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700s BC

700s BC

Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 750s BC 740s BC 730s BC 720s BC 710s BC - 700s BC - 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC ----

Events and trends

- 708 BC - Spartan immigrants found Taras (Tarentum, the modern Taranto) colony in southern Italy.
- 705 BC - Sennacherib succeeds his brother Shalmaneser V as king of Assyria
- 704 BC - Sennacherib moves the capital of Assyira back to Nineveh
- 701 BC - King Hezekiah of Judah, backed by Egypt, revolts against king Sennacherib of Assyria. Sennacherib sacks many Palestinian cities, but fails in his attempt to take Jerusalem
- 700 BC - The Scythians start settling in Cimmerian areas, slowly replacing the previous inhabitants.
- 700 BC - end of the Villanovan culture in northern Italy and rise of the Etruscan civilization.

Significant people

- Category:700s BC

Centuries

These pages contain the trends of millennia and centuries. The individual century pages contain lists of decades and years. See history for different organizations of historical events. See calendar and list of calendars for other groupings of years. For earlier time periods, see cosmological timeline, geologic timescale, evolutionary timeline, pleistocene, and logarithmic timeline.
- Paleolithic
- 10th millennium BC | 9th millennium BC | 8th millennium BC
- 7th millennium BC | 6th millennium BC | 5th millennium BC
- 5th millennium | 6th millennium | 7th millennium
- 8th millennium | 9th millennium | 10th millennium
- 11th millennium and beyond
- ja:年表 th:คริสต์ศตวรรษ simple:Centuries

8th century BC

(2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) ----

Overview

Events

- Assyria conquers Damascus and Samaria
- Nineveh destroyed (789 BC)
- First recorded Olympic Games held in Greece (776 BC)
- Zhou Dynasty moved its capital to Luoyang (771 BC); The Spring and Autumn Period (771-481 BC) began.
- According to tradition, Rome founded (753 BC, 21 April)
- Destruction of the Kingdom of Israel by Assyrian king Sargon II (721 BC)
- Greeks colonize Mediterranean and Black Seas.
- Etruscan civilization

Significant persons

- Midas (King of Phrygia)
- Hezekiah of the Kingdom of Judah (reigned 715 - 687 BC).
- Sennacherib, King of Assyria and conqueror of Babylon (705 - 681 BC).

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

- Olmecs builds pyramids (800s BC)
- Chinese record solar eclipse Category:8th century BC ko:기원전 8세기 ja:紀元前8世紀

7th century BC

(2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) ----

Overview

Events

- the Cimmerians ravage Phrygia in 696 BC, possible migration of the Armenians
- Scythians arrived in Asia
- Collapse of Susa, end of Elamite Empire
- Assyrians conquer Egypt (674 BC - 670 BC)
- Collapse of Nineveh, end of Assyria (612 BC)

Significant persons

- Hezekiah of the Kingdom of Judah (reigned 715 - 687 BC).
- Sennacherib, King of Assyria and conqueror of Babylon (705 - 681 BC).
- Gyges of Lydia (reigned 687 - 652 BC).
- Manasseh of Judah (reigned 687 - 643 BC).
- Esarhaddon, King of Assyria and conqueror of Egypt (reigned 681 - 669 BC).
- Archilochus of Thasos, poet (c. 680 - 645 BC).
- Josiah of the Kingdom of Judah (reigned 641-609 BC).
- Stesichorus of Sicily, lyric poet (c. 640-555 BC).
- Solon of Athens, one of the Seven Sages of Greece (638 - 558 BC).
- Thales of Miletus, Greek mathematician. (635 - 543 BC).
- Sappho of Lesbos, Ancient Greek poet.

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

- First coins used by Lydians
- Iron allegedly discovered in China Category:7th century BC ko:기원전 7세기 ja:紀元前7世紀

Decades

:For other uses of the term, see decade (disambiguation). This is a list of decades which have articles with more information about them. See also centuries and history. During the 20th Century and continuing today it became popular to look at that century's decades as historical entities in themselves. Particular trends, styles, and attitudes would be associated with and define different decades of the century, and thus the names of the decades themselves have come to be synonymous with them. Some commentators suggest that this phenomenon will not continue into the 21st Century with its decades.

17th century BC	1690s BC	1680s BC	1670s BC	1660s BC	1650s BC	1640s BC	1630s BC	1620s BC	1610s BC	1600s BC
16th century BC	1590s BC	1580s BC	1570s BC	1560s BC	1550s BC	1540s BC	1530s BC	1520s BC	1510s BC	1500s BC
15th century BC	1490s BC	1480s BC	1470s BC	1460s BC	1450s BC	1440s BC	1430s BC	1420s BC	1410s BC	1400s BC
14th century BC	1390s BC	1380s BC	1370s BC	1360s BC	1350s BC	1340s BC	1330s BC	1320s BC	1310s BC	1300s BC
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12th century BC	1190s BC	1180s BC	1170s BC	1160s BC	1150s BC	1140s BC	1130s BC	1120s BC	1110s BC	1100s BC
11th century BC	1090s BC	1080s BC	1070s BC	1060s BC	1050s BC	1040s BC	1030s BC	1020s BC	1010s BC	1000s BC
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7th century BC	690s BC	680s BC	670s BC	660s BC	650s BC	640s BC	630s BC	620s BC	610s BC	600s BC
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7th century	600s	610s	620s	630s	640s	650s	660s	670s	680s	690s
8th century	700s	710s	720s	730s	740s	750s	760s	770s	780s	790s
9th century	800s	810s	820s	830s	840s	850s	860s	870s	880s	890s
10th century	900s	910s	920s	930s	940s	950s	960s	970s	980s	990s
11th century	1000s	1010s	1020s	1030s	1040s	1050s	1060s	1070s	1080s	1090s
12th century	1100s	1110s	1120s	1130s	1140s	1150s	1160s	1170s	1180s	1190s
13th century	1200s	1210s	1220s	1230s	1240s	1250s	1260s	1270s	1280s	1290s
14th century	1300s	1310s	1320s	1330s	1340s	1350s	1360s	1370s	1380s	1390s
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16th century	1500s	1510s	1520s	1530s	1540s	1550s	1560s	1570s	1580s	1590s
17th century	1600s	1610s	1620s	1630s	1640s	1650s	1660s	1670s	1680s	1690s
18th century	1700s	1710s	1720s	1730s	1740s	1750s	1760s	1770s	1780s	1790s
19th century	1800s	1810s	1820s	1830s	1840s	1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s
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21st century	2000s	2010s	2020s	2030s	2040s	2050s	2060s	2070s	2080s	2090s

