Lesson 7 Notes - Phoenicians, Aramaeans, Sea Peoples and Israelites PDF

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Lesson 7 Notes - Phoenicians, Aramaeans, Sea Peoples and Israelites...

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OUTLINE ESSAY: PHOENICIANS, ARAMAEANS, SEA PEOPLES AND ISRAELITES The Small States of Syria and Palestine: By 1200 B.C., Iron Age culture had spread throughout the Near East, thus bringing the Bronze Age to an end. At the same time, the invading "Sea Peoples" brought instability and dislocation and contributed significantly to the collapse of the Egyptian and Hittite Empires. Mesopotamia, with its great city of Babylon, was also in a period of decline; while Assyria was yet to arise as a great empire. This temporary respite from the domination of empire-building great powers allowed the smaller states of Syria and Palestine to establish themselves and flourish. The most important of these smaller Levantine cultures were the Phoenicians, Aramaeans, Sea Peoples, and the Israelites. The earliest people to inhabit the eastern Mediterranean seacoast were a semi-nomadic, Semitic-speaking people, related to the Amorites (Old Babylonians) and contemporaries of them, called the Canaanites, and their lands, from present-day Syria southward to present-day Palestine, was called Canaan. Jericho was one of the earliest cities of Canaan. One particular branch of Canaanites, the Phoenicians, were extremely important in the unfolding history of the Near East. The Phoenicians: The Phoenicians appear originally to have been Semitic nomads who migrated westward out of the Syrian Desert to settle primarily in what is present-day Lebanon. There are Egyptian records which mention trade with the Phoenician city of Byblos as early as 2800 B.C. (The city of Byblos is famous for its vellum for books, from which we derive the word "book"). The Seafaring and Trading Tradition: The Phoenicians were organized into a confederation of city-states, the most famous of which were Acre, Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos. Other important Phoenician centers were Jerusalem and Jericho. By 1250 B.C., these people were well organized as navigators, sea traders and merchants all over the Mediterranean world. In the 9th Century B.C., the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho commissioned the Phoenicians to sail around the horn of Africa, which they did, and may have even reached the East Indies. This feat wouldn't be repeated until Ferdinand Magellan would do it in 1517. At any rate, the Phoenicians founded cities and colonies wherever their seafaring trade took them, and the most famous of these was Carthage (founded in the 9th Century B.C.), Cyprus, and Utica in southern Spain. Political Organization: Politically, from 1500-1300 B.C., the Phoenicians came under the intermittent control of the Egyptians, but with the waning of Egyptian power in the 12th Century B.C., the Phoenicians were able to expand their seafaring art unimpeded. However, from 1000332, the Phoenicians came under the successive rule of the Tyrian Phoenicians, then the Assyrians (whose tributaries they became), then the Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians), and finally,

the tolerant Achaemenid Persians, in whose service they figured prominently and with whom they prospered. Phoenician Contributions: These particular Canaanites were given the name "Phoenicians" in the 9th Century B.C. by the Greeks, with whom they also had an extensive trade. The name Phoenicia comes from the Greek word for "purple," since the Phoenicians were famous for their purple dyes, made from millions of tiny mollusks. This color was so deep and luxurious that only the wealthiest could afford it. Indeed, in many kingdoms it was forbidden by law to everyone but the king himself--thus giving the color its name: "Royal Purple." The Phoenicians' greatest contribution to western civilization was, however, their development of an alphabet probably from the old Canaanite script. This idea was later borrowed and refined by the Greeks. At any rate, their alphabet had 22 consonants and no vowels (not unique because no semitic script has a developed vowel system). The use of symbols for sounds was a tremendous advance over the much clumsier heiroglyphics and cuneiform. Aramaians: While the Phoenicians carried on trade by sea, a related Semitic people, the Aramaians, carried on trade by land. From Mesopotamia thorugh Syria to Cannan and Egypt, the organized caravans, first using donkeys and mules, and after 1100, with the domestication of the dromedary camel, they traversed greater distances with their caravans along their routes. Their way stations eventually became towns and cities like Aleppo, Edessa, Damascus, Palmyra and other. Much like the Phoenician towns they were governed by merchants and their kings. Aramaic Language: Their influence was so widespread that their language became the most common semitic language in the Ancient Near East, used by kings and merchants. It alphabet formed the basis of an alphabetic script for Persian and demotic Egyptian. It was commonly spoken that it is believed that this was the language of Jesus and the apostles. Syriac Language: A descendant of Aramaic is Syriac, which survived thorugh the middle Ages and the ascendency of Arabic. It is spoken in the remaining Christian towns in Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Together with Phoenician, Aramaic and Syriac share the credit for developing the phonetic alphabetic system used by European and Middle Eastern languages. The Sea Peoples Who were the Sea Peoples?: In the 1100's B. C. the coasts of Egypt and the Levant were inundated by fleets of maritime raiders who Egyptian records refer to as the "Sea Peoples." Who were they? The scarcity of information about the Sea Peoples has led to much speculation as to who were these corsair communities. Using the names in Egyptian records, historians have speculated that the Sea Peoples came from various parts of the Mediterranean, particularly the islands. The Egyptians called the various groups of Sea Peoples: 1) The Turshi or Tyrshenoi, who may be linked to the Etruscans who later settled in northern Italy. 2) The Shekelesh or Sikeloi, who may have been early settlers of the island of Sicily. 3) The Sherden, who may have later settled the island of Sardinia. 4) The Danuna, who may have been the Danaoi mentioned in the Iliad as one of the names for the Mycenian Greeks. And, 5) the Peleset, who may have been pre-Greek inhabitants of the Aegean region known as Pelasgians in Greek sources, and are better known to history as the Philistines. The Disruption of Near Eastern Civilization: These invaders, depicted in Egyptian monuments as wearing horned helmets and feathered headresses, armed with iron spears and sword, destroyed many of the existing levantine ports such as Ugaarit. They also participated in

