Oriental Antiquity was composed of people of extreme importance to the History of mankind. Its influence comes through literature, culture, policy, linguistics and religion.
Three of these peoples are of paramount importance to contemporary civilization: the Hebrews, Phoenicians It is persians.
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Each had its own characteristics, but its legacy persists in many areas to this day.
One of the greatest sources for understanding the history of the Hebrew people is the Bible.
There are several passages that relate its origins from Jacob, the enslavement conceived by the Egyptians, the tablet of the Ten Commandments and the struggle for the state of Israel.
You Hebrews, also known as Israelites or Jews, was intensely marked by migration.
Much of what is known about the Hebrews was taken from the Old Testament, the first part of the Bible written precisely on the basis of Hebrew oral tradition. The founding patriarch of the homeland was Abraham.
According to the sacred scriptures, he received, in 1800 a. C., a divine sign for him to abandon the polytheistic religion and migrate to Canaan, land of the Canaanites and present-day Palestine, where the state of Israel is located today.
One of his sons, Isaac, has among his heirs Jacob from whom, directly, the Hebrews would be born. Jacob then has twelve sons and each of them gives rise to a tribe that would form the Hebrew people.
In approximately 1700 a. C., the Hebrew people migrate to Egypt where they are enslaved for about four centuries. His release only happens in 1300 a. W. when, led by Moses, they flee from the Pharaohs.
The escape was made possible by the parting of the Red Sea and is known as the Exodus.
During the flight from Egypt, Moses receives the tablet of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. The Hebrews wandered in the desert for 40 years until they received a sign from God to return to Canaan, the Promised Land.
Jerusalem had been made into a religious center by King David. He is succeeded by his son, Solomon, who split the tribes into two kingdoms: Kingdom of Judah and Kingdom of Israel.
It was then that the belief emerged in the birth of a messiah who would unite the two peoples, thus restoring divine power over the world.
However, the first Jewish diaspora begins in 721 after the Babylonian invasion and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
The Romans invaded Palestine in the 1st century, more precisely in 70 AD. C., making it a province. The local rebellions culminated in yet another expulsion of the Hebrews, that is, the second Jewish diaspora.
The consequence was the dispersion of the Hebrew people around the world, but always maintaining their culture and religion. The unity of this people was only possible in 1948 when the state of Israel was created.
Location of the Hebrews
The Hebrew people was marked by migration and dispersion. His promised land was Canaan (or Palestine), located in the southwest corner of present-day Lebanese territory.
The region is divided by the Jordan River and its main characteristic is aridity. They later migrated to Egypt and, after centuries of slavery, returned to Palestine.
Characteristics of the Hebrews
The aridity of Palestine made its soil not very fertile, which did not, however, prevent its extreme importance. The region, after all, was the main passage between Mesopotamia and Asia Minor.
The Hebrews were divided into tribes formed by clans composed of the patriarchs (who held power), children, wives and free workers.
The bonds created between the clans were very fragile and, given the struggles for the Promised Land, it was necessary to unify power in military leaders known as the judges.
The main leaderships were exercised by Othniel, Samson, Samuel and Gideon, all considered as sent by Jehovah to command the Hebrews.
Even with the figure of the judges, the unification of the tribes was difficult and was only possible, in fact, with a new centralization of power, this time in the hands of a monarch.
religion of the hebrews
The Hebrews were monotheists, but the practice was only consolidated from the preaching of Hosea, Amos and Isaiah.
The Jewish religion is called Judaism and preaches the reassurance of a messiah to free the Hebrews to eternal life.
The Jews celebrate Easter, Pentecost and Tabernacles.
Films about the Hebrews
You persians were an important people of Eastern Antiquity who occupied the region of Persia, corresponding to the current territory of Iran.
The main feature was his dedication to trade, which at the time was his main source of income. The Persian emperor was the absolute sovereign who commanded politics.
The Persian Empire was formed from the revolt against the Medes, those who dominated the Persians and Iranians during the 8th century BC. W.
However, in 550 a. C., Cyrus, belonging to the Achaemenid clan, led a rebellion that brought together all the tribes that inhabited the Iranian plateau.
The belief was of a divine power granted to him, that is, the emperor was considered a god.
The most important Persian emperor was Cyrus the Great. He ruled the Persian and Median peoples between 560 BC. W. and 529 a. W. conquering, in this period, a large territorial extension, most of it due to the wars undertaken.
His conquests reached the border with India after dominating Babylon. His successors, Darius and Xerxes, continued with his expansionist project. The latter, however, failed in attempts to conquer the Greece.
The Persian Empire was dominated by Alexander, the Great, in 330 a. W.
location of the persians
The Persian people inhabited the eastern region of Mesopotamia, between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.
