Cultural Explosion, 2700 BC

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Cultural Explosion, 2700 BC

During the Early Bronze Age, starting around 3000 BC, a sudden cultural growth and technological progress is observed in the majority of Eastern Mediterranean civilizations, landmarked by cities with monumental architecture and the development of new arts and crafts (most prominently metallurgy), which overturned the earlier data of Neolithic societies.
This period is approximately 2700 BC, which could be considered as a terminus post quem, i.e. a date after which new data can be recorded. There is no doubt that something important happened at that time that lead immediately to the parallel development of all great civilizations of antiquity (Greek, Egyptian, Indian). Certainly, the centre lies in Mesopotamian and the Sumerian civilizations, which are the first in which large and organized cities firstly appear, while the Sumerians are considered the first to invent writing, the use of the wheel and other advancements (geometry, astronomy).
The influence of Sumerian civilization in the surrounding cultures is considered indisputable by archaeologists. But the question remains: what happened after 2700? All these cultures outside of Mesopotamia, had passed from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, around 3000 BC, and were already in development. Only this growth was gradual, took ages, while after 2700 cultural progress becomes rapid, as if a blast abruptly changed the course of ancient civilizations.
Archaeological evidence leads us to look for a shocking event that occurs somewhere between the 28th and 27th century BC causing sweeping changes and developments in history. The answer is related to another shocking incident that happened in Mesopotamia and is connected with the history of the Sumerians, the cataclysm.
The Cataclysm in Mesopotamia
The valley of Mesopotamia, suffering from floods from antiquity until today, is associated with the overflow of two major rivers, Tigris and Euphrates. But the memory of the Sumerian and the surrounding nations in the Middle East ,maintained and recorded on clay cuneiform tablets, portrays a memorable and enormous rainfall that swept the cities of Mesopotamia, when at the time the dominant city was Eridu, successed by the city Kish.
This event in Sumerian was attributed to the word amaru, in Akkadian - Babylonian abubu, maggul in Hebrew and in Greek cataclysm. The excavations that began intensively in Mesopotamia in the 1920s revealed the traces of the flood in the stratigraphy of ancient cities, ie within the successive habitation layers where suddenly a layer of mud appeared and then again traces of habitation.

Map of the Sumerian cities.
Of course, the flood did not leave the same traces everywhere. The first who identified those traces was Leonard Woolley, who dug the city of Ur, in 1929. Under the royal tombs, clay tablets and other objects, dating to 3000 BC. (Fisher 2008, p. 94) were found and followed by a thick mud layer from 2.40 to 3 meters.

The flood stratum at Ur.
Woolley aptly pointed out that: "We were very lucky that we found even some traces of mud, because a flood does not leave everywhere the same mud layer. By contrast, in places where the momentum of water is greater, it can lure the soil instead leave behind mud. The mud deposited there by the flow of water is weakened by an obstacle.» (Uhlig 2002, p.109).
During the same period excavation were carried out in the city Kish by Stephen Langdon, who also found a less thick layer of mud, below which a four-wheeled chariot with skeletons of animals on the axes was found. At the top of the layer a cylinder seal from lapis lazuli (Field 1929, p. 18) was detected, which helped in dating the layer. The Langdon, in accordance with Woolley, linked this layer with the flood and dated the event around 3300 BC (Fisher 2008, p. 95)

