As I wrote in the Trends in the Eastern Mediterranean, I will summarize the details of the Arameans, Phoenicians, and Hebrews who began to play an active role after the New Kingdom of Egypt greatly reduced its influence from Palestine and Syria. Let's check each major feature and what kind of influence it has had on the surroundings.
What are Arameans?
Originally Arameans Is an ancient Orient nomad.
It settled in the upper Euphrates until the 11th century BC, but moved to Syria and Damascus from around 1200 BC. Many city-states are built around the city. We formed a caravan using camels and engaged in relay trade connecting inland cities.
It's really easy to remember if you imagine an "Arab Desert Merchant" I think.
Due to the many inland movements and negotiations, Aramaic began to be used as an international commercial language in the Ancient Near East, and the Aramaic alphabet used by the Arameans was replaced by cuneiform and became widely used.
Derivatives of the Aramaic alphabet include Hebrew and Syriac alphabets, Arabic alphabets used in modern Islamic regions, as well as characters from distant Mongolia and Manchuria, so they are used in a wide range. You can see how it was.
What is a Phoenician?
Phoenicians Is said to have originally lived between ancient kingdoms such as Egypt and Babylonia (downstream of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers).
By the way, the relationship between Phoenicia and Canaan, which I wrote in the trend of the Eastern Mediterranean, is quite close. Whereas Palestine was locally called Canaan, in Greece it is called Phoenicia. Since the times are different and people come and go in various places, it is certain that the Phoenicians were greatly influenced by the Phoenicians, although they cannot be said to be purely "Canaanites =Phoenicians".
Arameans Same as Sidon Tire (Northern Palestine) is engaged in trade, but its trading partners are completely different, and the Mediterranean trade after the Mycenaean civilization that declined after the advance of the sea people I was in charge of it.
You can see from the example of the Aramaic alphabet that the characters used by the traders may propagate to the surroundings, but that is Phoenicians . Was the same (rather, the Aramaic alphabet itself was created based on the Phoenician alphabet).
Developed the phonetic alphabet used by the Canaanites, the linear Phoenician alphabet To produce. Since we were trading in the Mediterranean, this character was naturally transmitted to Europe, and by the Greeks, the alphabet prototype Was created.
What is a Hebrew? ??
Hebrews from other ethnic groups They called themselves Israelis I called it.
Ur, where the Sumerian state was, is said to be the first land of the Hebrews. Moved to Palestine and Egypt while living a pastoral life. It is said that the area around Palestine settled around 1500 BC.
Speaking of 1500 BC, Egypt is the era of the New Kingdom. The New Kingdom is the most prosperous in ancient Egypt, but it seems that some people were placed in a harsh environment probably because of the territorial dispute with the Hittites, who were the two major powers of the Orient at the same time as the New Kingdom of Egypt. Hebrews Was the layer of those who were placed in a harsh environment.
Meanwhile, around the 13th century BC, 600,000 Hebrews who could not stand the oppression were leaders Moses . Escape Egypt (= Egypt ) Is said to have been done. However, there is no record on the Egyptian side, so maybe it was an escape by a small number of people? It seems that some scholars think that it is not clear.
After the escape, Hebrews Established the foundation for building a unified nation, and around the 10th century BC King David , And his child King Solomon It begins to prosper under the sword, but it splits.
The northern part of southern Palestine is Kingdom of Israel In addition, the southern part is Kingdom of Judah It is divided into. After that, in 722 BC, the Assyrian Kingdom began to expand into a wide area. Kingdom of Israel Is destroyed , Kingdom of Judah Neo-Babylonian from southern Assyria Was conquered by.
Especially Kingdom of Judah When conquered by the Neo-Babylonians Many of the inhabitants are Babylonian captivity Forced to take to Babylon, the capital It was then Achaemenid Persia in 550 BC in what is now Iran. Cyrus II Has led to liberation.
Hebrews The greatest achievement of Judaism led to Christianity and Islam, which later became world religions. Was created.
Religion can be a salvation when placed in a harsh environment. In times of distress, such as the oppression of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the destruction of the kingdom that they set up, and the captivity of Babylon, they are firmly defending their faith as in other regions. Eventually, with the salvation of liberation from Babylonian captivity, Judaism became even deeper in the people.