“The Mesopotamian Valley is the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and has been the home to many different cultural groups in ancient times.”
“In biblical times it was made up of Assyria in the north and Babylon in the south.”
The Sumerians
“The Sumerians established their culture and civilization in the southern part of the Mesopotamian Valley in the early part of the third millennium B.C.”
“Scholars regard the Sumerian civilization as the first significant civilization in the history of humanity.”
“Sumerians invented wedge-shaped writing called cuneiform and built cities such as Sumer, Eridu, Ur, Larsa, and Nippur.”
“The creation story Enuma Elish is an important product of Sumerian religious thinking.”
The Amorites
“The Amorites dominated virtually all parts of Mesopotamia and Syria-Palestine by the 18th century B.C.”
“They were a Semitic group who established the cities of Mari and Babylon as centers of their political power.”
“Mari discoveries include thousands of inscriptions that deal with legal, domestic, and business matters.”
“Scholars believe that Israel’s ancestors belonged to the Amorites.”
The Assyrians
“The Assyrians played a key role in the destiny of the nation of Israel in the 8th and 7th centuries B.C.”
“The northern part of Mesopotamia was the home of the Assyrians.”
“Asshur and Nineveh were the chief cities of Assyria.”
“The Assyrians launched an empire-building program in the 8th century B.C. under the leadership of Tiglath-pileser III and gained political control over Syria, Israel, and even Egypt.”
“in the middle of the 7th century B.C., Assyria began to decline in power an lost control of its empire under the joint attack of Medes, Babylonians, and Scythians.”
“The Babylonians destroyed Nineveh in 612 B.C. and with that the Assyrians ceased to exist as a nation.”
The Babylonians
“The Babylonians became a major political power in the 7th century B.C.”
“The southern part of Mesopotamia came to be known as Babylonia.”
“The city of Babylon located on the Euphrates River was the most influential city of the Babylonians.”
“In 587 B.C. the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and forced the Jews to go into exile in Babylon.”
“The Jewish exile lasted until 539 B.C., when Babylon was taken over by the Persian Empire.”
“Cyrus, the Persian king, gave freedom to the Jews in exile, and he allowed them to return to their homeland. However, many Jewish communities continued to exist in Babylon even after the exile came to an end.”
The Persians
“The Persians became a major political power in the 6th century B.C. under the leadership of Cyrus.”
“Their home was in what is now modern-day Iran.”
“Cyrus incorporated the once powerful Medes and later the Babylonians into his empire.”
“The Persian Empire extended westward to include Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. The expansion eastward reached as far as India.”
“Eventually the Persians declined in strength and their empire later became part of the world that Alexander the Great conquered around 330 B.C.”
“The Old Testament mentions Egypt as the home of the people of Israel in their early part of her existence.”
“Israel, in her later history, remembered Egypt as the land of her bondage. Egypt continued to exert political power over Israel at various times. Israel’s kings often made alliances with Egypt, even though the prophets condemned such actions as returning to bandage and slavery.”
“A substantial number of the Jews made Egypt their home during the Babylonian invasion of Judah in 587 B.C. Later, Alexandria became a center of the Jewish life in Egypt.”
“The Egypt of the Old Testament is the northern part of the modern land of Egypt, also known as Lower Egypt or the Delta region.”
Old Kingdom Period
2900 – 2300 B.C.
“Age of the Pyramids”
During this time, Egypt led the world in architectural and scientific advancement.
First Intermediate Period
2300 – 2100 B.C.
Many power struggles between the Pharaohs of Lower and Upper Egypt
Eventually, the powers of Upper Egypt gained total control.
Middle Kingdom Period
2100 – 1710 B.C
Abraham shows up towards the end of this period.
Second Intermediate Period
1710 – 1550 B.C.
The Semitic Hyksos ruled for over 100 years.
Joseph and the rest of the family of Jacob (Israel) show up around this time.
The Egyptians eventually took back control from the Hyksos.
New Kingdom Period
1550 – 330 B.C.
Some of the most famous of Pharaohs including Tutankhamen (King Tut) ruled during this time period.
Egypt prospered greatly for a couple hundred years during this time, but gradually began to fall into decline due to many reasons, including poor leadership, drought, and other natural disasters.
Moses shows up towards the beginning of this period to initiate the Exodus from Egypt.
“Syria-Palestine is the most frequently mentioned region in the Old Testament.”
“This region is made up of countries such as Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan on the political map today.”
Canaanites
Before Israel entered into the land of Canaan (Palestine), the land was inhabited by many different groups of people known as the Canaanites.
“Cities like Jericho, Megiddo, Beth-Shan, Ai, Shechem, Gezer, and Lachish were centers of the Canaanite culture in the third millennium B.C.”
