By Tim Lambert The Israelites were monotheists. They worshiped only one God. One of the 12 tribes of Israel, the Levites, were priests. Since they did not own land the other tribes gave the Levites one-tenth of their crops and domestic animals. Furthermore, 48 towns in Israel were set aside for the Levites. In return,… Continue reading Life in the Old Testament
Category: Ancient Civilizations
Medicine in the Ancient World
By Tim Lambert Medicine among Primitive Peoples The first evidence of surgery is skulls from the stone age. Some adults had holes cut in their skulls. At least sometimes people survived the ‘operation’ because the bone grew back. We do not know the purpose of the ‘operation’. Perhaps it was performed on people with head… Continue reading Medicine in the Ancient World
Religion in the Ancient World
By Tim Lambert Religion in Ancient Egypt The Egyptians were polytheists. That is, they worshiped many gods. Gods and goddesses were usually depicted as human beings though sometimes they had animal heads. Among Egyptian gods were Amun-Re, the sun god and the leader of the gods. Nut was the sky goddess. Her brother Geb was… Continue reading Religion in the Ancient World
The Assyrian Empire
By Tim Lambert The Assyrians were a warlike people from the north of what is now Iraq. From about 880 BC to 612 BC they ruled a great empire in the Middle East. The first great Assyrian king was Tiglath-pileser (c.1115-1077) who warred against people in Asia Minor and who defeated the Babylonians (of southern… Continue reading The Assyrian Empire
The Aztecs
By Tim Lambert The ancestors of the Aztecs settled on a marshy island in Lake Texcoco in either 1325 or 1345. According to legend, the Aztecs settled at a place where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. They took this as a sign from their god that… Continue reading The Aztecs
The Babylonians
By Tim Lambert The area that is now Iraq was once divided into city-states. One of them was called Babillu. (It was known to the Greeks as Babylon). For centuries Babylon was an unimportant city. However, under the famous leader, Hammurabi (C. 1792 BC-1750 BC) Babylon rose to greatness. However, after his death, it declined… Continue reading The Babylonians
The Byzantine Empire
By Tim Lambert In the 4th century, the Roman Empire split into two halves, east, and west. The western part collapsed but the Eastern Roman Empire survived until the 15th century. It wasn’t called the Byzantine Empire while it existed. The name Byzantine Empire was invented in the 16th century, after its demise. Byzantium (today… Continue reading The Byzantine Empire
The Druids
By Tim Lambert After about 650 BC a people called the Celts lived in England. The Celts had priests called Druids. The Druids were very important in Celtic society. As well as being priests they were scholars, judges, and advisers to the kings. The Celts were polytheists (they worshiped many gods and goddesses). They did… Continue reading The Druids
The Farming Revolution
By Tim Lambert After 9,000 BC a great change came over the world. Previously humans lived by hunting animals and gathering plants. Then about 8,000 BC people began to grow wheat, barley, peas, and lentils instead of gathering them wild. By 7,000 BC they domesticated sheep, pigs, and goats. By 6,000 BC they also domesticated… Continue reading The Farming Revolution
The Hittites
By Tim Lambert The Hittites lived in what is now Turkey. They moved to Turkey about 2,000 BC and at first, they were divided into separate states. However about 1,650 BC, they were united by King Labarnas. The Hittites were a powerful and warlike people. About 1595 BC they captured Babylon. Later the Hittites fought… Continue reading The Hittites