the story of mankind-第6部分

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the　masters　of　the　valley　of　the　Nile。　They　were　highly　un…

popular　and　great　hate　was　also　felt　for　the　Hebrews　who

came　to　the　land　of　Goshen　to　find　a　shelter　after　their　long

wandering　through　the　desert　and　who　helped　the　foreign

usurper　by　acting　as　his　tax…gatherers　and　his　civil　servants。



But　shortly　after　the　year　1700　B。C。　the　people　of　Thebes

began　a　revolution　and　after　a　long　struggle　the　Hyksos　were

driven　out　of　the　country　and　Egypt　was　free　once　more。



A　thousand　years　later；　when　Assyria　conquered　all　of

western　Asia；　Egypt　became　part　of　the　empire　of　Sardanapalus。

In　the　seventh　century　B。C。　it　became　once　more　an

independent　state　which　obeyed　the　rule　of　a　king　who　lived　in

the　city　of　Sais　in　the　Delta　of　the　Nile。　But　in　the　year　525

B。C。；　Cambyses；　the　king　of　the　Persians；　took　possession　of

Egypt　and　in　the　fourth　century　B。C。；　when　Persia　was　conquered

by　Alexander　the　Great；　Egypt　too　became　a　Macedonian

province。　It　regained　a　semblance　of　independence

when　one　of　Alexander's　generals　set　himself　up　as　king　of　a

new　Egyptian　state　and　founded　the　dynasty　of　the　Ptolemies；

who　resided　in　the　newly　built　city　of　Alexandria。



Finally；　in　the　year　89　B。C。；　the　Romans　came。　The　last

Egyptian　queen；　Cleopatra；　tried　her　best　to　save　the　country。

Her　beauty　and　charm　were　more　dangerous　to　the　Roman

generals　than　half　a　dozen　Egyptian　army　corps。　Twice　she

was　successful　in　her　attacks　upon　the　hearts　of　her　Roman

conquerors。　But　in　the　year　30　B。C。；　Augustus；　the　nephew

and　heir　of　Caesar；　landed　in　Alexandria。　He　did　not　share

his　late　uncle's　admiration　for　the　lovely　princess。　He　destroyed

her　armies；　but　spared　her　life　that　he　might　make　her

march　in　his　triumph　as　part　of　the　spoils　of　war。　When

Cleopatra　heard　of　this　plan；　she　killed　herself　by　taking　poison。

And　Egypt　became　a　Roman　province。







MESOPOTAMIA



MESOPOTAMIATHE　SECOND　CENTRE　OF

EASTERN　CIVILISATION





I　AM　going　to　take　you　to　the　top　of　the　highest　pyramid

and　I　am　going　to　ask　that　you　imagine　yourself　possessed

of　the　eyes　of　a　hawk。　Way；　way　off；　in　the　distance；　far

beyond　the　yellow　sands　of　the　desert；　you　will　see　something

green　and　shimmering。　It　is　a　valley　situated　between　two

rivers。　It　is　the　Paradise　of　the　Old　Testament。　It　is　the

land　of　mystery　and　wonder　which　the　Greeks　called　Mesopotamia

the　‘‘country　between　the　rivers。''