The flood stratum at Kish.
The findings and interpretations of the excavators were strongly contested. As in many cities traces of floods that interrupted the stratigraphy were found, the question that arose was what ultimately is the layer associated with the gigantic flood of texts and traditions, as well as referenced in the book of Genesis in the Bible.
Many researchers were identifying the time of the flood between 3000 and 2900 (Samuel Noah Kramer, Reflections on the Mesopotamian Flood, the cuneiform data new and old, Expedition Summer 1967 and Max Mallowan, Noah's Flood reconsidered, Iraq, Vol.XXVI 1964, 62- 83). If we combine, however, the archaeological data with the Sumerian texts (mainly the Sumerian Kings List), we exclude this possibility as these dates are too late – maybe perhaps some other floods happened then but not the great amaru - abubu!
The proof is simple to find. The Kings List clearly states that before the flood there were five (large) cities, featuring as the greatest among them the city of Eridu. Afterwards the kingdom was moved to Kish and later in Uruk (Warka). This leads us to believe that Kish and Uruk (like Ur) were developed as cities after the flood, while previously they were considered insignificant villages by the Sumerians.
According to archaeologists, both Kish and Uruk evolved in cities after 3200. Especially in 2900 Uruk was considered a "big" city, which does not seem to be hit by a flood. Around 3000 BC the magnificent walls were built, while the urban and cultural expansion was relentless. Even if there were no traces of mud, the flood would have left traces of destruction in Uruk and would be noticed by archaeologists.

Reconstruction of the White Temple of An(u) in Uruk.
The cataclysm, therefore, occurred before 3200, before the big expansion and prosperity of the city of Uruk. There is no doubt that the sludge layer discovered by Langdon in the city of Kish was the result of the terrible cataclysm that erupted somewhere in 3300 or later, but certainly before 3200, and not between 3000 and 2900 BC in absolute chronological dates, while in seasons during the Uruk 4 (Uruk IV) and not in Uruk 3 (Uruk III or Jemdet Nasr). When the waters of the flood reached the Persian Gulf and soil dried out, the Sumerians resettled their cities, but for some reason chose as their new capital Kish and not Eridu.
Both Woolley and Langdon believed in the reliability of the Bible, while many other "anti-Christian" scientists were incredibly annoyed by watching archeology to verify the Bible in a spectacular way! Thus somewhat emerged the dispute that exists today. The contrast, as far as the chronology of the biblical cataclysm is concerned, between the Greek translation of the Old Testament of the Septuagint used to date by our Orthodox Church, and the Jewish version, used by Westerners, played a negative role.
This difference confused many people in the West and made them seek the time of the flood in 2400 BC, something incompatible with all data, while giving "food" for the scientists-enemies of Christianity, to mock the reliability the Bible. Archaeology triumphantly vindicated the Greek translation, based on which the flood was in 3266 BC, which is fully in line with the dating of Langdon.
Characteristic is an article published in a newspaper, published during the great excavations, presenting the views of Langdon and those of the entrepreneur and researcher Charles Marston (The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, 3 Μay 1933 - http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp / del / article / 54728654), who confidently connected the biblical references to the findings of the excavations.
The other major problem is that for centuries the cataclysm of the Bible was considered an international event, which is incorrect and puzzled many researchers, since the cataclysm turned out to be local in the valley of Mesopotamia. The cataclysm led the water level height to 15 cubits, corresponding to 7 or 8.5 meters (Gen.7,20), high enough to cover the low hills of the valley of Mesopotamia. The surrounding areas, such as Persia, Syria-Palestine and Armenia were apparently not directly affected, as were the mountainous areas with high altitude.
Nevertheless the very important detail of the Bible "Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered." meaning the area of present-day Iraq and not the whole earth (because then we had to get the water to a height of almost 10 km!) was overlooked by many researchers which resulted in erroneous theories and comments.

The Arc of Noah, mosaic from St. Marc of Venice.

Connection of the Cataclysm and the cultural explosion

In the following centuries nothing so shocking happened until we get to 2700 BC, when as mentioned initially we are looking for the fact that influenced the world history. Let us move again guided by the archaeological evidence of the great civilizations of the time and identify how they are all connected with what was mentioned about the flood and the Bible.
Aegean - Greece

