Middle Eastern Civilization: Classification:  SS

The Middle East has been a crossroads of culture for thousands of years, and has exerted a huge influence on other cultures. Except for the last 500 years, the Middle East was always ahead of Western Europe in terms of both civilization and culture throughout traceable human history. Some notable accomplishments of the Middle East include: the first comprehensive code of law that has survived (Babylon, 1800 B.C.); the first conception of a single, all-powerful deity; and some of the oldest continuously inhabited towns on earth, including Jerico and Byblos. Models of government and society established in the Middle East thousands of years ago continue to influence our society today. A study of this topic should result in an understanding of how this region’s rich history produced the Middle Eastern civilization of today.

Related Links:

• Northern Virginia Community College -- resources for middle eastern history
• Ottoman Empire -- an overview
• Mesopotamia -- The British Museum offers insight into the origins of civilization
• Fordham Univerity's (Free) Internet Ancient History Sourcebook
• Trade Routes of the Ancient World
• Middle Eastern Culture -- links and resources
• Middle Eastern Curriculum Links from a Public School System