The　names　of　the　two　rivers　are　the　Euphrates　（which　the

Babylonians　called　the　Purattu）　and　the　Tigris　（which　was

known　as　the　Diklat）。　They　begin　their　course　amidst　the

snows　of　the　mountains　of　Armenia　where　Noah's　Ark　found

a　resting　place　and　slowly　they　flow　through　the　southern

plain　until　they　reach　the　muddy　banks　of　the　Persian　gulf。

They　perform　a　very　useful　service。　They　turn　the　arid

regions　of　western　Asia　into　a　fertile　garden。



The　valley　of　the　Nile　had　attracted　people　because　it　had

offered　them　food　upon　fairly　easy　terms。　The　‘‘land　between

the　rivers''　was　popular　for　the　same　reason。　It　was　a

country　full　of　promise　and　both　the　inhabitants　of　the　northern

mountains　and　the　tribes　which　roamed　through　the

southern　deserts　tried　to　claim　this　territory　as　their　own　and

most　exclusive　possession。　The　constant　rivalry　between　the

mountaineers　and　the　desert…nomads　led　to　endless　warfare。

Only　the　strongest　and　the　bravest　could　hope　to　survive　and

that　will　explain　why　Mesopotamia　became　the　home　of　a　very

strong　race　of　men　who　were　capable　of　creating　a　civilisation

which　was　in　every　respect　as　important　as　that　of　Egypt。







THE　SUMERIANS



THE　SUMERIAN　NAIL　WRITERS；　WHOSE　CLAY

TABLETS　TELL　US　THE　STORY　OF　ASSYRIA

AND　BABYLONIA；　THE　GREAT　SEMITIC

MELTING…POT





THE　fifteenth　century　was　an　age　of　great　discoveries。

Columbus　tried　to　find　a　way　to　the　island　of　Kathay　and

stumbled　upon　a　new　and　unsuspected　continent。　An　Austrian

bishop　equipped　an　expedition　which　was　to　travel　eastward

and　find　the　home　of　the　Grand　Duke　of　Muscovy；　a

voyage　which　led　to　complete　failure；　for　Moscow　was　not

visited　by　western　men　until　a　generation　later。　Meanwhile

a　certain　Venetian　by　the　name　of　Barbero　had　explored　the

ruins　of　western　Asia　and　had　brought　back　reports　of　a　most

curious　language　which　he　had　found　carved　in　the　rocks　of

the　temples　of　Shiraz　and　engraved　upon　endless　pieces　of

baked　clay。



But　Europe　was　busy　with　many　other　things　and　it　was

not　until　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century　that　the　first