ja:10年紀 simple:Decade Category:Decades

740s BC

Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 790s BC 780s BC 770s BC 760s BC 750s BC - 740s BC - 730s BC 720s BC 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC ----

Events and trends

- February 26 747 BC - Nabonassar becomes king of Assyria
- 747 BC - Meles becomes king of Lydia
- 745 BC - Crown of Assyria seized by Pul, who takes the name Tiglath-Pileser III
- 743 BC - Duke Zhuang of the Chinese state of Zheng comes to power.
- 740 BC - Tiglath-Pileser III conquers the city of Arpad in Syria after two years of siege.
- 740 BC - Start of Ahaz's reign of Judah.

Significant people

- Romulus and Remus Category:740s BC

720s BC

Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 770s BC 760s BC 750s BC 740s BC 730s BC - 720s BC - 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC ----

Events and trends

- 728 BC - Piye invades Egypt, conquering Memphis, and receives the submission of the rulers of the Nile Delta. He founds the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt.
- 727 BC - Babylonia makes itself independent of Assyria
- 724 BC - The Assyrians start a four-year siege of Tyre
- 724 BC - The diaulos footrace introduced at the Olympics.
- 723 BC - Israel is conquered by Assyria
- 723 BC - Spring and Autumn Period of China's history begins as King Zhou ping wang of the Zhou Dynasty reigns in name only.
- 720 BC - End of the Assyrian siege of Tyre

Significant people

- 729 BC - Tiglath-Pileser III officially crowned sovereign of Asia in Babylon
- 729 BC - Hezekiah succeeds Ahaz as king of Judah (or 726 BC)
- 729 BC - Luli succeeds Mattan II as king of Tyre
- 728 BC - Death of Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria (or 727 BC)
- 727 BC - Shalmaneser V becomes king of Assyria (dies 723 BC)
- 727 BC - Tefnakhte founds the Twenty-fourth dynasty of Egypt
- 724 BC - Ahaz, king of Judah dies (740 BC-726 BC)
- 723 BC - Sargon succeeds Shalmaneser V as king of Assyria
- 720 BC - Death of Zhou ping wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 720 BC - Bakenranef (also known as Bocchoris) succeeds his father Tefnakhte as king of the Twenty-fourth dynasty of Egypt. Category:720s BC

690s BC

Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 740s BC 730s BC 720s BC 710s BC 700s BC - 690s BC - 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC ----

Events and trends

- 699 BC - Khallushu succeeds Shuttir-Nakhkhunte as king of the Elamite Empire
- 697 BC - Death of Zhou huan wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 696 BC - Zhou zhuang wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 691 BC - King Sennacherib of Assyria defeats king Humban-nimena of Elam in the Battle of Halule.
- 690 BC - Taharqa, a king of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, ascends the throne of Egypt (approximate date)

Significant people

- Category:690s BC

680s BC

Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 730s BC 720s BC 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC - 680s BC - 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC ----

Events and trends

- 689 BC - King Sennacherib of Assyria sacks Babylon
- 687 BC - Gyges becomes king of Lydia
- 687 BC - Hezekiah succeeded by Manasseh as king of Judah
- 682 BC - Death of Zhou zhuang wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 681 BC - Zhou li wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 681 BC - Esarhaddon succeeds Sennacherib as king of Assyria.

Significant people

- ca. 680 BC - the Greek poet Archilochos is born on the island of Paros Category:680s BC

670s BC

Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 720s BC 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC - 670s BC - 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC ----

Events and trends

- 677 BC - Death of Zhou Li Wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 677 BC - Esarhaddon leads the Assyrian army against rebellious Arab tribes, advances as far as the Brook of Egypt.
- 676 BC - Zhou Hui Wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 675 BC - Esarhaddon begins the rebuilding of Babylon.
- 674 BC - Esarhaddon puts down a revolt in Ashkelon supported by Taharqa, king of Egypt. In response, the Assyrians invade Egypt, but Taharqa is able to hold the invaders off.
- 673 BC - Tullus Hostilius becomes king of Rome
- 671 BC - Esarhaddon again invades Egypt, capturing Memphis as well as a number of the royal family.

Significant people

- Esarhaddon

Deaths

- 673 BC - Numa Pompilius, second of the Kings of Rome, successor to Romulus.
- 670 BC - Mettius Fufetius, latin king of Alba Longa. Category:670s BC

650s BC

Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC - 650s BC - 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC 600s BC ----

Events and trends

- Occupation begins at Maya site of Piedras Negras, Guatemala
- 657 BC - Cypselus becomes the first tyrant of Corinth.
- 656 BC - Psammetichus extends his control over all of Egypt. End of Twenty-fifth Dynasty
- 653 BC Atta-Khumma-In-Shushinak and Khumbanigash II succeed Shilhak-In-Shushinak and Tempti-Khumma-In-Shushinak as kings of the Elamite Empire
- 652 BC - Babylonia rises in revolt under Shamash-shuma-ukin against the Assyrians
- 651 BC - Zhou xiang wang becomes King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 650 BC - The town of Abdera in Thrace is founded by colonists from Clazomenae.