the destruction of the Hittite Kingdom, and made a concerted effort to invade Egypt. They were repulsed by Egyptian forces under the last great Warrior-Pharoah, Ramses III, chiefly because their ships were solely propelled by sail/wind power, while Egyptian vessels were also oar powered. In addition, the Sea Peoples lacked missile weapons such as bows, slings, and javelins. Following these raids, the Sea Peoples mysteriously recede from historical records. Nonetheless, the Sea Peoples seriously weakened Egyptian power and their invasion started the decline of Egypt as an empire in the Near East. The Philistines. Of these Sea Peoples, it seem the only group that remained in the near East were the last mentioned Peleset. They settled on the coast to the east of Egypt in what is the Gaza area in Israel. They later became known as the Philistines and rivaled the Hebrews for the control of the land of Canaan. They also gave their name to Palestine, one of the later historical names for that area. Other migrations. The movement of the Sea Peoples also coincided with other movements of peoples recorded in Greek and Hebrew sources. These include the legendary Trojan War, the destruction of the Mycenean kingdoms and the Dorean invasions of Greece, to be discussed in a later lecture. These movements also include the migrations of a Semitic people, known as the Hebrews or Israelites. But in order to understand the significance of this migration and the impact of Hebrews on world history we have to go back to the origins of the Hebrews described in the book of Genesis. The Israelites (Hebrews): The exact origins of the Hebrew tribes is unknown. There are records dating from the Egyptian New Kingdom period that mention a homeless, nomadic people called the "Habiru," or "Hapiru." However, the Hebrews were a Semitic tribe which penetrated into the land of Canaan somewhere between the 18th and 15th centuries B.C. It is possible that they were swept along by the great migration through the Near East of nomadic peoples such as the Hyksos. The Hebrew Scriptures: Much of the history of the Hebrews must be pieced together from the Old Testament, and particularly the Torah, which comprise the first 5 books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The Torah tells the story of the origins of the Hebrew people. According to the book of Genesis, Hebrew history begins with Abraham, the ancestor of the whole Hebrew people, who was from Ur in Mesopotamia. He left Ur sometime between 2000 and 1700 B.C., during the reign of Hammurabi. Abraham's grandson, Jacob, who had twelve sons of his own, was responsible for leading what became the Twelve Tribes into Israel (which is another name for Jacob). In Jacob's old age, a famine fell over Israel, compelling him to lead the Twelve Tribes to Egypt. Modern historians believe that the Hebrews moved into Egypt during the Hyksos invasion (c. 1700 B.C.) to take advantage of Egypt's vast grain stores. At any rate, the resurgence of a native dynasty initiating the period of the New Kingdom was probably what led to their enslavement under Ramses II. The Hebrews (also called the Israelites because of the part of Canaan--named in Jacob's honor--that they were from) found a champion in the Hebrew Moses, who had been brought up in the Pharaoh's palace, but who remembered his heritage and worked to convinced the Pharaoh Ramses III to let his people return to the land of Canaan--just at about the same time that the Sea Peoples invaded Egypt, giving Ramses more to think about than just a bunch of rabble-rousing slaves. The Israelites were compelled to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness (probably Sinai), during which time Moses received the 10 Commandments from God. At any rate, Moses' successor Joshua was finally allowed to lead the Hebrews across the Jordan River into Canaan in around 1200 B.C.

