II | From the Age of Abraham to the Rise of Assyria, 2250-1100, B.C.
Great Events of Period. Abraham becomes first great leader of the Hebrews. Egyptian revolt from the Shepherd Kings. New Egyptian empire. Rise of Assyria—originally settled by emigrants from Babylonia. Wars with Babylonia. Sidon, a Phœnician city, at its zenith. Phœnician colonies established round the Mediterranean. Advanced civilization in Crete. Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt under Moses. Hittites rise to great power, contending equally with Egypt and Assyria.
| B. C. | Greeks | Egypt | Hebrews and Phœnicia | Babylonia-Assyria | Border Peoples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Patriarchal Age (2250-1200) | III. Early Babylonian Empire (2250-1750) | ||||
| 2500 | 2250. Rise and triumph of Thebes. | 2250. Period of Abraham, patriarch of the Hebrews, who left Ur, wandered north to Horan and finally entered Canaan (Palestine). | 2250. HAMMURABI (Amraphel?), great ruler and lawgiver, united the whole of Babylonia. His code of laws one of the most important of Oriental discoveries. Under him Babylon reached high degree of culture. | ||
| III. Middle Kingdom (Includes Dynasties 11 to 17) | 2100. Second Babylonian dynasty: lasted about 300 years. | ||||
| 2000 | 2000-1000. Achæans and Greeks settle in Greece proper, and Ionians in Asia Minor. | 2000-1788. This period reached its highest development in the Twelfth dynasty, which was Theban. Obelisks, public works, regulation of Nile, Lake Mœris, and the Labyrinth belong to this period. | 2000. Semitic emigrants enter Phœnicia. | ||
| 1800-1600. “Golden Age” of Cretan civilization. Great palace at Knossos completed. | 1788-1580. The Hyksos, or Shepherd Kings, conquer Egypt and rule about 100 years. The invaders introduce the horse into Egypt. Period of comparative obscurity. | 1800. Hiksos (Hittites?) consolidate Syrian power at Kadesh and over-run Egypt. | IV. Kassite Period (1750-1150) | 1800-1500. Assyria ruled by patesis or governors. | |
| 1750. Third, or Kassite, dynasty of foreign kings in power for nearly 600 years. | 1750. The Kassites, a mountain people north of Elam, subdue Babylonia. An Elamite dynasty with its capital at Susa, gave rise to the Persian nation (1750-836). | ||||
| IV. The Egyptian Empire (Includes Dynasties 18-20) | |||||
| 1580. After the expulsion of the Hyksos, Egypt was organized as a military state. Syria was conquered and made tribute by 1500. | 1550. Phœnicia made tributary to Egypt. | ||||
| 1500 | 1479-1447. Thutmose III. rules at Thebes and the Empire increased rapidly in power and extent. Egyptian fleet was developed, temple at Karnak erected. | 1500-1220. Palestine under Egyptian domination. | |||
| 1414-1383. Amenhotep III., Great king, called the “Magnificent.” Built temple at Luxor and elsewhere. Tel-el-Amarna Letters with Syria and Babylon. | |||||
| 1400 | 1400. Probable Mycenæan invasion destroyed Cretan civilization. | 1400. Burnaburiash, greatest of Kassite kings, established political relations with Egypt. Settled boundary with Assyria. See Tel-el-Amarna Letters. | |||
| 1400-1300. Bloom of the Agean and Mycenæan civilization. | 1383-1365. Amenhotep IV. Very important reign. Official religion changed from polytheism to monotheism; chief seat of worship removed from Thebes to Tel-el-Amarna. Syria lost. | 1350. Joseph in Egypt. Hebrews settle in Goshen. | V. Period of Decline (1300-745) | 1350. Great expansion of Assyria; capital removed from Asshur to Kalkhi (Ninevah). | |
| 1326-1300. Seti I. Restorer of ancient monuments; great temple at Abydos; began great hall at Karnak; tomb in Valley of Kings. | |||||
| 1300 | 1300-1234. RAMESES II., the Great. Subdues Syria at Kadesh; built temples at Abu and Simbel; built Pithom and Raamses. Supposed Pharaoh of the Israelite oppression. | 1300. Period of Sidon’s greatest power. | 1300. Kassites absorbed into the Semitic population of Babylonia. | 1275. Continuous struggle between Assyria and Babylonia. | |
| 1234-1214. Merneptah drove out foreign invaders. Supposed Pharaoh of the Exodus. | 1250. Oppression of the Israelites. | 1250-1210. Decline of Babylonian power and rise of Assyria. | 1250. King of Assyria conquers Babylon and rules seven years. | ||
| 1200 | 1200. Dorian invasion ended the grand prehistoric age of Greece. | 1202-1171. Rameses III., greatest king in twentieth dynasty. Built temples at Karnak and Medinet Habu. Great naval battle at Pelusium. | 1220. Exodus of the Israelites under MOSES. | ||