In Greece at the time we go through the Early Helladic I to Early Helladic II (EH) we observe a total of three cultural zones (Helladic, Cycladic and Minoan or Pre-palatial) simultaneous development, particularly of course in Crete, where growth is faster and leads gradually to the emergence of large cities and eventually palaces.
The sudden change that happens in Crete, and in the rest of the Aegean, since 2700, has been identified by archaeologists for many years: "The first transition of Prepalatial Period follows a sudden flowering of culture and a substantial change of life in Crete. The very rapid development has been observed in the other two areas of the Aegean Culture, the Cyclades in Greece and Troy and Lemnos (treasures Priam and Poliochni). It seems that this period marked a cultural enhancement of the Mediterranean element of Anatolia "(IEE, Vol A, p.111).
Specifically, in Crete EM IIA (Early Minoan) a population growth is observed, with the possible advent of a new population on the island around 2600 (IEE, p.110) , followed by a multiplication of the settlements and observing the following: intensive habitation in areas with fertile land or seafront significant coastal sites operate as maritime trade centers, points of entry, production and distribution of raw materials, objects and technological knowledge Cycladic origin. Finally, the high degree of technical sophistication and local workshops producing high-quality products to a broad movement is apparent.
Elements such as machining development, trade bloom and increase in settlements appear generally in Greece during the IP II. The element that is still missing in Greece this season is the monumental architecture (massive palaces, temples terminals etc.), already developed by the surrounding cultures, but in Greece they appear with the old Minoan palace after 2000 BC.

Reconstruction of the New Palace at Cnossos, Crete.





Mesopotamia

Middle East at Early Bronze Age
In the valley of Mesopotamia the flowering of Sumerian civilization continued and now begins the early dynastic period (Early Dynastic II). The Sumerians were not able to establish a unitary state like Egypt, but remained divided into autonomous city-states. Here we have the appearance of monumental architecture, with the famous ziggurat (temples shaped stepped pyramid).


Reconstruction of Ziggurat in Mesopotamia.
Egypt
In Egypt the period of the Old Kingdom is inaugurated with the Pharaoh Djoser (2681-2648). The built of the first monumental buildings in Egypt begins at that period, starting with the Step Pyramid at Saqqara by architect Imhotep (Saqqara, the necropolis of Memphis).

The first Pyramid in Egypt.

India

Towards the end of the 27th century the civilization in the Indus Valley developed, especially in the cities Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, which impress with their urban planning and advanced water and sewage system, which offered protection from flooding of the Indus river. The similarities in the exploitation of water with corresponding technological achievements of Minoan Crete are impressive.

Reconstruction of city gate in Harappa

China
Between the myth and history found in 2697 and in China a sudden development is observed, the so-called Yellow Emperor (Huangdi), who is considered traditionally the initiator of Chinese culture and the rapporteur of many inventions, pushes China from its primitive state.
Americas

Map of Peru and archaeological cites
Even further, in South America, we see that again after the 2700 in the area of present Peru, in which centuries ago the Inca cities Caral ( culture Norte Chico) were developed, where the ruins are impressive stepped pyramids, El Paraiso and Paracas.

Ruins of stepped pyramid at Caral.
Connection Cataclysm - cultural explosion

Based on genealogies and ages of the patriarchs before Abraham, in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, we estimate that 532 years after the flood the tower of Babel was reconstructed, which led to the creation of new nations. Since the flood occurred in 3266 BC, after 532 years we arrive at 2734 BC, near the key-year 2700! So the Bible gives us the answer to the mystery surrounding the phenomenon of cultural explosion: due to breakdown and dispersion of the nations at Babel.
The race of Adam

In order to understand the deeper meaning of these two key events (flood, Babel Tower), we should mention a plethora of data.
Let us first mention the Adam's race. Apart from the first man, called Adam in Genesis we see that the descendants of Adam from the third son, Seth, are also called Adam. It is the so-called race of Adam (ie the descendants of Seth), which maintained unadulterated faith in the true God and from which was to be born the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This tribe lived in Mesopotamia, along with the Sumerians and other peoples around.
Unfortunately, Adam's race began gradually to make marriages with the lords of the surrounding peoples (Gen.6,2), that lead to its moral degradation. The Sumerians, with whom mainly the "Adams" were mixed were extremely immoral in matters of sexual instinct and committing things which were '... Obscene to outbreak and to speak "(Ephes.5,12). But God wanted to remain chaste least this generation - race and not be seduced into disrespect or wrong religious beliefs (eg idolatry).
Eventually the spiritual and moral deterioration progressed so much that the Adam's race at the end of the 4th BC Millennium had fallen completely and had removed itself permanently from God (Gen.6,4 onwards). The cataclysm, therefore, was set out to eliminate and regenerate the impoverished tribe of Adam and was not set against the rest of mankind, that was affected by the event. Obviously Sumerians (especially merchants missing on trips) and other tribes of Mesopotamia, who lived near the surrounding mountains, such as Elamites were saved.
Noah was the only one among thousands of the tribal people, who had remained devout and faithful to God and God used the worthy and fair Noah and his family to regenerate the Adam's race. Noah, his wife, his three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and the wives of his sons, all eight persons, escape through the ark and continue life in Mesopotamia and the reproduction of this race.

