THE PENTATEUCH: WHAT DOES IT SAY Part 2

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THE PENTATEUCHWHAT DOES IT SAY?Part 2
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HISTORY STORY LINE
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MESOPOTAMIA

• Sumerians 2900-2350 BC- early dynastic period
• Earliest civilization in historical record
• Included city of Ur
• Credited with math, astronomy, law, medicine
• 1st Urbanization
• Dynasty of Akkad 2350-2200
• King Sargon I

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MESOPOTAMIA

• Ur III 2100-2000
• 20 Gutian kings 2200-2100
• King Ur-Nammu/ City of Ur takes control 2100
• Attacks by Amorites Elamites
• Elamites overthrow Ur leader power returned to
  city-states 2000-1800
• Old Babylonian Period 1799-1600
• Hammurabi/ Babylon Amorite dynasty
• 450 Laws preserved predate Moses by 300 years

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CANAAN MIDDLE BRONZE AGE2200-1550 BC

• Abraham entered Canaan
• More and more contact with Egypt

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EGYPT OLD/MIDDLE KINGDOMS

• Pyramids built very early
• 12th Dynasty rise of Egyptian popularity
• Hyksos outsiders rule Egypt
• Hyksos driven from Egypt in 1550
• 18th dynasty Ahmose
• Israelites reduced to slavery
• Fear that Israelites would join forces with enemy
  (Ex 110), though Egyptians were now economically
  dependent on them (Gen 476).

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MAJOR ARCHIVES

• Ebla
• Oldest (3rd millenium) between Babel Abraham
• Modern Syria economic political importance
• 17000 texts no direct connection with Bible
• Mari
• Old Babylonian period (1800-1600 BC)
• City along Euphrates river
• 20,000 texts about time of Hammurabi prophetic
  texts
• Hittite
• International treaties same format as biblical
  covenants
• Nuzi
• 4,000 tablets (15th c. BC) source for customs

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MAJOR ARCHIVES

• Emar
• Ritual texts from temple library
• Worship, festivals, legal texts
• Ugarit
• Canaanite culture
• Amarna
• Political correspondence in Canaan sometime
  around Israel conquest of the land.
• During time of Israelite spies or tribes
• Nineveh
• Copies of Gilgamesh epic and Babylonian Creation
  Epic from ancient library of Ashurbanipal