Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture

Cover
Half Title
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
List of figures
List of maps
List of documents
List of tables
Introduction: Studying the Ancient Near East
Defining the “Near East”
Geography and Environment
The Ancient Near East’s “Clues”
Creating a Chronology for the Ancient Near East
Absolute and Relative Chronology
Sources for Ancient Near Eastern Chronology
Why Study the Ancient Near East?
Bibliography
1 Near Eastern Prehistory
Southwest Asia in the Late Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Chalcolithic Periods
The Origins of Sedentary Life (c. 12,500–10,200 BCE)
Early Agricultural Communities in Southwest Asia: “The Neolithic Revolution” (c. 10,200–6000 BCE)
Debating the Evidence: Göbekli Tepe—Catalyst for Domestication or Last Stand for Hunter-Gatherers?
The Development of Complex Societies in Southwest Asia (c. 6500–4000 BCE)
Early Cultures of the Nile Valley (c. 13,000–3500 BCE)
Major Changes in Lifestyle During the Neolithic and Chalcolithic Periods
Major Social, Economic, and Political Developments of the Neolithic Age
Debating the Evidence: The Emergence of Social Stratification and Male Dominance
Summary
Bibliography
2 The Dawn of the State in Western Asia
The Emergence of Mesopotamian Civilization (c. 4000–3000 BCE)
The Urban Revolution
The Development of Cuneiform Writing
Debating the Evidence: The Origin of the Sumerians
Parallel Developments in Iran (c. 4000–3000 BCE)
The Mesopotamian Early Dynastic Period (c. 2900–2330 BCE)
An Era of Independent City-States
Debating the Evidence: The “Royal Tombs” of Ur
Mesopotamian Culture During the Early Dynastic Era
Religion and Worldview
Economy and Society
Literature and the Arts
Science, Technology, and Warfare
Summary
Bibliography
3 The First Mesopotamian Empires
The Akkadian Empire (c. 2330–2180 BCE)
Sargon of Akkad (c. 2324–2285 BCE)
Sargon’s Successors
Administration of the Empire
Debating the Evidence: Explaining the Empire’s Collapse
The Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2112–2004 BCE)
Ur’s Rise to Power
Education
Shulgi’s Reforms
The Economy of the Ur III Empire
Debating the Evidence: The Sacred Marriage Ceremony
The Fall of Ur
Summary
Bibliography
4 Urbanism and Statehood in Wider Western Asia
Urbanization in the Levant and Anatolia
Early Bronze Age Syria and Palestine (c. 3700–2000 BCE)
Early Bronze Age Anatolia
Debating the Evidence: Explaining the Widespread Collapse
Persian Gulf and Central Asian Civilizations
Early Bronze Age Developments in Iran
Persian Gulf States and the Indus Valley Civilization
Debating the Evidence: The Indus Script and the People(s) of the Indus Civilization
The Oxus Civilization
Summary
Bibliography
5 Egypt to the End of the Old Kingdom
The Geography of the Nile Valley
Prelude to Complexity: The Naqada II Period (c. 3600–3200 BCE)
The Formation of the Egyptian State (c. 3200–2734 BCE)
Debating the Evidence: The Process of Unification
The Development of Egyptian Writing
The Early Dynastic Period (Dynasties 1 and 2, c. 3000–2734 BCE)
Some Basic Elements of Egyptian Belief
Ma‘at
Divine Kingship
Burial and the Afterlife
The Old Kingdom (Dynasties 3–6, c. 2733–2240 BCE)
Djoser and the First Pyramid
The Zenith of Royal Power: The Fourth Dynasty (c. 2677–2547 BCE)
Debating the Evidence: Building the Great Pyramid
Debating the Evidence: Dating the Giza Pyramids and Great Sphinx
The Latter Part of the Old Kingdom: Dynasties 5 and 6 (c. 2546–2240 BCE)
Old Kingdom Society and Culture
Social Structure
Religion and Ritual
Art and Science
Debating the Evidence: Race and Ethnicity of Ancient Egypt
Summary
Bibliography
6 The Old Babylonian Period and Its Aftermath
The “Interregnum” After the Fall of Ur (c. 2000–1800 BCE)
The Amorite Takeover
The Ascendancy of Isin and Larsa
The Assyrian Merchant Colony at Kanesh
The Era of Hammurabi and His Dynasty (c. 1800–1595 BCE)
The Creation of Shamshi-Adad’s Empire (the Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia)
Hammurabi and His Successors
Old Babylonian Cultural Developments
Literature
Religion
Debating the Evidence: The “Code” of Hammurabi
Babylonian Society and Customs in the Code
The Hittite Old Kingdom
Debating the Evidence: Indo-European Origins
The Emergence of a Hittite State
The Emergence of Other New Peoples
The Hurrians and the Kingdom of Mitanni
Kassite Rule in Babylonia
Summary
Bibliography
7 The Rise and Fall of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom
The First Intermediate Period: Dynasties 8–Early 11 (c. 2240–2025 BCE)
Where Is Ma‘at?
