HSC Ancient History - Integrated Ancient Near East study

Pedagogy: Thoughts on Integrated programming for HSC Ancient History by Dr Denis Mootz.

Suggested Scope and Sequence for an integrated Ancient Near East approach

Survey

9 hours (approx. 10 x 50 min lessons or 12 x 40 min lessons)

1. The Ancient Levant
   • Chronological context
   • Geographical context 
   • Key regional powers 
   • Contact between societies (trade, war, foreigners, etc.)
2. Ancient Israel
   • Geographical setting of the land, natural features and resources
   • Area of Israel vs. Judah and surrounding kingdoms
   • Important sites within Israel and Judah
3. Assyrian Empire
   • Geography, topography and resources
   • Relations with neighbours 
   • Organisation of empire 
   • Concept of kingship 
   • Overview of political, military, economic and social structure 
   • Overview of Assyrian and Babylonian religions

Focus of Study

81 hours (approx. 96 x 50 mins lessons or 120 x 40 mins lessons)

Society – Kingdom of Israel

1. Social structure and political organisation, including the roles and features of:
   • Israelite kingship, the Davidic dynasty
   • Jerusalem temple and priests in opposition to Israel
   • Prophets: Elijah, Amos, Elisha, Hosea
   • Bureaucracy, merchant class, artisans, workers
   • Women; royal and non-royal
   • Army
2. Economy
   • Importance of agriculture
   • Occupations, crafts and industry: wood, stone, metal, mining
   • Technology: tools, weapons, engineering, water systems (Siloam tunnel)
   • Economic exchange: trade with Judah and Assyria
   • Features of fortified cities: silos, Megiddo stables
3. Religion, death and burial
   • Conflicting religious beliefs and practices: polytheism, Ba’al, Asherah, Yahweh
   • Roles of priests and prophets
   • Roles and importance of religious places: High Places – Dan and Bethel
   • Importance of the Jerusalem temple
4. Cultural and everyday life
   • Art and architecture: Samaria, Jezreel and Megiddo, Samarian ivories, seals
   • Writing and literature: biblical narrative and Samarian ostraca
   • Leisure activities

Historical Period – First Temple Period

1. Kingdom of Israel and kingdom of Judah
   • Ancient Levant as a strategic geopolitical location and evidence for the presence of other peoples:
     • Philistines
     • Phoenicians
     • Kingdoms of: Edom, Moab, Ammon, Aram-Damascus
   • Expansion of population, trade and settlement
   • Reign of Solomon and building the First Temple
   • Division of the kingdoms Israel and Judah under Rehoboam c.931 BC
   • Changing relations between the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah from 931-722 BC.
2. Foreign relations with Assyria and Babylon
   • Prosperity of the northern kingdom of Israel and contact with neighbours from mid 10th century BC.
   • Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel and its capital Samaria in 722 BC.
   • Contributing factors and outcomes of the campaign of Assyrian king Sennacherib against Judah in 701 BC.
   • Judah’s prosperity in the 8th to 6th centuries BC as a client-state of Assyria
   • Relations with the Babylonian Empire

Personality - Sennacherib

1. Background and rise to prominence of Sennacherib
   • Family background
   • Education
   • Early political and administrative career
2. Key features and developments of the reign of Sennacherib
   • Succession to kingship
   • Military campaigns and defence of the empire 
   • Religious policies: promotion of Assur
   • Imagery and representations of the king 
   • Technological innovations: public works and building programs 
   • Foreign policy: relations with vassal states, Babylon, Elam and Lachish 
   • Organisation and administration of the empire
   • Manner and impact of his death
3. Evaluation of the reign of Sennacherib
   • Impact and influence on his time 
   • Assessment of his life and reign 
   • Legacy 
   • Ancient and modern images and interpretations of Sennacherib
4. One particular source or type of source (e.g. royal inscriptions of Sennacherib, Lachish reliefs in Sennacherib’s throne room in Nineveh).
   • Value and limitations of the source 
   • Evaluation of the source in the context of other available sources, including problems of evidence.