The Creation of Israel and Judah: Once they had settled into Palestine, the Twelve Tribes organized into a loose confederation that was guided by Judges (Elders). But, they faced opposition by the Canaanites and the Philistines, who contested their claim to Palestine in which Israel was located. The Hebrews managed, in spite of the fact that they had no national government, to conquer Canaanite cities such as Jerusalem and Jericho between 1200 and 1000 B.C. Unfortunately, the Philistines, who had been driven out of Egypt by Ramses III, arrived in western Palestine at exactly the same time. They made their capital Gaza, and by 1050 B.C., Philistine soldiers (armed with iron weapons) had extended their tribe's control over the Hebrew people. The Philistines sparked the unity that the Hebrews had been unable to create for themselves. The Hebrews were able, under Philistine pressure, to create a monarchy, whose most powerful king was Solomon (961-922 B.C.). The historical Solomon differs from the Biblical account: Solomon ruled like an oriental despot. He collected a prohibitive amount of taxes and conscripts to work on tremendous building projects like the temple and a palace in Jerusalem. Upon Solomon's death, the 10 northern tribes of Israel were unwilling to accept his successor, Rehoboam, because they wanted tax relief. Therefore, in 922 B.C. Palestine was divided into two Hebrew states: Israel and Judah. Ten tribes formed Israel while the remaining two tribes organized themselves into Judah. Israel was wealthier than the more agricultural and pastoral Judah. Nevertheless, in 722 B.C., the Assyrians conquered Israel. Nothing is known of what became of the Jewish population (the "Lost Tribes of Israel"). From the Babylonian Captivity to the Diaspora: The poorer and less attractive state of Judah continued to exist until 586 when the Chaldeans (Neo Babylonians) occupied Palestine. King Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean King, ordered that several thousand Jews be transported to Babylon (the "Babylonian Captivity"). There they served as advisors and slaves. The Jews (from "Judah," the remaining Hebrew state) preserved their faith and even succeeded in winning Nebuchadnezzar's conversion (in the Book of Daniel). In 539, when the more humane Achaemenid Persians conquered the Chaldeans, Cyrus, the Persian king, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem, but many of them remained in Persian service and prospered. Alexander the Great defeated the Persians in Palestine in 325 B.C. His successors controlled Jerusalem until 63 B.C., when the Romans established a foothold in the Near East. During this Hellenistic period (323-63 B.C.) the Jews gained the right to create political corporations (politeuma). The politeuma allowed the Jews to govern themselves as a Jewish city within the Hellenistic cities. The Romans restricted Jewish autonomy. In 70 A.D., the Jews in Palestine revolted against their Roman governors. The Romans quashed the revolt and ordered the dispersion of the Jews (The Diaspora). The Hebrew Religion: Neither the Egyptians nor the Mesopotamians had as substantial an influence on the development of western civilization as the Jews. The unique contribution of the Hebrew civilization was the idea of monotheism. The Hebrew God was neither a natural force nor an anthropomorhpic entity. The Jewish con ception of God evolved over the course of their history. The Hebrew God placed men and women on earth in order to test their character. This God was a severe judge. The essence of the Jewish faith lay in mankind's obligation to uphold the ethical commandments that God had ordained. Stages in the Hebrew conception of God: According to the Bible, Hebrews came to their religion or conception of God through revelation. Some scholars assert that the Hebrew conception of God underwent a complex evolution. They believe that at least five distinct phases can be identified.

Pre-Mosaic (2000-1250 B.C.): During the earliest period of their development the seminomadic Hebrew Tribes practiced animism (worship of spirits dwelling in trees, rocks, and sacred places). Gradually an anthropomorphic conception of a pantheon of gods emerged. God was referred to during this period as "El" (generic word for god). There was no national worship of a single god during this period. Henotheism or Period of National Monolatry (1250-800 B.C.): Moses transformed the Hebrew religion at the beginning of this period. The early Hebrews were henotheists (worshipped their god exclusively but acknowledged that there were other gods). The name of the Hebrew God was Yahweh, which means "I am what I am." Yahweh gradually lost his anthropomorphic character and was worshipped as a God outside of nature Prophetic Stage (800-600 B.C): The Tribes' political disunity and Israel's conquest provoked an outpouring of reiigious reform. Prophets (teachers) like Jeremiah, Micah, Hosea, and Isaiah offered explanations for how misfortune had fallen on God's chosen people. Prophets preached an absolute monotheism. Yahweh was a God of Righteousness who demanded that his followers live according to the Covenant. Post-Exilic: After the return from Babylon, the Hebrew religion continued to evolve. Satan came to play a role as Yahweh's adversary. The problem of the origin of evil was treated in workssuch as the Book of Job. It was during this period the Hebrew scriptures came to be considered the word of God. Judaism Under the Romans: By 30 B.C. the Jews were divided into several different sects. The Pharisees (the majority) were drawn from the Middle class. They anticipated the coming of a polidcal Messiah who would reestablish the unified Hebrew state that had existed in the time of David and Solomon. The wealthy were followers of the Sadducees. They denied the notion of an afterlife. A segment of the population, known as Samaritans evolved syncretic beliefs. Finally the Essenes drew support chiefly from the lower classses. Essenes separated themselves into ascetic communities. The Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered 1948) describe the Essene's teachings. The Hebrew Contribution to Civilization: Law: Many elements of the Deuteronomic Code show the influence of the Code of Hammurabi. The Hebrew conception of law, however, represents a tremendous advance on the lex talionis (law of retribution). God's covenant imposed a tremendous responsibility on his chosen people. Man is conceived as an ethical being who must freely choose to obey or disobey God ' Laws. History: The Hebrew scriptures present history as a divinely inspired drama. All history represents a struggle to fulfill God's plan. In this struggle man possesses a free will. This linear view of human affairs is unique to western civilization and is different from the cyclical view of history prevalent in India and China. Monotheism: The single most important contribution of the Jews to western civilization is the concept of monotheism....