However, the conquests undertaken by King Cyrus extended the empire to the kingdoms of Phoenicia, Lydia, Palestine, Babylon and Asia Minor.
The expansionist process was continued by Darius who, in turn, dominated Thrace and the plains of the Indus River.
The region was semi-arid, full of mountains, deserts and few fertile valleys, despite its mineral wealth. The climate was dry, however, with large temperature fluctuations.
characteristics of the persians
The domination of the Persian people allowed the conquered peoples to preserve their customs, laws, language and religion. However, they were forced to pay heavy tributes and serve the rulers.
The Persian Empire was divided into provinces ruled by the king's trusted people.
Communication was done by roads, with emphasis on the Estrada Real. This was more than 2 thousand kilometers long and connected the cities of Sardis and Susa.
Free peasants were the mainstay of the empire through the payment of taxes. Even if there was slave labor, most workers did not belong to this group.
The economy was based on agriculture through irrigation by water from the mountains, in addition to cattle raising and mining.
The daric was the currency that circulated throughout the Persian Empire. Later, with imperial expansion, trade became an important economic activity, which gave rise to rich merchants.
The Empire was the trade caravan route linking China and India to the Mediterranean Sea, boosting the sale of luxury fabrics, mosaics, jewelry and rugs.
A strong characteristic of the Persian people was their administrative ability.
The Persian administration system was one of the most efficient in antiquity through the theocratic absolutist monarch government. There were four capitals, namely Susa, Persepolis, Ecbatana and Babylon.
The Persian social division was rigid and structured in social layers. At the top was the king, followed by the aristocrats (priests, nobles and merchants).
Then came the middle class (small traders, soldiers and craftsmen) and then the peasants – miserable, they were forced to hand over what they produced to the landowners.
Finally, there were slaves, people imprisoned in military conquests. They made up a large group responsible for the heaviest work, such as building palaces and public works.
persian religion
The Persians had a dualistic religion called Zoroastrianismor Masdeism. The name is a tribute to Zoroaster (or Zarathustra), the spiritual leader, prophet and creator of the religion.
Its base preached the existence of two forces: good, represented by the god Omuz, and evil, in the figure of King Ahriman.
Films about the Persians
You Phoeniciansthey constituted a people that inhabited the region that corresponds, today, to the Lebanese territory.
Of Semitic origin, they settled in a narrow strip of mountainous and not very fertile land. This forced them to dedicate themselves to fishing and maritime trade.
Commercial success began in 1500 BC. W. and had its heyday between 1200 a. W. and 800 a.m. W. Prosperity, however, attracted the greed of foreign peoples.
First, the Chaldeans led by Nebuchadnezzar arrived; then the Persians of Darius, and later the macedonians with Alexander the Great.
Location of the Phoenicians
The Phoenicians occupied the territory of Phoenicia, now part of Lebanon, between the mountains of that country and the Mediterranean Sea.
The cities that most developed in the Phoenician Empire were Tyre, Byblos and Sidon.
The region was rich in cedars, the wood used to build ships. Its beaches were full of a mollusk called murice, from which purple was extracted, a dye used to dye fabrics sought after by the elites of antiquity.
characteristics of the Phoenicians
A economyof the Phoenicians was based on maritime trade, an activity in which they were quite prominent.
The commercial contacts maintained with oriental peoples guaranteed high earnings. Maritime activity was privileged due to the location that represented the outlet for caravans from Asia.
Phenicia was made up of several independent city-states. Some of them adopted hereditary monarchy while others were governed by a council of elders.
In any case, they disputed between themselves and other peoples the control of maritime trade routes.
As is to be expected, Phoenician skill in trade was outstanding. These people developed advanced ships that allowed them to navigate the Mediterranean Sea.
Vessels were built with sails and oars to make it possible to reach more distant territories.
Among the items most sold by the trade were jewelry, glass, ceramics and purple ink.
Several colonies were developed by the Phoenicians in other regions to allow access to new goods and consumers for their own production. One of the main colonies was Cartago.
Commercial development led the Phoenicians to implement the first alphabetic writing in history.
The Phoenician alphabet was used to record goods sold and was incorporated by the Greeks who later added vowels.
religion of the Phoenicians
The Phoenicians practiced a polytheistic and anthropomorphic religion. Some of the worshiped gods were Baal, Astarte, Melcarte and Yam.
One of the beliefs cultivated by this people was animal and human sacrifice to lessen the wrath of the gods. Thus, these rituals became frequent, especially before moments of great importance.
Each city-state had its god and a temple dedicated to him. The buildings were managed by priests who held great importance in society.
Films about the Phoenicians
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