‘‘cuneiform　inscriptions''　（so…called　because　the　letters　were

wedge…shaped　and　wedge　is　called　‘‘Cuneus''　in　Latin）　were

brought　to　Europe　by　a　Danish　surveyor；　named　Niebuhr。

Then　it　took　thirty　years　before　a　patient　German　school…

master　by　the　name　of　Grotefend　had　deciphered　the　first　four

letters；　the　D；　the　A；　the　R　and　the　SH；　the　name　of　the　Persian

King　Darius。　And　another　twenty　years　had　to　go　by

until　a　British　officer；　Henry　Rawlinson；　who　found　the　famous

inscription　of　Behistun；　gave　us　a　workable　key　to　the　nail…

writing　of　western　Asia。



Compared　to　the　problem　of　deciphering　these　nail…writings；

the　job　of　Champollion　had　been　an　easy　one。　The

Egyptians　used　pictures。　But　the　Sumerians；　the　earliest

inhabitants　of　Mesopotamia；　who　had　hit　upon　the　idea　of

scratching　their　words　in　tablets　of　clay；　had　discarded　pictures

entirely　and　had　evolved　a　system　of　V…shaped　figures　which

showed　little　connection　with　the　pictures　out　of　which　they

had　been　developed。　A　few　examples　will　show　you　what　I

mean。　In　the　beginning　a　star；　when　drawn　with　a　nail　into

a　brick　looked　as　follows：　｛illust。｝　This　sign　however　was　too

cumbersome　and　after　a　short　while　when　the　meaning　of

‘‘heaven''　was　added　to　that　of　star　the　picture　was　simplified

in　this　way　｛illust。｝　which　made　it　even　more　of　a　puzzle。

In　the　same　way　an　ox　changed　from　｛illust｝　into　｛illust。｝

and　a　fish　changed　from　｛illust。｝　into　｛illust。｝　The　sun

was　originally　a　plain　circle　｛illust。｝　and　became　｛illust。｝

If　we　were　using　the　Sumerian　script　today　we　would　make　an

｛illust。｝　look　like　｛illust。｝。　This　system　of　writing　down　our

ideas　looks　rather　complicated　but　for　more　than　thirty　centuries

it　was　used　by　the　Sumerians　and　the　Babylonians　and

the　Assyrians　and　the　Persians　and　all　the　different　races

which　forced　their　way　into　the　fertile　valley。



The　story　of　Mesopotamia　is　one　of　endless　warfare　and

conquest。　First　the　Sumerians　came　from　the　North。　They

were　a　white　People　who　had　lived　in　the　mountains。　They

had　been　accustomed　to　worship　their　Gods　on　the　tops　of

hills。　After　they　had　entered　the　plain　they　constructed　artificial

little　hills　on　top　of　which　they　built　their　altars。　They

did　not　know　how　to　build　stairs　and　they　therefore　surrounded

their　towers　with　sloping　galleries。　Our　engineers

have　borrowed　this　idea；　as　you　may　see　in　our　big　railroad

stations　where　ascending　galleries　lead　from　one　floor　to　another。

We　may　have　borrowed　other　ideas　from　the　Sumerians

but　we　do　not　know　it。　The　Sumerians　were　entirely　ab…

sorbed　by　those　races　that　entered　the　fertile　valley　at　a　later

date。　Their　towers　however　still　stand　amidst　the　ruins　of

Mesopotamia。　The　Jews　saw　them　when　they　went　into　exile

in　the　land　of　Babylon　and　they　called　them　towers　of　BabIlli；

or　towers　of　Babel。



In　the　fortieth　century　before　our　era；　the　Sumerians　had

entered　Mesopotamia。　They　were　soon　afterwards　over…

powered　by　the　Akkadians；　one　of　the　many　tribes　from　the

desert　of　Arabia　who　speak　a　common　dialect　and　who　are

known　as　the　‘‘Semites；''　because　in　the　olden　days　people　believed

them　to　be　the　direct　descendants　of　Shem；　one　of　the

three　sons　of　Noah。　A　thousand　years　later；　the　Akkadians

were　forced　to　submit　to　the　rule　of　the　Amorites；　another

Semitic　desert　tribe　whose　great　King　Hammurabi　built　himself

a　magnificent　palace　in　the　holy　city　of　Babylon　and　who

gave　his　people　a　set　of　laws　which　made　the　Babylonian　state

the　best　administered　empire　of　the　ancient　world。　Next　the

Hittites；　whom　you　will　also　meet　in　the　Old　Testament；　over…

ran　the　Fertile　Valley　and　destroyed　whatever　they　could　not

carry　away。　They　in　turn　were　vanquished　by　the　followers

of　the　great　desert　God；　Ashur；　who　called　themselves　Assyrians

and　who　made　the　city　of　Nineveh　the　center　of　a　vast

and　terrible　empire　which　conquered　all　of　western　Asia　and

Egypt　and　gathered　taxes　from　countless　subject　races　until

the　end　of　the　seventh　century　before　the　birth　of　Christ　when

the　Chaldeans；　also　a　Semitic　tribe；　re…established　Babylon　and

made　that　city　the　most　important　capital　of　that　day。

Nebuchadnezzar；　the　best　known　of　their　Kings；　encouraged

the　study　of　science；　and　our　modern　knowledge　of　astronomy

and　mathematics　is　all　based　upon　certain　first　principles　which

were　discovered　by　the　Chaldeans。　In　the　year　538　B。C。　a

crude　tribe　of　Persian　shepherds　invaded　this　old　land　and

overthrew　the　empire　of　the　Chaldeans。　Two　hundred　years

later；　they　in　turn　were　overthrown　by　Alexander　the　Great；

who　turned　the　Fertile　Valley；　the　old　melting…pot　of　so　many

Semitic　races；　into　a　Greek　province。　Next　came　the　Romans

and　after　the　Romans；　the　Turks；　and　Mesopotamia；　the　second

centre　of　the　world's　civilisation；　became　a　vast　wilderness

where　huge　mounds　of　earth　told　a　story　of　ancient　glory。







MOSES



THE　STORY　OF　MOSES；　THE　LEADER　OF　THE

JEWISH　PEOPLE





SOME　time　during　the　twentieth　century　before　our　era；

a　small　and　unimportant　tribe　of　Semitic　shepherds　had　left

its　old　home；　which　was　situated　in　the　land　of　Ur　on　the　mouth

of　the　Euphrates；　and　had　tried　to　find　new　pastures　within

the　domain　of　the　Kings　of　Babylonia。　They　had　been　driven

away　by　the　royal　soldiers　and　they　had　moved　westward

looking　for　a　little　piece　of