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ANCffiNT SEMITIC CIVILIZATIONS

By Le

the

same author:

califat

d al-Hadi, Helsinki 1946

L epigrafia

ebraica antica 1935-1950, Rome 1951 UQriente antko, Milan 1952 Orients in nu&va luce, Florence 1954 I mmosritti ebraid del deserto di Giuda, Rome 1955 II profile dcU Oriente mediientmeo^ Rome 1956 I predeccssori d*Israele t Rome 1956 Chi fMono i Semiti?, Rome 1957

Ancient Semitic Civilizations

SABATINO MOSCATI Professor of Semitic Philology in the University

of

Rome

CAPRICORN BOOKS G. P. Putnam s Sons

New York

1957

BY ELEK BOOKS LIMITED

CAPRICORN BOOKS EDITION

1960

All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

Library of Congress Catalog

Card Number: 58-10415

Third Impression

This work was originally published in Italy by Gius Laterza & Figli of Ban, under the title

MANUFACTURED

Storia e Civilta del Semiti.

IN

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author

wishes to express his gratitude to the scholars for help in obtaining permission following to reproduce photographs, and to the following in

Mr. R. D. Barnett H. Gazelles and the

stitutions for granting permission:

and the

British

Museum;

Prof.

Louvre; His Excellency Dr. Naji al Asil and the Directorate General of Antiquities, Baghdad; Dr. N.

Avigad and the Hebrew University, Jerusalem; Prof. A. Jamme and the American Foundation for the Study of Man; the Dumbarton Oaks Collection; Prof.

C

Giannelli and the Vatican Library; Dr. A.

Caquot and the Archaeological Department, Addis Ababa.

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CONTENTS Page

Acknowledgements

5

n

Foreword

THE STAGE

I

Syria and Palestine

Arabia

13 Lines of communication

Mesopotamia Conclusion.

THE PLAYERS

n

Name and diffusion

m

Languages

23

Peoples

Races.

THE PROLOGUE

The problem of Semitic conditions

34

Area whence the Semites spread origins The nomad heritage. Religious forms

Social

THE BABYLONIANS AND ASSYRIANS

IV

DISCOVERIES: Excavations

Interpretation

43 System of

of tie documents

writing.

HISTORY: Sumerians

Foreign incursions

Ancient Babylonian dynasties

Conclusion, Last Babylonian, revival and Assyrian pre-eminence Demons and sin Deities RELIGION Nature of Mesopotamian civilization :

Priesthood; magic, divination, burial LITERATURE! Introduction Myths of the gods

Wisdom literature

Ritual.

Myths of

the heroes

Prose,

Lyric Persons SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS: Mesopotamian laws Family, Penal Property, commercial and economic life marriage and inheritance law and procedure Authority and armed forces. Architecture AST: General characteristics Painting and the Sculpture

LEGAL

AND

minor

V

arts.

THE CANAANTTES

SOURCES: Direct sources

Discoveries at Ugarit

99 Indirect sources

The

alphabet.

HISTORY: Palestine and Syria in history Israelitic

RELIGION: Canaanitc civilization

Up to the coming of the Israelites times.

Deities

Priesthood and

ritual.

CONTENTS The background Myths of the heroes Greek mythology. Minor arts. ART: General characteristics Major arts

LITERATURE:

Myths of the gods

THE HEBREWS

VI

to

124

The conquest of Palestine The the origins to the Exodus The divided king establishment of the monarchy Saul, David, Solomon Hie exile and the return from exile, dom and the prophets The to the establishment of the monarchy RELIGION: From the HISTORY:

From

origins

The exile and religious standardization, monarchy and the prophets Historical books Pentateuch THE BIBLE: Hebrew literature Prophetical

AND

family

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS:

Inheritance

Sapiential books.

Lyrical books

books LEGAL

Hebrew law

Marriage and the Judges

Persons

Commercial and economic life and procedure.

Penal

kw

Relief

ART: Architecture

THE ARAMAEANS

VH

HISTORY: Sources

Initial

167 Decline.

Apogee

phase

LANGUAGE. CULTURE: Introduction

Art

literature

Religion

Conclusion,

THE ARABS

Vffl SOUTHERN ARABS: Sources

History

and

181

Gods

social life

Religious

life

Arts.

CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARABS: Introduction

History

Religions

Arts.

Literature

MOHAMMED AND THE RISE OF ISLAM The Koran and other sources

Youth and

:

revelation

First

preaching

personality

At Medina

The Arabs

set

Success

Mohammed s

out to conquer the world.

THE ETHIOPIANS

DC

Political

220

ABYSSENIA-

From the origins to the introduction of Christianity the introduction of Christianity to the seventh century. RELIGIONS : Paganism Judaism Christianity.

HISTORY: Sources

From

an