The Late Bronze age B.C. 1500 -B.C. 1200

NEW CIVILIZATIONS:

New people arise in the Fertile Crescent area: Hittites, Mittanians,

Kassites, and Elamites. All are Indo-European speaking.

Mittanians and Kassites are influenced by Mesopotamian culture:

they write the Akkadian language in cuneiform.

The Elamites and Hittites write their own languages in cuneiform.

All three civilizations are connected through introduction of horses. This is the age of chariot warfare!

HITTITES:

The Hittite kingdom is based in Anatolia (Asia Minor). In the 16th

century BCE they invade Syria and then move into Babylon and kill the last of Hammurabi's successors.

They will be heavily influenced by Mesopotamian culture. Sumerian and Mesopotamian literature was preserved, and the Mesopotamian gods were honored with temples. Borrowed heavily from Hammurabi's code but with more humane punishments.

Hattusilus I

the first Hittite ruler mentioned and is therefore considered one of the founders of

the Hittite empire. He established his capital at Hattusas around 1650 BCE.

The Hittites were successful militarily by mastering chariot warfare and using mass attacks by archers using long range bows.

Hittites and Mitannians and kassites

all tied together by chariot warfare

What weapons did the hittites use?

First people using iron weapons as early as 1400 BCE. They fiercely guarded the secret of this new technology, so much that it was not until the fall of the Hittite empire around 1100 BC that the use of iron spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean! Masters of chariot warfare

MITTANIANS:

Mittanians build a hegemonic (politically dominant ) empire. Came to power in

the northern Fertile Crescent area after fall of Amorite Babylon.

Lasted c. 1500 to c. 1300 BCE, overrun first by the Hittites, and then Assyrians.

PHOENICIANS :

Semitic people who settled in what is today Syria and Lebanon. Lived along the coast and became the Mediterranean’s greatest traders and were also sailors. They are made up of a confederation of city-states. The three most famous are Byblos, Tyre, and Ugarit. All are independent of each other.

KASSITES:

Originated in the Zagros Mountains, and then moved into Babylonian area around

1800 BCE. They unite the Babylonians and ensure their survival by repopulating the area.

Kurigalzu I (1400 to c. 1375 BCE)

built a new capital at Dur-Kurigalzu. Invented boundary

stone called the kudurru. It recorded the land grant of the king to favored people. Their empire will last until c. 1155 BC

Hitittes elimanated…

the kassites, and the mittanians

kudurrus

boundary marker

Byblos:

traded paper and papyrus with the Egyptians becoming the basis of our words: book,

Bible, and library.

Tyre:

Responsible for the creation of the colony of Carthage. Carthage will be a major force in

the Mediterranean before losing out to the Romans. Responsible for purple dye

Ugarit:

Adaption of cuneiform writing led to the development of the Phoenician alphabet, later

adopted by the Greeks which eventually became the English alphabet.

Dur-Kurigalzu

Kurigalzu I (1400 to c. 1375 BCE) built a new capital at Dur-Kurigalzu and ziggarrat

How did the Phoenicians get rich?

The Phoenicians also traded in purple dye and cedar trees which allowed them to amass great wealth. Because they never united to form a strong state they were eventually overrun by the Chaldeans in 571 BCE.

HEBREWS/ISRAELITES :

Semitic people who are related to the Aramaeans. The first known historical record of them is on the Pharoah Merneptah's victory stele. He was suppressing a revolt in Palestine and Syria. First continuously monotheistic people.

stele

an inscribed territorial marker made of wood or stone.

Yahweh:

The name for the Hebrew God in ancient times. They consider Him the one true God. They are monotheistic.

Mosaic Covenant:

The contract between God (Yahweh) and the Israelites that if they follow the 10

Commandments and worship only god, He will provide for them and protect them. says follow ten commandments and believe in god.

NOT TEN COMMANDMENTS

Promised Land:

Land promised by God to the Israelites, but already settled by 6 other groups who had to be defeated by the Israelites to take control.

Continuing conflict with those 6 groups leads to a call for unifying under 1 king. First king of Israel is Saul, who is then removed in favor of David and later his son Solomon. With King David comes the first archaeologist record. After Solomon's death Judah and Israel are divided into 2 separate kingdoms. Solomon and David’s weakness was that they liked a lot of ladies which led to them having a lot of children who all called to the throne. This was due to a conflict over succession. Both are weakened and they are soon conquered. Israel falls to the Assyrians in 722 BCE, and Judah is first plundered by the Egyptians and then overrun by the Chaldeans in 586 BCE.

Shoshenq 1 of Egypt

plundered the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem around the year 926 BCE. It is possible that this is when the Ark of the Covenant holding the 10 Commandments disappeared. The Bible states Shoshenq plundered the temple and took all the riches including golden shields that King Solomon had made. The Bible does not mention the Ark of the Covenant being taken at this time. There is no mention of the Ark after the reign of Josiah.

King Josiah of Judah. (640 to 609 BC)

Josiah was a godly king and known as one of the world’s youngest kings; he began his reign at age 8 after his father was assassinated. A highlight of Josiah’s reign was his rediscovery of the Law of the Lord. In the eighteenth year of his reign, he raised money to repair the temple, and during the repairs the high priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law. Under his reign monotheism was reinforced. He ordered the destruction of all altars to the other deities. He was the last righteous king of the Hebrews/Israelites.

