Mediterranean Civilizations

Chapter 2 Section 4

Rising Cities• As the Empire of Hammurabi was

raising and falling.• City-Sate on the shores of the

Mediterranean sea secretly becoming strong and rich.

• Gathering SNAILS.• Found in the city of Tyre.• Snails produced rich purple dye.• Sold it at a very high price.

The Phoenician’s • Tyre:–Major city in region

called Phoenicia.– Located in present

day Israel.

• Resources:– Cedar Forests.

• Used the water as main source for trading.

Masters of Trade• Great Sea Power• Controlled trade

throughout much of the Mediterranean.

• Sailed into the Atlantic Ocean.

• Told stories of their journeys of horrible Monsters that lived in ocean depths.

• Kept others from trying to compete for trade in the Atlantic.

Exotic Marketplaces• New goods enter

cities of Tyre and Sidon.

• Foods:– Figs.– Olives.– Honey.– Spices.

• New Animals:– From Africa:

• Giraffes.• Warthogs.

– Europe:• Bears

Checking for Understanding

• What resources did the Phoenicians first use to build their wealth?

The Phoenicians used wood and the dye from snails to build their wealth.

The Phoenician Alphabet• Writing system used

22 symbols.• Alphabet:

– Set of symbols that represent the sounds of the language.

• Basis of the alphabet many use today.

• Each letter stood for one constant sound.

• Much easier to learn.

Checking for Understanding

• How did the Phoenician alphabet differ from cuneiform script?

• The Phoenician alphabet used fewer symbols and was much easier to learn than the cuneiform script, which used symbols.

Rise of the Israelites

South of Phoenicia• People settled in Hills

around the Jordan River.

• 1st called Hebrews.• Later known as the

Israelites.• History told through

stories in from their most sacred text called the Torah.

Abraham the Leader• Israelites began in

Mesopotamia as shepherds and Merchants.

• Abraham taught his people to practice – Monotheism.

• A belief in one God.

• God told Abraham to leave Mesopotamia and settle elsewhere. (Genesis 12:1-2)

Rise of the Israelites

• Settled in the land of Canaan.

• Famine:– Time when there is so little

food that many people starve.

• Forced them to flee south to Egypt.

• Lived peacefully for a few hundred years.

• Egyptian King forced them into slavery.

• Thought they were becoming too powerful.

In the Desert.• Moses the leader led his

people out of Egypt. • Called the Exodus:• 40 years traveled the

desert of the Sinai Peninsula.

• God gave them the 10 commandments.– Code of laws.

• Traveled back to Canaan to begin building their own cities.

From Canaan to Egypt

Settlement in Canaan• Able to settle in

many parts.• They were

united under the first King Saul.

• King David–Established his

capital in the city of Jerusalem.

A Divided Kingdom• King David dies.• Son Solomon took over

the kingdom. • Built temple In

Jerusalem. • Solomon dies country

splits into two kingdoms.

• Northern Kingdom:• Israel

• Southern Kingdom• Judah

Sent Into Exile• Assyrians took over

the Israelites and their land of Judah.

• 722 B.C.– Israelites resisted

Assyrian rule.– Assyrians exiled the

Israelites.• To force people to

live in another place or country.

The Aftermath • Assyrians controlled

Judah until conquered by the Chaldeans (Babylonians) in 612 B.C.

• 587 B.C.– King of Judah rebelled

against King Nebuchadnezzar, but did not succeed.

– The capital city of Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed.

– People of Judah were exiled to Babylonia.

Checking for Understanding

•Who were the Israelites?

• The Israelites originally came from Mesopotamia and were first called Hebrews.

• They never built a large city but made a deep impact on our civilization.