The Intermediate Period’s Effects
The Middle Kingdom: Dynasties Late 11–Early 13 (c. 2025–1760 BCE)
The Establishment of the Middle Kingdom
The Impressive Twelfth Dynasty (c. 1991–1802 BCE)
Cultural Developments During the Middle Kingdom
The Second Intermediate Period: Dynasties Late 13–17 (c. 1760–1570 BCE)
The Onset of the Second Intermediate Period
The Kingdom of Kush (Upper Nubia)
Hyksos Rule and the Dynasty at Thebes: Dynasties 15 and 17 (c. 1670?–1560 BCE)
Debating the Evidence: The Nature of Hyksos Relations With the Levant
Egyptian and Levantine Contacts With the Minoan Culture of Crete
Debating the Evidence: Dating the Eruption of Thera and the End of LM I A
Summary
Bibliography
8 The Era of Egypt’s Pre-Eminence
Mitanni: The Beginning of the Egyptian New Kingdom
The Early Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1570–1480 BCE)
Debating the Evidence: Incestuous Marriage and the “Royal Heiress” Theory
Hatshepsut and Thutmose III
The Reign of Hatshepsut (c. 1479–1458 bce)
Debating the Evidence: Hatshepsut Becomes King
The Sole Rule of Thutmose III (c. 1458–1426 BCE)
The Egyptian Empire at Its Height (c. 1426–1350 BCE)
The Reigns of Amenhotep II and Thutmose IV
The New Egyptian Army
Amenhotep III, “The Magnificent”
Amarna Age Diplomacy: The Brotherhood of Kings
Late Bronze Age Canaan (Palestine and Coastal Syria)
The Introduction of the Alphabet
Relations With the Aegean Kingdoms
Akhenaten and the Amarna Revolution (c. 1353–1336 BCE)
Controversies of the Amarna Age
Debating the Evidence: Did Akhenaten Have a Coregency With His Father?
The Beginning of Amenhotep IV’s Reign
Akhenaten’s Religious Reformation
Debating the Evidence: From Akhenaten to Tutankhamun
The End of the Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1334–1292 BCE)
Tutankhamun and the Restoration of Amun
Debating the Evidence: The Death of Tutankhamun
The Reigns of Ay and Horemheb (c. 1326–1292 BCE)
Summary
Bibliography
9 The End of the Bronze Age
The Zenith of Hittite Power (c. 1344–1180 BCE)
Revival and Extension of the Hittite Empire
Debating the Evidence: The Zannanza Affair
Hatti’s Showdown With Egypt
Hittite Culture
Economy, Society, and Government
Religion
Languages and Literature
The Twilight of the Egyptian Empire (c. 1292–1150 BCE)
The Empire’s Final Flash of Greatness
Invasions of the Sea Peoples
Debating the Evidence: Who Were the Sea Peoples?