Significant people

- 653 BC - Death of Tantamani, last king of the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt
- 652 BC - Death of Gyges, king of Lydia
- 652 BC - Death of Zhou hui wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- 652 BC - First recorded mention of King "Kuras of Parsumas". He is possibly the same as King Cyrus I of Anshan, head of the Achaemenid dynasty. Category:650s BC

Sparta

: For other uses see: Sparta (disambiguation) ---- Sparta (Greek Σπάρτη) was a city in ancient Greece, whose territory included, in Classical times, all Laconia and Messenia, and which was the most powerful state of the Peloponnesus. It is also the name of a modern town some kilometres away from the ancient site. (Technically, Sparta was the name of the ancient town; Lacedaemon, Greek Λακεδαιμων, was the city-state. Sparta is now normally used for both.) The city of Sparta lies at the northern end of the central Laconian plain, on the right bank of the river Eurotas. The site was strategically located; guarded from three sides by mountains and controlling the routes by which invading armies could penetrate Laconia and the southern Peloponnesus via the Langhda Pass over Mt Taygetus. At the same time, its distance from the sea—Sparta is 27 miles from its seaport, Gythium—made it difficult to blockade.

Nearest places

- Mystras (west)
- Magoula (northwest)

History

Main article: History of Sparta Sparta had the best army in ancient Greece; and was the most powerful state before the rise of Athens, a naval power, after the Persian Wars. Sparta and Athens were reluctant allies against the Persians, but became rivals thereafter. The greatest series of conflicts between the two states, which resulted in the dismantling of the Athens Empire, is called the Peloponnesian War. Athenian attempts to control Greece and take over the Spartan role of 'guardian of Hellenism' ended in failure. The first ever defeat of a Spartan hoplite army at full strength occurred at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. By the time of the rise of Alexander the Great in 336 BC, Sparta was a shadow of its former self, clinging to an isolated independency. She was eventually forced into the Achaean League. Spartans continued their way of life even after the Roman conquest of Greece. The city became a tourist exhibit for the Roman elite who came to observe the "unusual" Spartan customs. Following the disaster that befell the Roman Imperial Army at the Battle of Adrianople, the Spartan phalanx met and defeated a force of raiding Visigoths in battle. This is considered the last noteworthy deed of the Spartans.

Constitution

We know little of the internal development on Sparta. Many Greeks believed there had been none, and that "the stability of the Spartan constitution" had lasted unchanged from the days of Lycurgus. The Spartans had no historical literature or written laws, which last were, according to tradition, expressly prohibited by an ordinance of Lycurgus. The Doric state of Sparta, copying the Doric Cretans, developed a mixed governmental state. The state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families, equal in authority, so that one could not act against the veto of his colleague, though the Agiad king received greater honour in virtue of the seniority of his family (Herod. vi. 5). There are several legendary explanations for this unusual dual kingship, which differ only slightly; for example, that King Aristodemus had had twin sons, who agreed to share the kingship, and this became perpetual. Modern scholars have advanced various theories to account for the anomaly. Some theorize that this system was created in order to prevent absolutism, and is paralleled by the analogous instance of the dual consuls at Rome. Others believe that it points to a compromise arrived at to end the struggle between two families or communities, or that the two royal houses represent respectively the Spartan conquerors and their Achaean predecessors: those who hold this last view appeal to the words attributed by Herodotus (v. 72) to Cleomenes I: "I am no Dorian, but an Achaean;" although this is usually explained by the (equally legendary) descent of Aristodemus from Hercules. The duties of the kings were mainly religious, judicial and military. They were the chief priests of the state, and performed certain sacrifices and also maintained communication with the Delphian sanctuary, which always exercised great authority in Spartan politics. In the time of Herodotus (about 450 BC), their judicial functions had been restricted to cases dealing with heiresses, adoptions and the public roads. Civil cases were decided by the ephors, and criminal jurisdiction had been passed to the ephors, as well as a council of elders. The dual kings' power was exercised mostly in the military sphere, rather than in the judicial sphere. Aristotle describes the kingship at Sparta as "a kind of unlimited and perpetual generalship" (Pol. iii. I285a), while Isocrates refers to the Spartans as "subject to an oligarchy at home, to a kingship on campaign" (iii. 24). Here also, however, the royal prerogatives were curtailed over time. Dating from the period of the Persian wars, the king lost the right to declare war, and was accompanied on the field by two ephors. He was supplanted also by the ephors in the control of foreign policy. Over time, the kings became mere figure-heads except in their capacity as generals. Real power was transferred to the ephors and to the gerousia. Causes for this change lay partly in the fact that the ephors, chosen by popular election from the whole body of citizens, represented a democratic element in the constitution without violating those oligarchical methods which seemed necessary for the state's administration. They also lay partly in the weakness of the kingship, the dual character of which inevitably gave rise to jealousy and discord between the two holders of the office, often resulting in a practical deadlock. Another cause lay in the loss of prestige suffered by the kingship, especially during the 5th century, owing to these aforementioned quarrels, to the frequency with which kings ascended the throne as minors making the creation of regencies necessary. The dual kingship's prestige also suffered due to the fact that the kings were, rightly or wrongly, suspected of having taken bribes from the enemies of the state at one time or another.

