Wisdom of the Ancient World PDF

Wisdom of the Ancient World What is wisdom? Biblical wisdom Proverb 9:10 “Fear of YHWH is the beginning wisdom; and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverb 1:7 “Fear of YHWH is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and correction.” Wisdom as… 1. Know-How (skills) – abili...

Wisdom of the Ancient World What is wisdom? Biblical wisdom Proverb 9:10 “Fear of YHWH is the beginning wisdom; and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverb 1:7 “Fear of YHWH is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and correction.” Wisdom as… 1. Know-How (skills) – ability to do some, putting into practice the kind of knowledge 2. Know-Why (knowledge of know why) – understanding the big pictures 3. Know-What (understanding) PRE-HISTORY - Written records are where history begin (its where people are telling us certain things are happening) - (much of our understanding of early humans still relies on conjecture) humble to respect to the theories Pre-history - Old Stone age = Paleolithic Age (??? – 12,000 BC) (Paleo means old) - Mesolithic age (12,000 -10,000 BC) (Meso means middle) - New Stone Neolithic Age (10,000 – 3,300 BC) (Neo means new) “History” Begins Early Bronze Age (3,300 – 2,200 BC) 4.2 Kilo-year Event (2,200 – 2,100 BC) (dark moments) Bronze Age (2,100 – 1,200 BC) Iron Age (1,200 -600 BC) Classical antiquity (600 BC – 600 AD) Middle Ages (500-1500 AD) Modern Ages Turning Points n The harnessing of fire n Tools Hunter-Gatherer: A member of nomadic people who live chiefly by hunting and fishing, and harvesting wild food - There are still parts of the world where this still exist - These communities were small making it easy to travel and work (30 to 40 is the larger it would get) Farmer-Pastoralist (Bronze Age)  - Type of agriculture that focuses on raising and producing animals for food, milk, and other products. Shelters – different types of shelter - Teepees - Huts - Cave (other types of rock formation) Communities – (hunters begin to settle down in certain area until terrible crops) - Kins and clans group develop town or villages - Created pottery, utensil, etc. Writing – nonverbal communication started pictographically Cuneiform: Denoting or relating to the wedge-shaped characters used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia, Persia, and Ugarit, surviving mainly impressed on clay tablets. Earliest Civilization n Egypt (~3,100 BC) n Mesopotamia (~3,000 BC) n India (~3,000 BC) n Peru (~2,600 BC) n China (~2,000 BC) n Central Asia (~2,000 BC) Criteria of a Civilization according to Spielvogel - An Urban Focus (have city connection) - A Distinct Religious Culture - Political and Military Structures - Social Structures Based on Economic Power - The Development of Writing - New Forms of Artistic and Intellectual Activity Ancient Egyptian Civilization ~ 3,100 B.C Manetho - Is an Egyptian Priest, Historian (3rd Century BC) - Split up Egyptian history according to 31 Dynasties of Kings - Divide Egyptian into 3 major periods (old, middle, new) divided by “Intermediate” periods - Dynast is family type of rule - Pharaoh Narmer (Menes) United Upper (southern) and Lower (northern) Egypt. Warts - Ma’at (signified order & harmony)  - Amenemhet I – launched new Royal Dynasty - Later Egyptians later portrayed the Middle Kingdom as a ‘Golden Age” of Egypt Worldview Window#1 “Worldview” - The sum total of answers one gives to life’s most important questions - Polytheism n Components of a Worldview 1. God: does anything (or anyone) supernatural or transcendent exist beyond time-space reality? 2. Humanity: What is the nature, origin, and purpose of humankind? 3. Reality: What is the nature of reality? What really exists and has being? 4. Truth: What is the nature of truth, and how can I know anything at all? 5. Values: Is anything truly right, good, meaningful, and of worth?