The Collapse of Bronze Age Societies in the Eastern Mediterranean
The Mycenaean Kingdoms
Debating the Evidence: The Historicity of the Trojan War
The Demise of the Hittite Empire
The End of Egyptian Power
Late Bronze Age Assyria and Babylonia
Debating the Evidence: What Caused the Collapse?
Summary
Bibliography
10 The Early Iron Age—Recovery and Transformation
Egypt and Mesopotamia
The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt
Assyria and Babylonia
Anatolia
The Kingdom of Urartu
The Phrygian and Neo-Hittite Kingdoms
Debating the Evidence: The Cimmerian Problem
The Neo-Hittite States
Syria
The Arameans
The Phoenicians
Debating the Evidence: Infant Sacrifice
Small States of the Southern Levant
Israel and Judah
The Philistines
Ammon, Moab, and Edom
Small Kingdoms and Confederations in Arabia
Summary
Bibliography
11 Mesopotamian Supremacy
Assyrian Domination (744–627 BCE)
Reestablishment and Expansion of Assyrian Power (744–681 BCE)
The Empire at Its Zenith (680–631 bce)
Neo-Assyrian Society and Culture
The King, Crown Prince, and Queen
Debating the Evidence: Women in the Neo-Assyrian Palace
Nonroyal Social Classes
The Army
Administration of the Empire
Art, Literature, and Science
The End of Assyrian Power
Destruction of Assyria (631–605 BCE)
Debating the Evidence: The Fall of the Assyrian Empire
The Neo-Babylonian (Chaldean) Empire (625–560 BCE)
Formation of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Collapse of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
Neo-Babylonian Culture
Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon
Debating the Evidence: The “Hanging Gardens of Babylon”
The Akitu Festival and the Foundations of Kingship
Commerce and Finance
Scholarly Activity
Summary
Bibliography
12 The Achaemenid Persian Empire
The Origins and Growth of the Persian Empire
The Florescence of the Lydian Kingdom (c. 685–546 BCE)
The Creation of the Persian Empire
The Achaemenid Empire at Its Height
Crisis and Restoration
Reorganization of the Empire
Wars With the Greeks
Debating the Evidence: Herodotus, “Father of History” or “Father of Lies”?
Persian Culture
Persian Society
The Persian Army
Debating the Evidence: Were the Achaemenid Persians Zoroastrians?
Persian Art and Architecture
The Latter Part of the Achaemenid Empire
The Continuation of Royal Power (424–330 BCE)
Conquest by Alexander the Great
Epilogue: The Near East After the Achaemenid Empire
Summary
Bibliography
13 Ancient Israel and Judah
Early Israel
Historical-Critical Analysis of the Bible
Debating the Evidence: Israel’s Origins—The Exodus and Settlement in Canaan
Debating the Evidence: The Formation of the Israelite State—The United Monarchy
The United Monarchy (c. 1027–931 BCE)
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
The Early Divided Monarchy (c. 931–885 BCE)
The Era of Israelite Ascendancy (c. 885–841 BCE)
Israel and Judah Become Vassals of Damascus and Assyria (c. 841–721 BCE)
Israelite Religion and the Emergence of Biblical Monotheism
Canaanite Elements in Early Israelite Religion
Debating the Evidence: Did Israel’s God Have a Wife?
Religious Reform in Judah (c. 721–609 BCE)
The Babylonian Exile and Its Effects
Post-Exilic Judah
The Restoration of Judah
The Careers of Ezra and Nehemiah
Other Post-Exilic Religious Developments in Judah
Summary
Bibliography
Afterword: The Legacy of the Ancient Near East
Food, Drink, and Animals
Mathematics and Science
Language and Literature
Music, Art, and Architecture
Religion and Speculative Thought
The Ancient Near East in Modern Times
The Future for the Near East’s Past
Bibliography
Index