ARAMAEANS :

These people were closely related to the Hebrews, lived in Syria. They

dominated the camel trade between Egypt and northern Mediterranean coast. The Aramaeans lived in a series of small city states including Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Their language became the most common along the Mediterranean coast.

Spoken by Jesus and his disciples.

ASSYRIANS :

Moved into northern Mesopotamia around 1800 BCE. They will become the

dominant power in that area by 1200 BCE and they will reach their height around 700 BCE. This is done through a series of strong kings and culture advances. They were gone by 630 BC. The Assyrians will be the first people to have a army of entire iron weapons.

Tukulti-Ninurta I:

Assyrian king from 1243 BCE to 1207 BCE. Defeated the Hittites and the

Kassites. Captured Babylon, destroyed the city, and stole the statue of Marduk, their chief god.

His treatment of captured temples caused the Mesopotamians to revolt. He built a new capital city and was murdered by his son after a siege on the city.

9 kings matching or multiple choice

Tiglath -Pilieser I:

1115 BCE to 1076 BCE. Established Assyria as a major power in the region.

Expanded empire into Syria and south into Babylonia. Records tell us that he carefully cultivated

fear of himself into his own people as well as his enemies.

Ashurnasirpal II

(884 – 859 BCE) Assyrian king who ruled by terror and fear. Beheaded

enemies. Smaller kingdoms paid tribute to avoid war. Wealth brought in through conquest and tribute allowed for a new palace to be built at Kalhu. Kalhu was a previously prosperous trade

city. The great kings of Assyria continued to be buried at Ashur, but their queens were buried at

Kalhu.

Shalmaneser III:

Replaces Ashurnasirpal Il as king. Continues to collect tribute and instill fear

in lesser kingdoms. A failed revolt by 12 different kings means the continuation of the tribute payments.

Tiglath-pileser III (745 -727 BCE):

Known for:

1. Expansion of the empire by annexing nearby kingdoms.

2. Siege warfare: including scaling walls and impaling the defeated on spikes!

3. Resettling conquered people in new areas. This prevented uprisings because there were no natural alliances among the resettled people. EG: Israelites

4. Capture of Babylon at the end of his reign, and add Babylon to Assyrian empire

Sargon II

(722-705 BCE): Son of Tiglath-pileser III. Defeats the Israelites and puts down

several Chaldean revolts in Babylon. Celebrates his achievements by building a new capital, Dur-Sharrukin. It is quickly abandoned after his death, but later is a very valuable

archaeological find. Almost entirely intact when found

SENNACHERIB (722 to 705 BCE):

Son of Sargon II, he had a temper, violently punishing

people who spoke against him, particularly the rebellious Babylonians. When the Babylonians

and Elamites rebelled against him, Sennacherib destroyed cities, buildings, temples, and sowed

the fields with salt (making them infertile). Under Sennacherib, the Assyrian capital moves to Nineveh. Vain and ambitious, he never completed the great achievements he sought, such as an

attempt to defeat the Hebrews under Hezekiah in the kingdom of Judah. Hezekiah was the king

of Judah when Sennacherib laid siege to the kingdom. Hezekiah eventually bribed Sennacherib

to leave Judah alone. Sennacherib is eventually killed by his own sons as recorded in the Bible.

ESARHADDON (681–669 BCE):

was an Assyrian ruler who tried a different ruling approach

from his predecessors. He did not try to annex neighboring areas, he let vassal kings rule for him while rarely interfering. He rebuilt previously destroyed Babylonian cities, thus Esarhaddon was one of the few Assyrians kings who the Babylonians did not rebel against. After defeating the

Kushite king of Egypt (Taharka), Esarhaddon proclaimed himself a liberator from Egyptian

power in the region and the ruler of Egypt. In reality, he held little influence in Egypt despite his

victory.

AHURBANIPUAL (669 -631 BCE):

Replacing his father Esarhaddon, the Assyrian king

Ashurbanipal returned to the traditional terrorizing of his enemies. Ashurbanipal eliminated the Elamites (they aided one of Babylon’s uprisings against Assyria) and defeated an uprising from Egypt. Ashurbanipal is often depicted living the “good life” in Assyrian art (this slide and the

following slide). He hunted lions, threw lavish parties (complete with the heads of slain rivals as

decorations), enjoyed music and reading (he possessed a vast and famous library).

He created the largest library in existence at the time. Over 22,000 clay tablets!!

AHURBANIPUAL BROTHER

Ashurbanipal allowed one of his brothers to act as puppet king of Babylon. This brother plotted

with Assyria’s enemies to foment rebellion. When Ashurbanipal defeated the rebellion, he laid

siege to Babylon for 4 years. When the city fell, those who had survived so long were cut down

by the Assyrian soldiers and, Ashurbanipal writes, “The rest of those living I destroyed…and

their carved-up bodies I fed to dogs, to pigs, to wolves, to eagles, to birds of the heavens, to

fishes of the deep.” His brother burned himself alive, along with his wives and many of his

personal possessions, rather than turn himself over to Ashurbanipal. After the death of

Ashurbanipal, Assyria goes into rapid decline.

AHURBANIPUAL Defeat

Revolts against Assyria's terror and tribute policy were inevitable. The Chaldeans led a revolt in

626 BCE and they were soon joined by the Medes from the north. Nineveh was destroyed in 612

BCE ending the Assyrian reign of terror!!