{N}SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT EAST{/}

The history of Israel is inscribed in an ample framework, just as it is 
for the Near East that we describe here on eight historic maps, that go 
from 2800 B.C. until the birth of Jesus.
{K}FROM 2800 UNTIL 2200 (BEFORE CHRIST){/}

The egyptian pharaohs of the {N}Ancient Empire{/} reign over the country on 
the Nile; the valley and the delta are politically and culturally unified 
around Menfis, the capital city, around thirty kilometers to the south of 
the actual city of Cairo. During the same time the smaller sumerian{N} 
{/}kingdoms occupy the vast plains of Mesopotamia. Around the year 2400, a 
prince of Agade, (one of the sumerian kingdoms), imposes his authority in 
the region, stretching his power towards the north of Mesopotamia. Later 
he expands his borders to the Mediterranean, constituting in this way 
what history has called the Acadian {N}Empire{/}.
{K}FROM 2200 UNTIL 2050{/}

During this period the Near East knows great disturbances: likewise in 
Mesopotamia and in Egypt, the institutions are swept away. Certainly the 
internal causes for these events must be looked for, which are different 
for each country, but he common origin of thise political crises is the 
strengthening of the nomads of the desert: the gutis destroy the Acadian 
Empire, the nomads from the syrian desert destroy the empire of the 
pharaohs, where Heracleopolis  and Tebas get the rank of capital cities.
{K}FROM 2050 UNTIL 1750{/}

The old city of {N}Ur{/}, in Lower Mesopotamia imposes itself during a time 
over the other cities of Babylonia: it is the third Empire of Ur, that 
will finally give up before the assyriuan pressure. During this time, in 
Egypt, Tebas reconstructs the unity of the country with the pharaohs of 
the{N} Middle Empire{/}, that leaves behind magnificent economic 
accomplishments, such as having transformed the oasis of El Fayum into 
cultivable land.
{K}FROM 1750 UNTIL 1550{/}

From Syria - Palestine the hyksos come out, warring leaders who destroy 
Egypt throughout the eighteenth centry B.C., and who establish foreign 
dynasties in the delta and in the middle section of the valley of the 
Nile. During the same epoch, Hammurabi triumphs over the kings of 
Assyria, Eshnounna and Mari, and joins together around {N}Babylonia{/} an 
empire that extends from the Persian Gulf to Higher Mesopotamia.
{K}FROM 1550 UNTIL 1200{/}

The national reestablishment that puts an end to the foreign domination 
in Egypt will be the work of the teban prince of Higher Egypt named 
Kamosis, who pushes the Hyksos back to their capital city Avaris, in the 
delta. His brother Ahmosis, will finish the work. But now Egypt must 
count on the presence of the {N}hittites{/} who have become established in 
Asia Minor and with the presence of the {N}peoples {/}from the {N}Sea{/} who have 
come from around the Aegean Sea. During this time the assyrians, 
mittaneas, babylonians, and casitas come up against each other in 
Mesopotamia.
{K}FROM 1200 UNTIL 883{/}

In Egypt, decadence accompanies the reign of the last Rameseses, while in 
Mesopotamia and Asia Minor they are living somber  moments as a 
consequence of numerous and varied raids. Taking advantage of this total 
lack of organization of the great powers of the epoch, numerous small 
states develop in Syria - Palestine: the phoenician maritime cities, the 
five philistine{N} {/}cities, the kingdoms of Judah, Israel, Moab, Edom, Amon 
and Aram are some of them.
{K}FROM 883 UNTIL 336{/}

The Near East is dominated during five and a half centuries, each one 
having its turn, by the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Persians. The 
Books of the Kings and of the Prophets refer to those times and tell us 
how the events were perceived from the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
{K}AFTER 336{/}

Coming from {N}Macedonia{/} (to the north of Greece), {N}Alexander{/} starts the 
conquest of the {N}Persian Empire{/}. After ten years of victorious combat 
that allow him to reach India, he leaves his successors an empire that 
will be divided up through violent fighting. The most important succesors 
will be the {N}Seleucids{/} and the {N}Lagids {/}(or Ptolemies). But in the 
middle of the first century before Christ, their decadence favors the 
coming and the aggression of the {N}Romans{/}.
From the year 66, as a result of the expeditions of Pompeius, Rome is 
converted into the sovereign of the Near East. When, following the battle 
of Accio, Octavio (called later {N}Augustus{/}) remains as the absolute 
master of the Empire, converting Egypt into his personal dominion, and 
Syria into his Imperial Province. The reign of Herod the Great is an 
"Allied Kingdom", under the strict vigilance of the Syrian Legate, but 
after the destitution of Archelaus the first, and of Herod Antipas later, 
Palestine remains under the direct government of the Roman 
representatives.