Noah constructs the Arc. Mosaic from Capella Palatina in Palermo, Sicily.
By the time of the reconstruction of the tower of Babel the entire race of Adam (or most of) lived together in Mesopotamia and spoke the same language. Eventually they decided to build a huge tower, to satisfy their ego and their pride, the famous tower of Babel. But God, who "opposes the proud" (Jac.4,6), overturned their plans (to build a tower to heaven) supernaturally by confusing their language and simultaneously creating numerous languages, so that they could not come together and continue building this project.
This confusion – led by the messed language (Babel in Hebrew) created various nations, as each fellowmen group of people turned simultaneously into a separate nation. At the same time began the dispersion of the nations, that stopped living together and settled in other parts of the world. Immediately after the flood, God had blessed the family of Noah and asked them to fill the earth and to spread everywhere (Gen.9,1).
This was God's plan and it seems that the people knew of the race of Adam, as shown by "let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." (Gen.11,4). Eventually, God intervened to make the dispersion of the race around the world, through the confusion, rather than to hurt their pride.

When the Most High came down and confused the tongues,
he parted the nations. Kontakion of Pentecost.
The book of Genesis gives us other useful information such as the names of the patriarchs of the race, how they lived, what was their bearing age and how they ended. So we estimate that from the flood to the dispersion of the nations, which was when the Falek born (or Peleg in the Hebrew original, Gen.10,25) 532 years intervene. At the same time we learn that Japheth come from most European and Asian tribes, from some African Ham and Shem Jews, Arabs, Assyrians and others.
We certainly know other details, such as how many members had every nation when in Babel (would certainly be hundreds or even thousands), how they decided to choose their destination (for example, the son of Ham, the Mizraim, with relatives and their descendants, came to Egypt). But it seems that in a few years these new nations (the former race of Adam) arrived in very remote areas, where they met the ancient peoples who already lived there from the Neolithic era, merged with them, either by peaceful intrusion or by war, and so we were led to the creation of new nations and cultures.
Undoubtedly, all these nations were carriers of the civilization of Mesopotamia, and lived there for centuries. No surprise, they're settled, to pass on this knowledge in the new countries that were found and give impetus to domestic cultures encountered, so that we have this sudden cultural progress after 2700.



Javan
The evidence for the historicity of those mentioned above is proved by other elements directly related to Greece. Genesis refers to the creation of the Greek nation. One of the sons of Japheth was the Javan. Both Japheth (Iapetus) and the Javan(Ion) exist as names in Greek mythology. Javan with his four sons and the rest of the family (grandchildren, great-grandchildren) are the first Greeks who, after the event of Babel come to Greece and settle firstly in Crete and then spread to the rest of the Aegean.