Military service and training

The origins of the powers exercised by the assembly of the citizens, or apella, are virtually unknown, due to the paucity of historical documentation. The ordinary Spartan was essentially a soldier, trained to obey and endure; he became a politician only if chosen as ephor for a single year. He could be elected a life member of the council after his sixtieth year, in which he would be free from military service. Sparta was, above all, a military state, and emphasis on military fitness began virtually at birth. Shortly after birth, a child was brought before the elders of the tribe, who decided whether it was to be reared or not. If found defective or weakly, the baby was dropped off a cliff called the Apothetae, or Place of Rejection. In this way attempts were made to secure the maintenance of high physical standards in Sparta. From the earliest days of the Spartan, the claim on his life by the state was absolute and strictly enforced. Until the age of seven, boys were educated at home and were taught to fight their fears as well as general superstition by their nurses, who were prized in Greece. Their training was then undertaken by the state in the agoge system and supervised by the paidonomos, an official appointed for that purpose. This training consisted for the most part in physical exercises, such as dancing, gymnastics, and ball-games, with music and literature occupying a subordinate position. This tireless emphasis on physical training gave Spartans the reputation for being "laconic," short in words, a word derived from the name of their homeland of Laconia. Education was also extended to girls. Both sexes exercised naked. Women, however, could not compete according to the Olympic rules. There were also contests to see who could take the most severe flogging, an ordeal known as diamastigosis. At the age of thirteen, young men were sent off into the countryside with nothing, and were expected to survive on wits and cunning. This was very probably, in origin, an old initiation rite, a preparation for their later career as elite soldiers. At the age of twenty, the Spartan began his military service and his membership in one of the dining messes or clubs (in Greek 'syssition' or 'phyidition'), composed of about fifteen members each, of which every citizen was required to be a member and where all meals were taken. The Spartan exercised the full rights and duties of a citizen at the age of thirty. Only native Spartans were considered a full citizen, and needed to undergo the training as prescribed by law, and participation in and contribution to one of the dining-clubs. Those who fulfilled these conditions were considered peers, (homoioi) citizens in the fullest sense of the word, while those who failed were called lesser men, and retained only the civil rights of citizenship. Spartiates were absolutely debarred by law from trade or manufacture, which consequently rested in the hands of the periokoi, and were forbidden (in theory) to possess either gold or silver. Spartan currency consisted of bars of iron, thus making thievery and foreign commerce very difficult and discouraging the accumulation of riches. Wealth was, in theory at least, derived entirely from landed property, and consisted in the annual return made by the Helots, who cultivated the plots of ground allotted to the Spartans. But this attempt to equalize property proved a failure: from the earliest times, there were marked differences of wealth within the state, and these became even more serious after the law of Epitadeus, passed at some time after the Peloponnesian War, removed the legal prohibition of the gift or bequest of land. Helots were ruthlessly controlled, primarily through the secret police or Krypteia. Women were more independent than in other Greek societies, and were able to negotiate with their husbands to bring their lovers into their homes. According to Plutarch in his work Life of Lycurgus, men both allowed and encouraged their wives to bear the children of other men, due to the general communal ethos which made it more important to bear many progeny for the good of the city, than to be jealously concerned with one's own family unit. For this reason, Plutarch claims that the concept of "adultery" was alien to the Spartans, and relates that one ancient Spartan had said that it was as possible to find a bull with a neck long enough to stand on a mountain top and drink from a river below, as to find an adulterer in Sparta. Pederasty, a social practice common throughout Greece, was equally so in Sparta. The Spartans believed that encouraging the older, accomplished men of the city to have relations with the youths was conducive to their education. Consequently, the title of the older lover was eispnelas, "inspirerer," and for the younger beloved, aitas, "hearer." Cicero asserts that, "The Lacedaemonians, while they permit all things except outrage [hybris, "rape"] in the love of youths, certainly distinguish the forbidden by a thin wall of partition from the sanctioned, for they allow embraces and a common couch to lovers.' (De Rep., iv. 4) Another anecdote in Plutarch's biography of Lycurgus relates the story of a Spartan magistrate who was fined by the city because his young male lover had cried out while he was fighting, which was considered to be a sign that the young man was overly effeminate and had therefore not been properly educated by his distinguished lover. Male-to-male relationships served as a way to reinforce the masculine education of the Spartan boys. Full citizens, released from any economic activity, were given a piece of land (klaros), which was cultivated and run by the Helots. As time went on, greater portions of land were concentrated in the hands of large landholders, but the number of full citizens decreased over time. Citizens had numbered 8,000 at the beginning of the 5th century BC, but had decreased by Aristotle's day to less than 1,000, and had further decreased to 700 at the accession of Agis IV in 244 BC. Attempts were made to remedy this situation by creating new laws. Certain penalties were imposed upon those who remained unmarried or who married too late in life. These laws, however, came too late and were ineffective in affecting the general trend.

