Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture by Stiebing, William H. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of figures List of maps List of documents Introduction: Studying the Ancient Near East

A Note on Chronological Terminology What Is the “Near East”? Geography and Environment Antiquity’s “Clues” Creating a Chronology for the Ancient Near East

Absolute and Relative Chronology Sources for Ancient Near Eastern Chronology

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) 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

2 The Dawn of Civilization 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 Education, Literature, and the Arts Science, Technology, and Warfare

3 The First Mesopotamian Empires

The Akkadian Empire (c. 2334–2193 BCE)

Sargon of Akkad (c. 2334–2279 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 Shulgi’s Reforms Debating the Evidence: The Sacred Marriage Ceremony The Fall of Ur

4 The Development of Civilization in Wider Western Asia

Early 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 Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha Debating the Evidence: The Indus Script and the People(s) of the Indus Valley Civilization The Oxus Civilization

5 Egypt to the End of the Old Kingdom

The Geography of the Nile Valley Prelude to Civilization

The Naqada II–III Period (c. 3400–3050 BCE)

The Formation of the Egyptian State (c. 3050–2593 BCE)

Debating the Evidence: The Process of Unification The Development of Egyptian Writing The Early Dynastic Period (Dynasties 1 and 2, c. 2950–2593 BCE)

Some Basic Elements of Egyptian Belief

Ma‘at Divine Kingship Burial and the Afterlife

The Old Kingdom (Dynasties 3–6, c. 2592–2150 BCE)

Djoser and the First Pyramid The Zenith of Royal Power: The Fourth Dynasty (c. 2543–2436 BCE) Debating the Evidence: Dating the Giza Pyramids and Great Sphinx The Latter Part of the Old Kingdom: Dynasties 5 and 6 (c. 2435–2150 BCE)

Old Kingdom Society and Culture

Social Structure Religion and Ritual Art and Science Debating the Evidence: The People of Ancient Egypt

6 The Old Babylonian Period and Its Aftermath

The “Interregnum” after the Fall of Ur (c. 2000–1800 BCE)

The Assyrian Merchant Colony at Kanesh The Ascendancy of Isin and Larsa

The Era of Hammurabi and His Dynasty (c. 1800–1595 BCE)

The Creation of Shamshi-Adad’s Empire 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

7 The Rise and Fall of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom

The First Intermediate Period: Dynasties 8–Early 11 (c. 2150–1980 BCE)

Where Is Ma‘at? The Intermediate Period’s Effects

The Middle Kingdom: Dynasties Late 11–Early 13 (c. 1980–1760 BCE)

The Establishment of the Middle Kingdom The Impressive Twelfth Dynasty Cultural Developments during the Middle Kingdom

The Second Intermediate Period: Dynasties Late 13–17 (c. 1725–1530 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. 1630–1530 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

8 Egypt’s Powerful Eighteenth Dynasty

The Beginning of the Egyptian New Kingdom (c. 1539–1480 BCE)

The Early Eighteenth Dynasty Debating the Evidence: The “Royal Heiress” Theory

Hatshepsut and Thutmose III (c. 1479–1425 BCE)

Debating the Evidence: Hatshepsut Becomes King The Reign of Hatshepsut The Sole Rule of Thutmose III

The Egyptian Empire at Its Height (c. 1425–1350 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

Akhenaton and the Amarna Revolution (c. 1353–1336 BCE)

Controversies of the Amarna Age Debating the Evidence: Did Akhenaton Have a Coregency with His Father? The Beginning of Amenhotep IV’s Reign Akhenaton’s Religious Reformation Debating the Evidence: The Revolution’s Denouement

The End of the Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1335–1292 BCE)

Tutankhamun and the Restoration of Amun Debating the Evidence: The Death of Tutankhamun The Reigns of Ay and Horemheb (c. 1325–1292 BCE)

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

The Collapse of Bronze Age Societies in the Eastern Mediterranean

Debating the Evidence: The Historicity of the Trojan War The Mycenaean Kingdoms The Demise of the Hittite Empire The End of Egyptian Power The Decline of Assyria and Babylonia Debating the Evidence: What Caused the Collapse?

10 The Early Iron Age—Recovery and Transformation (c. 1100–745 BCE)

Egypt and Mesopotamia

The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt Assyria and Babylonia

Anatolia

The Kingdom of Urartu The Phrygian and Neo-Hittite Kingdoms

Syria

The Aramaeans 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

11 Mesopotamian Supremacy

Assyrian Domination (744–627 BCE)

Reestablishment and Expansion of Assyrian Power (744–681 BCE) The Empire at Its Zenith (680–627 BCE)

Neo-Assyrian Society and Culture

The King, Crown Prince, and Queen Nonroyal Social Classes The Army Administration of the Empire Art, Literature, and Science

The End of Assyrian Power

Destruction of Assyria (627–605 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

12 The Achaemenid Persian Empire

The Origins and Growth of the Persian Empire

The Florescence of the Lydian Kingdom (c. 685–c. 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 Persian Empire

The Continuation of Royal Power (424–330 BCE) Conquest by Alexander the Great

Epilogue: The Near East after the Achaemenid Empire

13 Ancient Israel and Judah

Early Israel

Historical-Critical Analysis of the Bible Debating the Evidence: Israel’s Exodus and Settlement in Canaan Debating the Evidence: The Formation of the Israelite State 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)

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

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 Future for the Near East’s Past

Glossary Index

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