Early Helladic jug from Kontopigado, Alimos, Greece.
Here in the Aegean they meet other people, who were settled there from the Neolithic era, Pelasgians, Leleges and Carians, as we are told by the ancient writers. Proto-Hellenic tribes dominate, creating the brilliant culture of the Bronze Age, Crete, Cyclades and later at Mycenae. Over the centuries, however, the memory of the past begins to turn off and alters, resulting in historical memory and great traditions merged into Greek mythology.
Apart from the remembrance of Iapetus and Ion, for whom Euripides tragedy states that had four sons, like Genesis, the memory of the cataclysm is kept (Deucalion), along with the original heavenly state of people (Hesiod, Gold gender people), the existence of Giants (tall people with great muscular strength, Diodorus 5.71). Linguistically the similarity in Greek and biblical names endings can be seen in suffix –an.
If we compare the word Titan, the names of the Titans Ouranos and Okeanos, the ancient Greek tribes Arktanes, Ainianes and Athamanes, and even the word Hellenes –Greek (in Doric Hellanes), and the other Biblical Javan, Dodan or Rhodan, we see that they have a common suffix. Even this is remembrance of life in Mesopotamia!
In Sumerian mythology An is the sky god (and Anu in Akkadian). So, as we have Greek composite names with the word theos (god) (Timo-the-os Doro-the-os etc.), the first Greeks synthesized names with the Sumerian translation, which reminded them of their former homeland. Similarly, the Earth goddess Ge (Γη) in Sumerian called Ki, which is pronounced as -gi- in greek. Finally, the Sumerian goddess Tethys is Tiammat. (Burkert 2003 p.141).
It is patently clear that the first Hellenes, centuries ago before the prevalence of the Twelve Gods, worshiped Heaven and Earth, the names of which have maintained their language similar to their former neighbors Sumerians, even if the languages diverged. It is not excluded, however, that some the first Hellenes still retained faith in the true God when they came to Greece as their "grandfather" Japheth and his great-grandfather Noah.
Even the favorite building of race of Adam, the (gradient) pyramid, found in Greece, near Thebes (Hill Amfeiou), dates in this landmark date in 2700 BC Of course the Greeks, either due to earthquakes or because of a different mindset than other peoples, avoided huge height buildings, preferring to invest in width and quality (Minoan palaces).
Striking resemblance have the main sacred symbols of the Minoans, who crowd the art of Crete, with the Sumerian ones. The bull is worshiped equally in both regions, like the horns of the bull reminiscent of the crescent (called horns of consecration), and also a favorite tool of both is the double axe (cf. website http://mmtaylor.net/Holiday2000 /Legends/Sumer-Crete.html)

Epilogue

Correspondingly, we believe that the Bible and the tradition of the Orthodox Church is not fictitious nor altered data recording, but preserves the truth in collaboration with God and men. Especially the book of Genesis, if we knew how to use and to interpret correctly, will help us in the research of human history.
Finally, we believe that the Greek nation, like so many other nations, was created automatically, somewhere in 2700, in Senaar Mesopotamia, as explained in the narrative of Babel. Our founder was Jonah with his extended family, who came to the Aegean and brought the first greek language and cultural achievements of Mesopotamia.
This certainly does not mean that we are Jewish or Semitic, since Genesis clearly states that the ancestor of all Jews is Shem (Gen.10,21) and especially his son, Arphaxad, who created the people of Jews. But certainly we all nations share ancestry, either through Adam or through the ark.
Compared with other brilliant civilizations of the Bronze Age, the Greeks excelled in not trapping themselves (as the Indians or the Egyptians), but they expanded rapidly in the Mediterranean, through shipping and finally arrived in northern Europe (Britain, Baltic where we have found Minoan and Mycenaean finds in excavations) and probably in Canada (!),extracting copper and gold and bringing them to Greece. (Plutarch, On the face which appears on the orb of the Moon 941-942, commented by I.Mariolakos and M.Tsikritsis).
Our mythology is full of references to naval expansion in many areas (country Hyperboreans, Ethiopia, India) across the Mediterranean, which indicates that probably the Greeks received a special gift from God and managed to spread and affect culturally the humanity more than any other people.
Author
Father Dionysios Katsoulis
Greek Orthodox Priest – Archaeologist
e-mail: [email protected]
mobile: +30 6937868117
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Translation in English:
Bakouni Joanna-Eugenia
Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Business Administration
University of Piraeus
e-mail: [email protected] " [email protected]
mobile: +30 698 11 27 068
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