Pretty much everyone knows about the beginning of civilization. Around 4000 BCE different civilizations started to pop up in a few river valleys in Africa and Asia.
Sumer was organized as an early dynasty around 4500 BCE.
The Indus valley civilization appeared around 3300 BCE. It remained stable for 2000 years.
China was established as a state around 3162 BCE.
Egypt appeared as a dynasty around 3150 BCE. It was led by local kings until 744 BCE when it was briefly conquered by the Nubians. There were a few rebellions, but it didn’t overly concern people outside of the Nile River. The Late Period saw alternating leadership by native Egyptians and Persian and Greek pharaohs.
For this post, I am going to focus on Western Civilization.
First Era, Sumer
For the first 2000 years of civilization, the Indo-Aryan civilization was fairly isolated, China broke up into multiple kingdoms in the 8th century BCE. There are interesting stories to tell here, of ancient monarchies ruling their empires, and they stayed mostly to themselves.
In the Middle East, there was the foundation of several kingdoms with distinct languages and cultures, unlike any other part of the world starting around 2200 BCE with the fall of Ur when it fell to the Akkadian Empire. This was the first cradle of civilization to truly fall, and you see the beginning of international relations in what resembles a fairly modern form in this region. Ur was restored as the Third Dynasty of Ur in 2112 BCE, and it lasted for 100 years before it fell to the Elamites.
This is the end of the first clear chapter of Western Civilization, around 2004 BCE
2: Isin-Larsa Period, 2004-1763 BCE
For around 300 years there was no clear dominant power in the Middle East. Isin and Larsa were the biggest poles of the region at this point until they were conquered by Hammurabi.
3: Babylonia and Assyria, 1763-911 BCE
The Old Babylonian Empire dominated the Middle East until 1595 BCE when it was replaced by the Kassite Empire.
In the 1400s Assyria started to grow, and between 1400 and 1000 BCE the Hittites were in Asia Minor, Egypt conquered the Levant, and the Fertile Crescent was balanced between the Assyrians and Kassites.
You see the foundation of Israel and Judah after the Egyptians leave the area in the 11th century BCE.
4. Neo-Assyrian dominance, 911-609 BCE
The Neo-Assyrian Empire was founded in 911 BCE. It steadily grew to encompass the entire fertile crescent, conquering everywhere from Babylon to Judah by 700 BCE.
5. Formation of Modern dynasties with the Neo-Babylonian empire, 609 BCE – Present
The Assyrian Empire fell in 609 BCE to the Neo-Babylonian Empire led by Nabopolassar. This was a war of conquest, and it changed history forever. The Neo-Assyrian Empire influenced all subsequent cultures to the point of being mentioned multiple times in the Bible and significantly impacting Jewish theology.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire is extremely significant because of its genealogical relationship with every later modern dynasty in the region.
King Nabopolassar was the grandfather of Shahanshah Astyages of Media, who was the grandfather of King Cyrus of the Achaemenid Empire.
Even though the Neo-Babylonian Empire had a short life, it had a profound impact on the world through the descendants of its kings, along with Lydia, and Medes and their kings are also all ancestors of King Cyrus the Great. This might be the first time in history where you see major marriages between political families in different countries as a form of political relations.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire was followed by the Achaemenid/First Persian Empire of Cyrus the Great and his descendants.
The fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire was of incredible significance for the history of the world. King Darius’ son-in-law Alexander the Great created the largest empire in history (up to that point in time) and when he died there was no clear line of succession.
After the throne fell to Alexander the Great’s brother-in-law Cassander, the throne went to many different dynasties, and multiple kingdoms were created following the end of the Macedonian empire.
The Seleucid Empire is of particular interest because the Basileus Antiochus Theos was the great-nephew of King Cassander. His grandson Megas Basileus Antiochus was the great-great-grandfather of King Phranaces of Pontus.
King Phrnaces of Pontus was the grandfather of King Aspurgus of the Bosporus.
King Aspurgus was the ancestor of King Aspacures of Iberia. Iberia was a Georgian kingdom, and the Kings of Iberia are the descendants of the Kings of Georgia.
In short, King Nabopolassar of the Neo-Babylonian Empire was the direct ancestor of a wife of Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great was the brother-in-law of King Cassander. King Cassander is an uncle of every monarch of Georgia.
It is clear to see that this era was massively historically to see on the map of the time as well. The Assyrian Empire was the largest empire to date, particularly in the region, but the Neo-Babylonian, Median, and Lydian empires were particularly large compared to preceding empires as well. Those monarchies are all ancestors of King Cyrus the Great of Persia.
There have obviously been other times great houses have sprung up since the Neo-Babylonian Empire, but I think it is really interesting how there is a clear genealogical relationship between the kings of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and every European royal family in the last 1000 years through marriage.
View the full genealogical path here:
http://www.stidmatt.com:2317/dare?em=R;ei=83116;et=S;color=;p=nabopolassar;n=of+akkad