Chapter 1: The Origins of Western Civilizations
Research Topics
The Ancient Origins of the West
What was the Near Eastern and Egyptian contribution to western civilizations? What was the importance of writing to these earliest city-dwellers? How did they look at their world?
An agricultural revolution occurring almost 6000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent of Ancient Western Asia made it possible for the first primary civilizations to develop. The Sumerians, Babylonians and Akkadians of Mesopotamia, as well as the Egyptians of the Nile Delta, made enormous strides in government, culture and religion.
What was the Near Eastern and Egyptian contribution to western civilizations? What was the importance of writing to these earliest city-dwellers? How did they look at their world?
An agricultural revolution occurring almost 6000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent of Ancient Western Asia made it possible for the first primary civilizations to develop. The Sumerians, Babylonians and Akkadians of Mesopotamia, as well as the Egyptians of the Nile Delta, made enormous strides in government, culture and religion.
- Babylonian Accounts of Creation
The Babylonians understood their creation as arising from conflict between the gods. Ultimately Marduk created man to keep the gods happy and at peace. - Chaldaean Account of the Deluge
The Chaldeans were a Semitic tribe that inhabited the area around the Sumerian city-state of Ur. - Code of Hammurabi (c. 2250 B.C.E.)
Inscribed on a large stone monument or stele under public display, Hammurabi's Code was one of the first written laws codes in history. - Hymn to the Nile
The regular flooding of the Nile conditioned the world view of the ancient Egyptians. - The Instruction of Ptah-Hotep (c. 2450 B.C.E.)
Written more than 5,000 years ago, the Instructions set down the rules of behavior with which fathers are to instruct their sons. - Sumerian Accounting Tablet (cuneiform)
Cuneiform or wedge-shaped writing is the earliest form of written expression and was developed by the Sumerians 5,000 years ago. - The Royal Standard of Ur (war and peace sides)
The Sumerian Standard of Ur is a small wooden box depicting images of war and peace and dates from around 2600 B.C.E. - The Book of Genesis: Creation
The first book of the Pentateuch describes the creation of the heavens and of earth by the God of Israel.
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