| 1193-1184. TROJAN WAR. | V. Decay of the Empire (1150-525) | II. Period of the Judges (1160-1020) | 1100. Babylon subjected by TIGLATH PILESER I. of Assyria. Great expansion of Assyrian empire. | ||
| B. C. | Greeks | Egypt | Hebrews and Phœnicia | Babylonia-Assyria | Border Peoples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Patriarchal Age (2250-1200) | III. Early Babylonian Empire (2250-1750) | ||||
| 2500 | 2250. Rise and triumph of Thebes. | 2250. Period of Abraham, patriarch of the Hebrews, who left Ur, wandered north to Horan and finally entered Canaan (Palestine). | 2250. HAMMURABI (Amraphel?), great ruler and lawgiver, united the whole of Babylonia. His code of laws one of the most important of Oriental discoveries. Under him Babylon reached high degree of culture. | ||
| III. Middle Kingdom (Includes Dynasties 11 to 17) | 2100. Second Babylonian dynasty: lasted about 300 years. | ||||
| 2000 | 2000-1000. Achæans and Greeks settle in Greece proper, and Ionians in Asia Minor. | 2000-1788. This period reached its highest development in the Twelfth dynasty, which was Theban. Obelisks, public works, regulation of Nile, Lake Mœris, and the Labyrinth belong to this period. | 2000. Semitic emigrants enter Phœnicia. | ||
| 1800-1600. “Golden Age” of Cretan civilization. Great palace at Knossos completed. | 1788-1580. The Hyksos, or Shepherd Kings, conquer Egypt and rule about 100 years. The invaders introduce the horse into Egypt. Period of comparative obscurity. | 1800. Hiksos (Hittites?) consolidate Syrian power at Kadesh and over-run Egypt. | IV. Kassite Period (1750-1150) | 1800-1500. Assyria ruled by patesis or governors. | |
| 1750. Third, or Kassite, dynasty of foreign kings in power for nearly 600 years. | 1750. The Kassites, a mountain people north of Elam, subdue Babylonia. An Elamite dynasty with its capital at Susa, gave rise to the Persian nation (1750-836). | ||||
| IV. The Egyptian Empire (Includes Dynasties 18-20) | |||||
| 1580. After the expulsion of the Hyksos, Egypt was organized as a military state. Syria was conquered and made tribute by 1500. | 1550. Phœnicia made tributary to Egypt. 1500-1220. Palestine under Egyptian domination. | ||||
| 1500 | 1479-1447. Thutmose III. rules at Thebes and the Empire increased rapidly in power and extent. Egyptian fleet was developed, temple at Karnak erected. | 1500-1220. Palestine under Egyptian domination. | |||
| 1414-1383. Amenhotep III., Great king, called the “Magnificent.” Built temple at Luxor and elsewhere. Tel-el-Amarna Letters with Syria and Babylon. | |||||
| 1400 | 1400. Probable Mycenæan invasion destroyed Cretan civilization. | 1400. Burnaburiash, greatest of Kassite kings, established political relations with Egypt. Settled boundary with Assyria. See Tel-el-Amarna Letters. | |||
| 1400-1300. Bloom of the Agean and Mycenæan civilization. | 1383-1365. Amenhotep IV. Very important reign. Official religion changed from polytheism to monotheism; chief seat of worship removed from Thebes to Tel-el-Amarna. Syria lost. | 1350. Joseph in Egypt. Hebrews settle in Goshen. | 1350. Great expansion of Assyria; capital removed from Asshur to Kalkhi (Ninevah). | ||
| 1326-1300. Seti I. Restorer of ancient monuments; great temple at Abydos; began great hall at Karnak; tomb in Valley of Kings. | V. Period of Decline (1300-745) | ||||
| 1300 | 1300-1234. RAMESES II., the Great. Subdues Syria at Kadesh; built temples at Abu and Simbel; built Pithom and Raamses. Supposed Pharaoh of the Israelite oppression. | 1300. Period of Sidon’s greatest power. | 1300. Kassites absorbed into the Semitic population of Babylonia. | 1275. Continuous struggle between Assyria and Babylonia. | |
| 1234-1214. Merneptah drove out foreign invaders. Supposed Pharaoh of the Exodus. | 1250. Oppression of the Israelites. | 1250-1210. Decline of Babylonian power and rise of Assyria. | 1250. King of Assyria conquers Babylon and rules seven years. | ||
| 1200 | 1200. Dorian invasion ended the grand prehistoric age of Greece. | 1202-1171. Rameses III., greatest king in twentieth dynasty. Built temples at Karnak and Medinet Habu. Great naval battle at Pelusium. | 1220. Exodus of the Israelites under MOSES. | ||
| 1193-1184. TROJAN WAR. | V. Decay of the Empire (1150-525) | II. Period of the Judges (1160-1020) | 1100. Babylon subjected by TIGLATH PILESER I. of Assyria. Great expansion of Assyrian empire. | ||