Archaeology

There is a well-known passage in Thucydides which runs thus: :"Suppose the city of Sparta to be deserted, and nothing left but the temples and the ground-plan, distant ages would be very unwilling to believe that the power of the Lacedaemonians was at all equal to their fame. :"Their city is not built continuously, and has no splendid temples or other edifices; it rather resembles a group of villages, like the ancient towns of Hellas, and would therefore make a poor show" (i. 10, trans. Jowett). The first feeling of most travellers who visit modern Sparta is one of disappointment with the ancient remains. A better "show" is put on by Byzantine Mistra, with its grass-grown streets, its decaying houses, its ruined fortress and its beautiful churches. Until the early twentieth century, the chief ancient buildings at Sparta were the theatre, of which, however, little showed above ground except portions of the retaining walls; the so-called Tomb of Leonidas, a quadrangular building, perhaps a temple, constructed of immense blocks of stone and containing two chambers; the foundation of an ancient bridge over the Eurotas; the ruins of a circular structure; some remains of late Roman fortifications; several brick buildings and mosaic pavements. The remaining archaeological wealth consisted of inscriptions, sculptures, and other objects collected in the local museum, founded by Stamatakis in 1872 (and enlarged in 1907). Excavations were carried on near Sparta, on the site of the Amyclaeum in 1890 by (?)Tsounas, and in 1904 by Furtwängler, and at the shrine of Menelaus in Therapne by Ross in 1833 and 1841, and by Kastriotis in 1889 and 1900. Organized digs were attempted in the area of Sparta proper; partial excavation of the round building was undertaken in 1892 and 1893 by the American School at Athens. The structure has been since found to be a semicircular retaining wall of Hellenic origin that was partly restored during the Roman period. In 1904. the British School at Athens began a thorough exploration of Laconia, and in the following year excavations were made at Thalamae, Geronthrae, and Angelona near Monemvasia as several medieval fortresses were being surveyed. In 1906, excavations began in Sparta itself, yielding many finds, which have been published in the British School Annual, vol. xii. sqq. A small circus described by Leake proved to be a theatre-like building constructed soon after AD 200 round the altar and in front of the temple of Artemis Orthia. Here musical and gymnastic contests took place as well as the famous flogging ordeal (diamastigosis). The temple, which can be dated to the 2nd century BC, rests on the foundation of an older temple of the 6th century, and close beside it were found the remains of a yet earlier temple, dating from the 9th or even the 10th century. The votive offerings in clay, amber, bronze, ivory and lead found in great profusion within the precinct range, dating from the 9th to the 4th centuries BC., supply invaluable evidence for early Spartan art; they prove that Sparta reached her artistic zenith in the 7th century and that her decline had already begun in the 6th. In 1907, the sanctuary of Athena "of the Brazen House" (Chalkioikos) was located on the acropolis immediately above the theatre, and though the actual temple is almost completely destroyed, the site has produced the longest extant archaic inscription of Laconia, numerous bronze nails and plates, and a considerable number of votive offerings. The Greek city-wall, built in successive stages from the 4th to the 2nd century, was traced for a great part of its circuit, which measured 48 stades or nearly 10km. (Polyb. 1X. 21). The late Roman wall enclosing the acropolis, part of which probably dates from the years following the Gothic raid of 262 AD, was also investigated. Besides the actual buildings discovered, a number of points were situated and mapped in a general study of Spartan topography, based upon the description Pausanias. Excavations showed that the town of the Mycenean Period was situated on the left bank of the Eurotas, a little to the south-east of Sparta. The settlement was roughly triangular in shape, with its apex pointed towards the north. Its area was approximately equal to that of the "newer" Sparta, but denudation has wreaked havoc with its buildings and nothing is left save ruined foundations and broken potsherds.

The Spartan world

Around the middle of the 6th century BC, the southern Peloponnese was Spartan territory. With an area of 8,050 square kilometres, it was the largest state in Greece. The territory was divided into two parts, Laconia and Messenia, which were separated by the Taygetos mountain range. Unlike other Greek cities, Sparta controlled much arable land. Earliest archeological evidence testifying settlement in Sparta dates from around 950 BC. Classical sources tell us that Sparta was founded in the 10th century BC. It consisted of the four villages of Pitane, Mesoa, Limnai and Konooura, which were later united under one government. Around 750 BC, Sparta began expanding slowly but steadily. The subjugated population of Laconia either became Helots or Periokoi. The Helots kept their farmland but were required to deliver half of their output to the Spartan state, while the Periokoi were inhabitants of cities that remained autonomous, save in matters of foreign affairs and military actions. The Periokoi formed a vital part of Spartan society. As Spartans were forbidden non-military pursuits and occupations, the Periokoi worked as traders, craftsmen, and artists. From 650 to 620 BC, Sparta brought Messenia under its control. In the first third of the 6th century. Sparta was defeated by the city of Argos and later by Tegea. It was against the backdrop of the Messenian war and the following defeats that the unique Spartan way of life developed, which made Sparta famous in Ancient Greece. From 550 BC onwards, the goals of the Spartan cosmos – toughness of body and mind as well as military efficiency – seem to have been achieved. Sparta did not suffer under the rule of any tyrant or dictator, and its phalanxes were considered undefeatable. "Spartan" remains synonymous for anyone rigorously self-disciplined or courageous in the face of pain, danger, or adversity. However, Sparta was a nation closed off from the influence of other nations, with few foreign imports and ideas, creating a barren cultural world, devoid of great works of music and literature.

Modern Sparta

Prior to modern times, the site of Sparta was occupied by a relatively small village that lay in the shadow of Mystras, a more important (Byzantine) settlement nearby. In 1834, after the Greek War of Independence, King Otto of Greece decreed that a city was to be built on the site of Sparta and bear its name (pronounced Sparti in Modern Greek). The city was designed with the intention of creating one of the most beautiful cities in Greece through the use of tree-lined boulevards and parklands. At present, Sparta is the administrative capital of the prefecture of Laconia. Sparta is the center of an agricultural plain whose focus is the Eurotas valley. It is the local center for the processing of goods such as citrus and olives.

References

- W. G. Forest. A History of Sparta, 950-192 B.C.. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1968.
- Ernle Bradford. The Battle for the West-Thermopylae 480. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980.

