Ancient Near East, Part 3

Question 1: Explain the major contributions of the Lydians to western economic systems.

Answer 1: The Lydians of Asia Minor were traders who made contact with many different peoples. Beginning around 600 B.C., they were also one of the earliest civilizations to coin their own money. Their first coins were small crescent-shaped pieces made out of gold and silver. Soon the Lydians were running the first true money economy, in which the coins represented the value of certain goods. The first retail stores may also have originated in Lydia. The Lydian society did not last long, but through their trade ties and conquests by others, the Lydians passed along the concept of using coins to the Greeks and Persians, who then carried them to other peoples.

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Question 2: Describe the origins of the Hebrew people through Moses.

Answer 2: According to Biblical tradition, the Hebrews began with a man named Abraham, who lived in the Sumerian city-state of Ur. Abraham rejected polytheism and worshipped one supreme God, who ordered him to lead his household to a new land in Canaan. God promised Abraham that a new nation would rise up from his descendants. Abraham’s grandson Jacob, also called “Israel,” had twelve sons, from which came the Twelve Tribes of Israel which formed the Hebrew people. Eventually, the Hebrews migrated into Egypt, where they lived peacefully for many years. Between c. 1200 B.C. and c. 800 B.C., the Hebrews suffered harsh enslavement under the Egyptians. The prophet Moses rose up to lead the Exodus, the Hebrew escape from Egyptian slavery. During a period of isolation on Mount Sinai, Moses emerged with the Ten Commandments, fundamental laws to guide the Hebrew people. The Hebrews wandered for many years before returning to the promised land of Canaan, where they eventually founded the Kingdom of Israel.

Question 3: Summarize the main beliefs and customs of ancient Judaism.

Answer 3: Judaism was the religion of the Hebrews and the basis for law and government in Israel and Judah. The foundation of the faith was a belief in one God, referred to as Yahweh or “I am that I am.” The Ten Commandments provided the most basic laws of the faith. The Hebrews believed strongly in covenants, or sacred agreements, between themselves and God. They believed they were chosen by God to represent His will on Earth, established through His original covenant with Abraham. Unlike polytheistic gods, Yahweh did not have humanlike weaknesses, but did give humans the free will to choose right or wrong behavior. This belief formed the basis for ethical monotheism, or what became known as Judeo-Christian ethics. Many Biblical stories about the failures of Israel are based on the inability of the Hebrews to maintain their covenant with God. In order to make sure that the Hebrews remembered their covenant, Judaism developed many customs and rituals designed to control people’s behaviors and set them apart from other cultures.

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