agriculture, domestication of animals
6,000 BCE: Invention of Pottery. Natufian Culture.
4,300 BCE: Chalcolithic/Copper Age. Ghassulian Culture >> abrupt end
3,300 BCE: Early Bronze Age, first emergence of cities
EB IV / MB I Interlude – Amorite people movements, chaos. New culture.
2,000 BCE: Middle Bronze Age – Mighty Canaanite City States. Patriarchs?
Trade routes between great powers of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
1550 BCE: begins Late Bronze Age - Israelite enslavement in Egypt following expulsion of Hyksos,
characterized by Egyptian domination of Syria Palestine, challenged by Hittites.
Mesopotamia
Ubaid Culture
3100 Early Bronze Urban Revolution – Jemdet Nasr culture. Invention of Writing, Bronze (tools, weapons),
New Fortifications, Advances in Irrigation/Drainage/Terracing, Foreign Trade, Urban Culture.
Flood traditions. “Antediluvian” kings in Sumerian King List. Ubar-Tutu/Ziusudra/Uta-napishtim/Atar-hasis...
Easy segue from gods to legendary heroes to historical kings… Biblical Parallels.
2900 Early Dynastic Sumerian culture, Kengir League (Primitive Democracy?) >> Heroic Age
Shuruppak >> Kish. Uruk, Ur, Sippar, Nippur, Larsa, Lagash, Umma, Mari … vs. Susa (Elam).
Myths, Epics and Legends. But also inscriptions (e.g. Tummal Inscription). “Plano-convex” bricks.
Etana, Enmerkar, Lugal-banda, Dumuzi, Gilgamesh, Enmebaragesi, Mesilim, Aka, Enhegal, …
Lugalannemundu – “king of the four quarters” (!), Eannatum, Lugalzagesi…
2300 Sargon’s empire – Akkadian Period (Akkad/Agade). Birth story parallel w/ Moses. Conqueror.
Naram-Sin. Deification of kings. Shar-Kali-Sharri. Anarchy. “Who was king? Who was not king?”
Cutha Legend/Fall of Agade – blames arrogance of Naram-Sin for fall to “Gutian hordes.”
50 yr. Gutian interlude – peaceful Gudea of Lagash, architect, builder. Defeated by Utu-Hegal of Uruk.
2190 Neo-Sumerian Renaissance: Ur III Dynasty. Ur-Nammu and Shulgi. Ziggurat, Law, Diplomacy, Trade.
Building temples, get support of priests of Nippur. Irrigation Canals. Amorite wall. Mari outpost.
Ibbi-Sin, “help” from Ishbi-Erra of Mari (takes over Isin), widespread rebellion, fall to Amorites, carried off by Elam.
2000 Amorites, Patriarchs, Assyrian Traders. Amorites conquer and are assimilated.
Isin (Ishbi-Erra, Ishme-Dagan, Lipit-Ishtar, etc.) / Larsa (Gungunum, Abisare&Sumu-el…Rim-Sin) period.
Old Assyrian trading network, Karum Kanish, etc. Shamshi-Adad of Ashur. “The City” (council).
Rim-Sin of Larsa, Zimri-Lim of Mari and Shamshi-Adad of Ashur set up for Hammurabi’s empire.
1792 Old Babylonian Period. Hammurabi (+Samsu-Iluna) establishes empire with capital at Babylon.
Lawcode, Flowering of Literature (e.g. “Enuma Elish” creation story with champion Marduk).
1677 Damiq-Ilishu of Sealand* gains pre-eminent power over Babylon. Hurrians on the rise in Habur region.
1600 Late Bronze Splintering of power, chaotic interlude - “Dark Ages.” Begins with Hittite sack of Babylon.
Hittite raid conquers Babylon (ends Hammurabi dynasty), but disappear when Mursili assassinated, Kassites take over.
Sumerian invention of writing, schools, bicameral congress, history (border disputes), diplomacy, tax reduction, law;
Medicine, Farming, Ethics, Philosophy, Fables, Cosmology, Cosmogony, Wisdom, Debates, etc. in Kramer.
Major gods/goddesses: An, Ki, Enki, Enlil, Ninhursag, Utu/Shamash, Inanna/Ishtar, Dumuzi, Marduk, Tiamat, etc.
*Sealand, Hittites, Kassites not covered yet, but know that Mesopotamia has lost its preeminent position in this period,
just as Egypt is recovering from the 2nd Intermediate period and expelling the Hyksos to reintroduce native Egyptian rule
over a unified Egypt – becoming the dominant political force of the Late Bronze Age beginning in 1550 BCE.
3000 Sumer, Akkad, Gut, Ur III;
2000 Isin/Larsa, O.Ass, O.B.;
1600 Hittite, Kassite, N.Ass, N.B.,
538 Persian, Alex in 333!