Page 65 - Western Civilization A Brief History, Volume I To 1715 9th - Jackson J. Spielvogel

2
The Ancient Near East: Peoples and Empires
The judgment of Solomon as painted by Raphael in the sixteenth century
CHAPTER OUTLINE AND FOCUS QUESTIONS
On the Fringes of Civilization
Q What is the significance of the Indo-European- speaking peoples?
The Hebrews: “The Children of Israel”
Q To what extent did the Israelites establish a united state, and what became of it? In what ways was the Jewish faith unique in the ancient Near East, and how did it evolve over time? Who were the neighbors of the Israelites, and what was their significance?
The Assyrian Empire
Q What methods and institutions did the Assyrians use to amass and maintain their empire?
The Persian Empire
Q What methods and institutions did the Persians use to amass and maintain their empire, and how did these methods and institutions differ from those of the Assyrians?
AROUND 970 B.C.E., Solomon came to the throne of Israel, a small state in western Asia. He was lacking in military prowess but excelled in many other ways. Through trade and a series of foreign alliances, he created a strong, flourishing state. But he was especially famed for his skill as a judge. When two women came before him, each claiming that the same infant was her natural child, Solomon ordered his servant to cut the child in half and give half to each woman. The first woman objected: “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” The second woman replied, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!” Then Solomon
27
CRITICAL THINKING
Q What is the relationship between the political history of the Israelites and the evolution of their religious beliefs?
CONNECTIONS TO TODAY
Q What similarities and differences do you see between ancient Israel and the contemporary state of Israel?
Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
A
P
T
H
E
C
R
Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican Palace, Vatican State//Scala/Art Resource, NY