Saturday, December 7, 2013

History of sickness and medical art 15: Ancient Israel 1

 Jerusalem was destroyed in the sixth century B.C. and the peoples were transported to Babylon. 

< Jerusalem was destroyed in the sixth century B.C. and the peoples were transported to Babylon. >

From now on, we look at the medical art of ancient Israel.
This time, we look at ancient Israel having the rare history.

これから古代イスラエルの医術を見ていきます。
今回は、希有な歴史を持つ古代イスラエルを見ます。


the ruins of a village in Jericho

< the ruins of a village in Jericho  

What is rare?
This nation was sandwiched between the vast desert and the sea, furthermore between two ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
World religion was not born of the both ancient civilizations, but Judaism and Christianity were born of this small nation.
Two ancient civilizations of China and India created each world religions.
Furthermore, the peoples lost the hometown and roamed around the world for 2000 years, and they again accomplished the founding of their nation in Palestine.
It was the Jewish nation, and Israel.                        


何が希有なのか
この国は砂漠と海、エジプトとメソポタミアの古代文明に挟まれていた。
その両古代文明から世界宗教は生まれなかったが、小さなこの地からユダヤ教、キリスト教が誕生した。
中国とインドの古代文明は世界宗教を生みだした。
さらに一民族が故郷を失い、2000年間も世界を放浪し、再びパレスチナの地に建国を成し遂げた。
実に驚異的なユダヤ民族であり、イスラエルであった。


Levant's trade routes

< Levant's trade routes    >

What was there in this ground?
It was this hills part of Orient where human beings first settled down to grow crops and to keep animals.
The oldest place was Jericho in Palestine, and it dated back to 10000 years B.C.
Then, the shores of Palestine became the anchorages in where Egypt carries out maritime trade.
In its northern part, Phoenicia (Lebanon) became a base in order for Mesopotamia to go to the Mediterranean.
In this way, this Levant (shore of the eastern Mediterranean Sea) prospered in trade and became a place where many peoples come and go.

Some characters were created in Sinai Peninsula and Canaan at about the 15th century B.C. and it had derived from the hieroglyphic of Egypt.
It spread into Mesopotamia from Levant.
The most of today's alphabet were derived from this character.



この地に何があったのか
人類が最初に農耕牧畜を行い、村を作ったのは、オリエントの丘陵部でした。
その最も古いものがパレスチナのエリコで、それは紀元前1万年前まで遡る。
その後、パレスチナの沿岸部はエジプトが海上交易する寄港地となった。
北のフェニキア(現レバノン)は、メソポタミアが地中海に出る拠点となった。
こうして、このレバント(地中海東部沿岸地方)は交易で栄え、幾多の民族が往来する所となった。

紀元前15世紀頃、文字がシナイ半島とカナンの地で生まれ、それはエジプトの象形文字それはレバントを中心にメソポタミアに普及した。
今日のアルファベットのほとんどはこの文字から派生した。



< Assyria grew up to the huge empire  >

Though this small nation was bombarded with the both great nations that were antagonistic to each other, this nation was able to survive, because it was bounded by the vast desert and the ridge of the Great Rift Valley.
However, when the national power of Egypt declined, this nation received thorough destruction by Mesopotamia in the 8th century B.C., and Jewish Diaspora began.
Furthermore, in the first century, the Roman Empire conquered the Jewish revolt, and the Jew and the Christian broke up to the west.
The great achievement of Solomon Empire (B.C. 1000) completely was dissipated in this way.


この小国は大地溝帯の尾根と砂漠で囲まれていたことにより、拮抗する両大国に翻弄されながらも生き残ることが出来た。
しかしエジプトの国力が衰えた紀元前8世紀には、メソポタミアによって徹底的な破壊を受け、ユダヤ人の離散が始まった。
さらに1世紀、ローマ帝国はユダヤの反乱を制圧し、ユダヤ人とキリスト教徒は西方に離散していった。
こうして輝かしいソロモン帝国(紀元前1千年)の偉業は跡形もなく消え去った。


power relationships of Levant in 830 B.C.: Israeli kingdom and Jewish kingdom were divided. There is Jericho at the north of Dead Sea.

< power relationships of Levant in 830 B.C.: Israeli kingdom and Jewish kingdom were divided. There is Jericho at the north of Dead Sea. >

What was left?
Palestine received repeated invasion, and the remained things became only ruins and Judaism.
From ancient times, the Jews played an active part in Orient by the culture and the language, and they found their way into Europe before long.
The Christianity that was displaced from Palestine found their way into Rome from Syria and Greece.
Jews who took a lead in Rome observed the doctrine rigidly, and it decided the outcome between Christian before long.
And the Old Testament and the New Testament became what communicate the history and the culture of ancient Israel, and it remained.



何が残ったのか
パレスチナの地は、度重なる侵略を受け、残ったのは廃墟とユダヤ教だけとなった。
古代より、ユダヤ人はその文化と言語を武器にオリエントで活躍し、やがてヨーロッパに活路を見出すことになる。
パレスチナを追われたキリスト教は、シリア、ギリシャからローマに活路を見出した。
先行していたユダヤ教徒は、頑なに教義を遵守したこともあり、やがてキリスト教徒と明暗を分けることになる。
そして旧約聖書と新約聖書が、古代イスラエルの歴史と文化を語るものになって残った。





No comments:

Post a Comment