External links

- [http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/greece/map/m1221342/sparta.html Traveljournals.net - Location of Sparta on world map]
- [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=9773 GTP - Sparta]
- [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=9772 GTP - Municipality of Sparta]
- [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=61562 GTP - Ancient Sparta]
- [http://indexmundi.com/z/?lat=37.0733333=22.4297222&t=p&r=10220&p=sparti&cc=gr&c=greece.htm Indexmundi - Sparta]
- [http://spartajournal.atspace.org Sparta's Journal - An academic Journal for Sparta]
- [http://www.losttrails.com/pages/Hproject/Sparta/Sparta.html ancient Sparta] - extensive black and white photo-essays of the site and related artifacts

Sennacherib

] Sennacherib (in Akkadian Sin-ahhe-eriba, "Sin (the moon god) has taken the place of brothers to me") was the son of Sargon II, whom he succeeded on the throne of Assyria (705 BC–681 BC). His reign was tested several times by revolts – each of which was brought down. In 701 BC, an Egyptian-backed rebellion broke out in Judah and was led by Hezekiah. Sennacherib was able to sack many cites in Judah; however, he was not able to take its capital, Jerusalem. This famous event was recorded by Sennacherib himself, by Herodotus, and by several biblical writers. "And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria" (2 Chronicles 32:21). There is no mention of this great disaster in the Assyrian annals.

Sennacherib's account

Sennacherib first recounts several of his previous victories, and how his enemies had become overwhelmed by his presence. He was able to do this to Great Sidon, Little Sidon, Bit-Zitti, Zaribtu, Mahalliba, Ushu, Akzib and Akko. After taking each of these cities, Sennacherib installed a puppet leader named Ethbaal as ruler over the entire region. Sennacherib then turned his attention to Beth-Dagon, Joppa, Banai-Barqa, and Azjuru, cities that were ruled by Sidqia and also fell to Sennacherib. Egypt and Nubia then came to the aid of the stricken cities. Sennacherib defeated the Egyptians and, by his own account, single-handedly captured the Egyptian and Nubian charioteers. Sennacherib captured and sacked several other cities, including Lachish. He punished the "criminal" citizens of the cities, and he reinstalled Padi, their leader, who had been held as a hostage in Jerusalem. After this, Sennacherib turned to King Hezekiah of Judah, who stubbornly refused to submit to him. Forty-six of Hezekiah's cities were conquered by Sennacherib, but Jerusalem did not fall. His own account of this invasion, as given in the Assyrian annals, is as follows: :Because Hezekiah, king of Judah, would not submit to my yoke, I came up against him, and by force of arms and by the might of my power I took 46 of his strong fenced cities; and of the smaller towns which were scattered about, I took and plundered a countless number. From these places I took and carried off 200,156 persons, old and young, male and female, together with horses and mules, asses and camels, oxen and sheep, a countless multitude; and Hezekiah himself I shut up in Jerusalem, his capital city, like a bird in a cage, building towers round the city to hem him in, and raising banks of earth against the gates, so as to prevent escape... Then upon Hezekiah there fell the fear of the power of my arms, and he sent out to me the chiefs and the elders of Jerusalem with 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver, and divers treasures, a rich and immense booty... All these things were brought to me at Nineveh, the seat of my government.

Isaiah's account

Isaiah's account of Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem is rather long. It starts with the obvious, about Sennacherib's march against the cities of Judah, and simply states that Sennacherib takes them. Isaiah then recounts how Hezekiah prayed to the God of Israel to save Jerusalem. His account then ended in the way the God of Israel defeats Sennacherib's army: many of Sennacherib's troops are simply killed in their sleep.

The disaster according to Herodotus

The Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote his Histories ca. 440 BC, also speaks of a divinely-appointed disaster destroying an army of Sennacherib in this same campaign (2:141): :when Sanacharib, king of the Arabians and Assyrians, marched his vast army into Egypt, the warriors one and all refused to come to his [i.e., the Pharoah Sethos'] aid. On this the monarch, greatly distressed, entered into the inner sanctuary, and, before the image of the god, bewailed the fate which impended over him. As he wept he fell asleep, and dreamed that the god came and stood at his side, bidding him be of good cheer, and go boldly forth to meet the Arabian host, which would do him no hurt, as he himself would send those who should help him. Sethos, then, relying on the dream, collected such of the Egyptians as were willing to follow him, who were none of them warriors, but traders, artisans, and market people; and with these marched to Pelusium, which commands the entrance into Egypt, and there pitched his camp. As the two armies lay here opposite one another, there came in the night, a multitude of field-mice, which devoured all the quivers and bowstrings of the enemy, and ate the thongs by which they managed their shields. Next morning they commenced their fight, and great multitudes fell, as they had no arms with which to defend themselves. There stands to this day in the temple of Vulcan, a stone statue of Sethos, with a mouse in his hand, and an inscription to this effect - "Look on me, and learn to reverence the gods."

Detailed analysis

Sennacherib's first act was to break up the powerful combination of princes who were in league against him, among whom was Hezekiah, who had entered into an alliance with Egypt. Sennacherib accordingly led a very powerful army (reportedly 200,000 men in size) into Judah, and devastated the land on every side, taking and destroying many cities (2 Kings 18:13-16; compare Isaiah 22, 24, 29, and 2 Chronicles 32:1-8). (See Isa. 22:1-13 for a description of the feelings of the inhabitants of Jerusalem at such a crisis.) Hezekiah was not disposed to become an Assyrian vassal. He accordingly at once sought help from Egypt (2 Kings 18:20-24). Sennacherib, hearing of this, marched a second time into Judah (2 Kings 18:17, 37; 19; 2 Chr. 32:9-23; Isa. 36:2-22. Isa. 37:25 should be rendered "dried up all the Nile-arms of Matsor", i.e., of Egypt, so called from the "Matsor" or great fortification across the isthmus of Suez, that protected it from invasions from the east). Sennacherib sent envoys to try to persuade Hezekiah to surrender, but in vain. He next sent a threatening letter (2 Kings 19:10-14), which Hezekiah carried into the temple and spread before the Lord. Isaiah again brought an encouraging message to the pious king (2 Kings 19:20-34). "In that night" the angel of the Lord went forth and smote the camp of the Assyrians. In the morning, "behold, they were all dead corpses". The Assyrian army was annihilated. Sennacherib did not campaign again against Jerusalem. He was murdered by two of his own sons (Adrammelech and Sharezer), and was succeeded by another son, Esarhaddon (681 BC), after a reign of twenty-four years.

