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Egypt developed in a desert. An arid desert usually did not permit a country to grow, but the Egyptians were able to build a civilization that did not just survive but it flourished over time. From 5000 B.C. to about 3000 B.C. Egypt was un unified and in a Neolithic state with the development of finely crafted tools and agriculture. Even in this early period people held beliefs in an afterlife and buried there dead with grave gifts. Before 3000 B.C. Egypt had started to develop its own language, now called hieroglyphs.
The unification of Egypt took sometime. The small villages along the Nile grew in to small providences. All of Egypt was unified by a powerful monarch called Menes (also known as Narmer) around 3000 B.C. Narmer presented himself as a god to the people. From here on, the people of Egypt believed that their king was a god and that he was responsible for their countries well-being.
In 2647 B.C. Egypt enter a period known as the Old Kingdom. The Old kingdom describes as period of internal stability and prosperity spanning about 500 years. During the Old Kingdom Egypt witnessed a flowering of civilization built upon the base established during the Early Dynastic Period. The king was regarded as a god and ruled with absolute power. Irrigation was improved copper mines and stone quarries were developed. All this helped the prosperity of Egypt grow. Artisans made beautiful jewelry, stonework, and furniture. Around 2500 B.C. Egypt developed the oldest known paved roads.
During the Old Kingdom Egypt developed extensive religious beliefs. They had many gods that controlled the world around them. They believed the gods kept the world in balance. The controlled everything from the sun, to fertility, to the river. The Egyptians developed ritual sacrifice to feed and please the gods.
Egyptians were not concerned with there earthly dwellings as they were seen as only temporary lodging. The Egyptians were far more concerned with their afterlife. The Egyptians buried there dead in tombs. Tombs were meant to house the dead and provide everything they needed in the afterlife. The king and royal families got extremely elaborate and expensive tombs. It was believed that if the king's tomb was constructed right, and he had everything he needed for the afterlife, he would live forever and continue to watch over and protect the country.
It was during the Old Kingdom that Egyptian culture bloomed. The Old Kingdom laid down traditions and beliefs for all of Egypt. It was during the Old Kingdom that Egypt's identity was molded and cast.
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2040 B.C. to 1648 B.C. marks the period in Egyptian history known as the Middle Kingdom. During the Middle Kingdom Egypt had an effective royal government, aggressive policies abroad and great artistic achievement.
During the Middle Kingdom many things changed in Egypt. Religious beliefs changed; the afterlife was no longer reserved for the king and royal families. Egypt expanded; taking over Nubia and other surrounding areas. The kings, fearing powerful nobles, started to promote the welfare of the entire population by improving irrigation and reclaiming land. The Middle Kingdom saw the rebirth of fine arts, and saw a ton of literature being produced. Egyptian culture blossomed and flourished during the Middle Kingdom. 1648 B.C. marks the end of the Middle Kingdom. A weak central government and a lessening of prosperity help bring an end to the Middle Kingdom.
In 1540 B.C. Ahmose reunited Egypt and started the period known as the New Kingdom. The New Kingdom brought in an era of Egyptian history marked by military expansion, powerful, centralized royal rule, Egyptian nationalism, and a revival of the arts. Egypt developed a strong military during the New Kingdom. This strong military was used to expand and strengthen the boarders and defend Egypt from outsiders. During the New Kingdom, Egypt hit a time of great prosperity and growth. Ramses III was the last great king of the New Kingdom. Ramses defended Egypt from many invasions. After Ramses III, Egypt's prestige started to quickly decline. 1069 B.C. marked the end of the New Kingdom.
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The Phoenicians, for centuries, were the greatest seafarers of the ancient world. The Phoenicians never developed a unified state; instead they remained divided into independent city-states. By 1100 B.C. the Phoenicians had gotten rid of Egyptian rule and were totally independent. For the next 350 years Phoenicians dominated all trade in the Mediterranean. The Phoenicians developed an alphabet that consisted of 22 letters. Each one of the letters represented a consonantal sound. Phoenician traders spread this alphabet through out the Mediterranean. The Greeks borrowed from the Phoenician alphabet and developed there own alphabet that included vowels. It can be said that all modern western alphabets are derived from Phoenician.
Hebrew lore states that the Hebrews were trapped in bondage by the king of Egypt. The Hebrews escaped from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. After they escaped God gave them the Ten Commandments. Moses led them through the desert and finally they were able to enter the Promised Land (known as Canaan). Archeologists say that the Hebrews settles the Canaan region around 1250 B.C. Around 1050 B.C. the Hebrew's are conquered by the Philistines. In 1026 the Hebrews elected Saul as king. Saul spent most of his time fighting the Philistines. After facing defeat and despair Saul kills himself. Saul's son Ishbaal takes control but can't keep power is murdered.
David was named king of the Hebrews. David captured Jerusalem and made it his capital. David founded a dynasty that ruled for four centuries. David took advantage of Egypt's weakness to build up a strong military and conquer surrounding lands. When David died his son Solomon took control. Solomon developed a vagarious trading and commercial policy. The government sponsored trading ventures with neighboring states. Solomon fortified many cities and conscripted people into his large army. After Solomon died the Hebrew kingdom was torn apart into two independent states. The northern state known as Israel was plagued by dynastic instability and eventually was complete destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. The Southern Kingdom of Judah lasted a bit longer then its northern counter part but in 586 B.C. Jerusalem was sacked and Judah was destroyed.
The Hebrews developed a religion that has affected many aspects of human history. Judaism was the for-father to both Christianity and Islam. Judaism was the first mainstream religion to preach monotheism. Judaism did not start out like that but it eventually developed into monotheism. Judaism also gave hope for the future. With prophets saying that god would send a savior. The Hebrews and Judaism have had immense impact on world history and their legacy can still be felt today.
