The region on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea is the Syrian-Palestinian region.
As we have learned, Syria and Palestine in the eastern Mediterranean are sandwiched between the ancient advanced regions of "Mesopotamia" and "Egypt". This time, we will learn what kind of people were active and what kind of culture was built in such an eastern Mediterranean Sea.
What kind of people were the first to play an active part in the Eastern Mediterranean? ??
The Syrian-Palestinian region has prospered as a key point of land and sea transportation since ancient times. It is said that people were gathering around 3000 BC. However, it has not been seen for a long time that the unified dynasty appeared in the eastern Mediterranean at the end of the Akkadian rule from about 2300 BC to 2145 BC.
So why wasn't a unified nation born? The answer lies in the terrain. Let's take a look at the terrain.
What is the reason why it is difficult to create a unified nation in the eastern Mediterranean?
Looking at the map above, you can see that the Syrian-Palestinian region is a mountainous terrain. Further east is the desert, and west is the sea. Although the soil is abundant, the complex terrain is a disaster and it is not possible to support a large population.
In neighboring countries at that time, irrigated agriculture was the most common means of supplying food. However, in mountainous terrain, too much water is distributed at low altitudes and too little at high altitudes. In the first place, the big river does not pass. It was even more difficult to support a large number of people by agriculture because it is a region with little rain.
Population differences are directly linked to national power. It tends to be inferior to Egypt and Mesopotamia both politically and militarily. Therefore, it was difficult to develop into a unified dynasty to the extent that it was targeted by Egypt and Mesopotamia, or existed as a mere trading ground or a buffer zone depending on the difference in military power between the two countries.
Canaanite activity
What kind of ethnic group were the Canaanites?
Sem language is said to have been in the eastern Mediterranean during the old days (in the eastern Mediterranean) around the 15th to 14th centuries BC. Canaanites Is well known.
Speaking of the 15th to 14th centuries BC
It was also a time when many countries in the Orient world, from Egypt to Iran, began to rush.
Of course, if so many countries are rushing to expand their territory, there will be war, and in order to secure supplies for the war, trade and movement of people not only from their own country but also from other countries. Should come out.
The Canaanites acted as an intermediary for the trade. Noah's grandson Ham, famous for Noah's Ark, is said to be the ancestor of the Canaanites.
Achievements of the Canaanites
One of the achievements of the Kanan people is the invention of the original Canaanite character, which is the first phoneme character in the history of the world. The Phoenicians invented the Phoenician alphabet based on the Proto-Canaan alphabet, and eventually developed into the prototype of the alphabet.
Originally, the Canaanites were merchants engaged in trade. Palestine was one of the territories of the New Kingdom of Egypt at that time, and in Syria further north, there are many military personnel from Egypt due to the situation where the New Kingdom and the Hittites are fighting. There was also a Foreign Legion among the military personnel.
Such foreign military personnel are not familiar with Egyptian characters.
As you can see from the Chinese characters, ideographic characters cannot be used unless you remember a large number of characters. However, in the case of characters that represent sounds, the number of characters to remember is small and it is relatively easy to remember your name. He developed the Egyptian characters independently and created characters that are easy to remember.
It can be said that the character was born because it stood at the center of trade in a place where people come and go.
The advance of the sea people into the eastern Mediterranean
Around the 13th century BC, from the Greek Aegean Sea to the eastern Mediterranean, " Sea People 』The people called will advance.
" Sea People " is said to be composed of multiple ethnic groups. The invasion of 』has brought about a great change in the ancient Orient world.
- Egypt:Barely repelled but exhausted. The influence on the territory controlled by the eastern Mediterranean is drastically reduced.
- Hittite:Destruction ⇒ Iron Age Culture Spreads
- Around the Aegean Sea:The kingdoms of the Mycenaean civilization are destroyed (there are other causes besides the invasion of the sea people)
Activities of the three Semitic peoples
In particular, the decline of Egypt and the Hittites, the two major powers of the Orient world at that time, has had a great influence. In the Eastern Mediterranean, the Semitic Aramians, Phoenicians, and Hebrews were previously hidden behind the two major powers. Began to play an active role.
Simply put ...
- Arameans:Trade in the Desert
- Phoenicians:Trade in the Mediterranean
- Hebrews:Produce Judaism
I have left such achievements. Please refer to the articles below for the details of each.