In popular culture

Lord Byron's poem The Destruction of Sennacherib ("The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold...") is a retelling of the story contained in 2 Kings.

Shalmaneser V

Shalmaneser V (Akkadian: Shulmanu-asharid) was King of Assyria from 727 to 722 BC. He first appears as governor of Zimirra in Phoenicia in the reign of his father, Tiglath-Pileser III. At all events, on the death of Tiglath-Pileser, he succeeded to the throne as the 25th king of Tebet 727 BC, and changed his original name of Ulula to that of Shalmaneser. The revolt of Samaria took place during his reign, and while he was besieging the rebel city, he died on the 12th of Tebet 722 BC and the crown was seized by Sargon II. The name Shalmaneser is used for him in the Bible. His name in Akkadian cuneiform was actually Shulmanu-asharid. This entry uses text with modifications from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica. Category:722 BC deaths Category:Assyrian kings Category: Babylonian kings

Nineveh

Nineveh, Assyrian Ninua (), was an important city in ancient Assyria. This "exceeding great city", as it is called in the Book of Jonah, lay on the eastern bank of the Tigris (modern-day Mosul, Iraq). Ancient Nineveh's mound-ruins are located on a level part of the plain near the river within an 1800-acre area circumscribed by a seven and one-half mile brick-rampart. This whole extensive space is now one immense area of ruins. If Jonah is referring to what some scholars call Greater Nineveh, the term could include the region around Nineveh proper with a sixty mile perimeter including Kuyunjik, Khorsabad, and Nimrud. Situated at the confluence of the Tigris and Khosr, Nineveh was an important junction for commercial routes crossing the Tigris. Occupying a central position on the great highway between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, thus uniting the East and the West, wealth flowed into it from many sources, so that it became one of the greatest of all ancient cities.

History

Nineveh is mentioned about 1800 BC as a worship place of Ištar, who was responsible for the city's early importance. There is no large body of evidence to show that Assyrian monarchs built at all extensively in Nineveh during the 2nd millennium BC. When Sennacherib made Ninua his capital at the end of the 8th century BC, it was already an ancient settlement. Later monarchs whose inscriptions have appeared on the Acropolis include Shalmaneser I and Tiglath-Pileser I, both of whom were active builders in Asshur; the former had founded Calah (Nimrud). Nineveh had to wait for the neo-Assyrians, particularly from the time of Ashurnasirpal II (ruled 883-859 BC) onward, for a considerable architectural expansion. Thereafter successive monarchs kept in repair and founded new palaces, temples to Sîn, Nergal, Nanna, Šamaš, Ištar, and Nabiu of Borsippa. It was Sennacherib who made Nineveh a truly magnificent city (c. 700 BC). He laid out fresh streets and squares and built within it the famous "palace without a rival", the plan of which has been mostly recovered and has overall dimensions of about 210 by 200 m (630 by 600 ft). It comprised at least 80 rooms, of which many were lined with sculpture. A large number of tablets were found in the palace. Some of the principal doorways were flanked by human-headed bulls. At this time the total area of Nineveh comprised about 1,800 acres (7 km²), and 15 great gates penetrated its walls. An elaborate system of 18 canals brought water from the hills to Nineveh, and several sections of a magnificently constructed aqueduct erected by the same monarch were discovered at Jerwan, about 40 km (25 miles) distant. Nineveh's greatness was short-lived. About 633 BC the Assyrian empire began to show signs of weakness, and Nineveh was attacked by the Medes, who subsequently, about 625 BC, joined by the Babylonians and Susianians, again attacked it. Nineveh fell in 612 BC, and was razed to the ground. The Assyrian empire then came to an end, the Medes and Babylonians dividing its provinces between them. Following the defeat in 612 BC, Nineveh fades in importance. The city is mentioned again in the Battle of Nineveh in 627 CE, which was fought between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanian Empire of Persia near the ancient city. Before the excavations in the 1800s, our knowledge of the great Assyrian empire and of its magnificent capital was almost wholly a blank. Vague memories had indeed survived of its power and greatness, but very little was definitely known about it. Other cities which had perished, such as Palmyra, Persepolis, and Thebes, had left ruins to mark their sites and tell of their former greatness; but of this city, imperial Nineveh, not a single vestige seemed to remain, and the very place on which it had stood was only matter of conjecture. In the days of the Greek historian Herodotus, 400 BC, it had become a thing of the past; and when Xenophon the historian passed the place in the Retreat of the Ten Thousand the very memory of its name had been lost. It was buried out of sight.

