Ancient Middle EastCulture and Religion

Social Classes• High Social Class

King, priests Wealthy Merchants/High Families

• Middle Class Most Others (Farmers, Traders, Craftsmen)

• Lowest Class Slaves (Prisoners of war/Criminals/Debtors)

King/PriestsRich

MerchantsMost Others

Slaves

Ancient Culture

• Most were farmers, traders, craftsmen

• Lived in or near city-states

• Theocratic governments- Priests and god-kings

• Replaced by military governments - empires

Farming

Permanent Agriculture: grains, vegetables, and dates.

Domestication of Animals:Cows, sheep, and goats (dairy

industry).Oxen for plowing.Donkeys for pulling carts.

Men and Women

• Educated were privileged elite (Male)•Government officials, scribes

• Men had more authority and rights than women.

• But women were allowed to own land, businesses and seek divorce– * Exception: a man could sell his wife and

children to pay his debts.

• Each society had its most important gods

Marduk (Babylonian)

Ashur-"bull of heaven" (Assyrians)

Anu- Sky God (Sumerian)

Review

Mesopotamian Beliefs

Zoroastrianism

Judaism

Teachings:

History:

Teachings:

History:

Teachings:

History:

The human-like gods were agents in mythology, of greater or lesser status

• Polytheistic (Pantheon-Many Gods)

• Gods represented forces in the world

• Gods feared- “super-human”

• Sacrifices (Animal and sometimes human)

• Magic (Divination, Astrology)

Teachings• One society built off the

last

• Incorporated gods of captured peoples (Hittites)

• Many shared common traits through cultural contact

History

Mesopotamian Beliefs (Sumer-Akkad, Assyria, Babylon)

During the reigns of Cyrus and Darius in Persia a new religion called Zoroastrianism took hold, based on the teachings of Zoroaster.

• Ahura Mazda, source of good

• Dualism = good and evil

• Heaven and Hell

• Recognize individual responsibility

Teachings

• Much of Persian Empire

• Darius worshipped Ahura Mazda

• Other religions discouraged

• Foundational

Spread

Zoroastrianism (Persia)

Set of beliefs and practices originating from the ancient Israelites, embodied in the Hebrew Bible

• First monotheistic religion (Yahweh )

• Belief in divine revelation (Covenant)

• Code of ethics, or moral standards of behavior

• No central authority -Sacred Texts

Teachings

• Land of Israel Sacred (Promised)

• 11c BC Israelite Kingdoms

• Series of Deportations-Diaspora

History

Judaism (Israel/Palestine)