Philistines
“The Philistines were the primary inhabitants on the coastal plain southwest of Canaan, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.”
“They came to this region from Crete or some other islands in the Mediterranean Sea around 1200 B.C.”
Biblical records state that the Philistines were a constant threat to the Israelites.
Phoenicians
“The Phoenicians inhabited the northwest area on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.”
“They were traders and seagoing people who spread into Palestine and influenced the culture and religion of the Canaanites.”
Arameans
The Arameans made Aram or Syria their home during the second millennium B.C.
The ancestors of Israel (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) maintained contact with this region.
The earliest confessional creed of Israel found in Deuteronomy 26:5-10 refers to the father of Israel (most likely Jacob) as “a wandering Aramean.”
The people of Israel had frequent border struggles with the Syrians/Arameans from the 10th through the 8th centuries B.C.
“The center of the state of the Arameans was Damascus, which still remains the capital of Syria today.”
Ammonites
The book of Genesis casts a negative light on the ancestry of the Ammonites, claiming that this people group came to exist through an incestuous relationship between Abraham’s nephew Lot and one of Lot’s two daughters.
“The Ammonites lived directly east of the Jordan valley, with Rabbath-Ammon (modern Amman) as their capital.”
The Ammonites maintained social and religious contact, including marriage relationships, with the Israelite population.
Moabites
The book of Genesis also casts a negative light on the ancestry of the Moabites, again claiming that these people came out of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his second daughter.
The Moabites were located south of the Ammonite territory.
Like the Ammonites, the Moabites also maintained social and religious contact, including marriage relationships, with Israel.
Probably the most famous Moabite in the Old Testament is Ruth, the great-grandmother of David, Israel’s greatest king.
Edomites
The Book of Genesis describes the Edomites as the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother.
The Edomites were considered some of Israel’s closest relatives and they were located directly south of Moab.
The Edomites were much more hostile towards Israel than were the Ammonites and Moabites. The close relationship of the Israelites and the Edomites and their deep hostility towards each other can be seen in the stories of the twin-brothers Jacob and Esau and their constant struggle with one another. Jacob was also known as Israel, and Esau was also known as Edom.
Midianites
“The Midianites occupied the land southeast of Edom.”
“The book of Genesis traces the origin of the Midianites to Abraham and Keturah, whom Genesis claims as Abraham’s wife after the death of Sarah.
According to the book of Exodus, Moses married a woman named Zipporah, who was the daughter of a Midianite priest.
During the time of the Judges, the Midianites were one of many groups that oppressed the Israelites.
Amalekites
The Amalekites were located directly south of Canaan, in the Negev area.
The book of Genesis claims that the Amalekites were also descendants of Esau.
The book of Exodus claims that the Amalekites were the very first nation to wage war against the Israelites during Israel’s journey to the Promised Land.
The land of Palestine is often referred to as Canaan in the Old Testament, as well “The Promised Land” or “the land flowing with milk and honey.”
“This land is located between the Mediterranean Sea, known biblically as ‘The Great Sea,’ and the desert.”
“It is relatively small in area, about 350 miles long from north to south and 60 miles wide from east to west. However, the biblical boundary “from Dan to Beersheba” was only 150 miles long.”
“This land shows extreme variations in physical features and climate.”
The Plain of Jezreel
“The Plain of Jezreel (also known as the valley of Jezreel) is about 50 miles long and connects the coastal region with the Jordan valley.”
“It is about 20 miles wide from north to south and separates the Galilee region from the hills of Samaria.”
“Important military and trade routes went through this region in ancient times.”
“Megiddo was an important fortified city located on the western edge of the Jezreel valley.”
The Jordan Valley
“The Jordan valley is part of a geological depression that extends from the foothills of Mount Hermon in the north to the Dead Sea in the south.”
The Jordan River
“The Jordan River originates in the north in the area of Dan and runs through this valley.”
“Between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, the Jordan River takes a twisting and winding path.”
The Sea of Galilee
“The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake about 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It is well known for plentiful fish and sudden storms.”
The “Sea of Galilee” is also referred to as “Chinereth,” the “Lake of Ginneseret,” and the “Lake/Sea of Tiberius.”
In the New Testament, the villages and towns around this lake are where Jesus invested much of his ministry before traveling south to Jerusalem where he was crucified.
The Dead Sea
Also known as the Salt Sea
50 miles long and 10 miles wide.
Lowest elevation on earth at 1,296 feet below sea level.
The fresh waters of the Jordan River run into the Dead Sea
High salt and mineral content (30-33%) because of constant water evaporation.
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Sources
Varughese, Alex, et al.
Discovering the Old Testament. Kansas City : Beacon Hill Press, 2003.
