history of the middle east
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History of the Middle East. Mr. Apt Sandy Run Middle School 8 th Grade Social Studies. Origin of the Term Middle East:. Coined by British and American explorers in 19 th Century to describe lands between Arabia and India Later used to describe all “Arab” lands during the 20 th Century. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
History of the Middle EastMr. AptSandy Run Middle School8th Grade Social Studies
Origin of the Term Middle East:Coined by British and American
explorers in 19th Century to describe lands between Arabia and India
Later used to describe all “Arab” lands during the 20th Century.
Resources AvailableStone and SandWater from rivers provided fertile
land in a desert landscapeWild life provided food and
wealth. Animals would also be used in war.
Walled CitiesPolytheistic societies: Multiple G-
ds controlling different aspects of daily life.
TopographyMostly desert, often MountainousVery hot summers, very little
rainfall.Flooding of nearby rivers
provided most of water.Only land based trade route
between Europe, Africa, and Asia
InnovationFarming and Irrigation techniques
improved due to scarcity of waterUsed topography to their
advantageCities on Mountains, Valleys, or
by Rivers and Seas.Created large militaries to
conquer other civilizations, and incorporate them into their own.
Mesopotamia and EgyptTwo Oldest Civilizations in the
Region.Both Date back to 10,000 B.C.EBoth centered around rivers: Tigris
and Euphrates, and the Nile.Two Empires: Egypt under Pharaohs: 3150 B.CE-
332 B.C.EBabylonia: 1894 B.C.E-332 B.C.E
Kingdom of JudeaLand on coast of Mediterranean:Important trade route from Egypt
to Persia.Mountainous and Fertile: Geographically considered to be
the center of the Ancient World, connecting three continents.
Inhabited by tribal cultures, and ultimately dominated by monotheism.
Rise of MonotheismFirst Monotheistic City state in
Jerusalem roughly 1000 B.C.E under kingdom of Judea.
Judea falls to Babylon in 586 B.C.E
Babylon conquered by Persia in 539 B.C.E
Babylon-Persia conquered by Macedonians in 332 B.C.E
Alexander the GreatBrought Hellenistic Culture to the
Middle East from Greece and Macedonia.
Hellenism ultimately overruns Egyptian and Persian polytheism.
Monotheism considered illicit, and allowed to practice freely.
Divides the Middle East under two generals, Ptolemy and Seleucid.
The Roman EmpireMiddle East occupied by Romans
in 1st Century B. C.ERoman architecture found in
Egypt, most of modern day Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey.
Christianity founded in 1st Century C.E. (2nd Branch of Monotheism)
Christianity spreads to Europe in 4th Century C.E.
Discussion QuestionsWhat role did the availability of
water play in the development of Middle Eastern civilizations?
Why do you think Europeans were so interested in the area?
How do you think European intervention affected the development of these areas? Are those effects still demonstrated today? Why