Archaeology

Today, Nineveh's location is marked by two large mounds, Kouyunjik and Nabī Yūnus "Prophet Jonah", and the remains of the city walls (about 12 km/7.5 mi in circumference). Kouyunjik has been extensively explored. The other mound, Nabī Yūnus, has not been extensively explored because there is a Muslim shrine dedicated to that prophet on the site. In the 19th century, the French consul at Mosul began to search the vast mounds that lay along the opposite bank of the river. The Arabs whom he employed in these excavations, to their great surprise, came upon the ruins of a building at the mound of Khorsabad, which, on further exploration, turned out to be the royal palace of Sargon II, which were largely explored for sculptures and other precious relics. In 1847 the young British adventurer Sir Austen Henry Layard explored the ruins. In the Kuyunjik mound Layard rediscovered in 1849 the lost palace of Sennacherib across the Tigris River from modern Mosul in northern Iraq, with its 71 rooms and colossal bas-reliefs. He also unearthed the palace and famous library of Ashurbanipal with 22,000 inscribed clay tablets. The study of the archaeology of Nineveh reveals the wealth and glory of ancient Assyria under kings such as Esarhaddon (681-669 B.C.) and Ashurbanipal (669-626 B.C.). The work of exploration would be carried on by George Smith, Hormuzd Rassam, and others, and a vast treasury of specimens of Assyria was exhumed for European museums. Palace after palace was discovered, with their decorations and their sculptured slabs, revealing the life and manners of this ancient people, their arts of war and peace, the forms of their religion, the style of their architecture, and the magnificence of their monarchs. The mound of Kuyunjik would be excavated again by the archaeologists of the British Museum, leaded by L.W. King, at the beginning of the twentieth century. The efforts concentrated on the site of the Temple of Nabu, the God of writing, where another cuneiform library was supposed to exist. However, no such library was ever found: most likely, it had been destroyed by the activities of later residents. The excavations started again in 1927, under the direction of Campbell Thompson, who had already taken part in King's expeditions. These excavations, however, were rather unfortunate. Some works were carried out outside Kouyunjik, for instance on the mound of Nebi Yunus, which was the ancient arsenal of Nineveh, or along the outside walls. Here, near the North-Western corner of the walls, beyond the pavement of a later building, the archaeologists found almost 300 fragments of prisms recording the royal annals of Sennacherib, Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal, besides a prisms of Esarhaddon which was almost perfect. After the Second World War, several excavations had been carried out by Iraqi archaeologists.

Biblical Nineveh

In the Bible, Nineveh is first mentioned in Gen. 10:11, which is rendered in the Revised Version, "He [i.e., Nimrod] went forth into Assyria and builded Nineveh." It is not again noticed till the days of Jonah, when it is described (Jonah 3:3ff; 4:11) as an "exceeding great city of three days' journey", i.e., probably in circuit. This would give a circumference of about 100 km (60 miles). At the four corners of an irregular quadrangle are the ruins of Kouyunjik, Nimrud, Karamless and Khorsabad. These four great masses of ruins, with the whole area included within the parallelogram they form by lines drawn from the one to the other, are generally regarded as composing the whole ruins of Nineveh. Nineveh was the flourishing capital of the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 19:36; Isa. 37:37). The book of the prophet Nahum is almost exclusively taken up with prophetic denunciations against this city. Its ruin and utter desolation are foretold (Nah.1:14; 3:19, etc.). Its end was strange, sudden, tragic. (Nah. 2:6-11) According to the Bible, it was God's doing, his judgement on Assyria's pride (Isa. 10:5-19). In fulfilment of prophecy, God made "an utter end of the place". It became a "desolation". Zephaniah also (2:13-15) predicts its destruction along with the fall of the empire of which it was the capital. Nineveh's exemplary pride and fall are recalled in the Gospel of Matthew (12:41) and the Gospel of Luke (11:32).

Fast of Nineveh (Nineveh's wish)

Assyrians of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Assyrian Church of the East practice a fast called Ba'uta d-Ninwe/Bo'utho d-Ninwe (ܒܥܘܬܐ ܕܢܝܢܘܐ) which means Nineveh's wish. Copts also maintain this fast.

Modern Nineveh

On 15 Oct. 2005, the province of Ninevah cast the deciding votes in the referendum for Iraq's Constitution. One of three mostly Sunni provinces whose veto could defeat the constitution, Nineveh was closely watched through the extended electoral count. Home to a diverse population of Sunnis and Kurds, as well as the oil processing center Mosul), Ninevah promises to play a large role in Iraqi politics into the future.

External links

- [http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/nineveh/ John Malcolm Russell, "Stolen stones: the modern sack of Nineveh"] in Archaeology; looting of sculptures in the 1990s.
- [http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/ixbin/hixclient.exe?_IXDB_=compass&_IXSR_=wn1&_IXSS_=_IXFPFX_%3dgraphical%252ffull%252f%26_IXsearchterm%3dnineveh%26%257bUPPER%257d%253av2_free_text_tindex%3dnineveh%26_IXDB_%3dcompass%26_IXNOMATCHES_%3dgraphical%252fno_matches%252ehtml%26%2524%2b%2528with%2bv2_searchable_index%2529%2bsort%3d%252e&_IXFIRST_=54&_IXMAXHITS_=1&_IXSPFX_=graphical/full/&_IXsearchterm=nineveh&submit-button=summary Nineveh page] at the British Museum's website. Includes photographs of items from their collection. ----- Parts of the text from Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897 -- Please update as needed Category:Assyria Category:Hebrew Bible/Tanakh places Category:Destroyed cities Category:Archaeological sites in Iraq

Kingdom of Judah

The Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew Malḫut Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ Yəhûḏāh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah, son of Jacob (Israel). The name Judah itself means Praise of God. God. The territory of the Kingdom of Judah is marked light-green.]] Judah is often referred to as the Southern Kingdom to distinguish it from the Northern Kingdom (being the Kingdom of Israel) after the division of the Kingdom. Its capital was Jerusalem. See History of ancient Israel and Judah. When the disruption took place at Shechem, at first only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David. But very soon after the tribe of Benjamin joined the tribe of Judah, and Jerusalem became the capital of the new kingdom (Joshua 18:28), which was called the kingdom of Judah. For the first sixty years the kings of Judah aimed at re-establishing their authority over the kingdom of the other ten tribes, so that there was a state of perpetual war between them. For the following eighty years there was no open war between them. For the most part they were in friendly alliance, co-operating against their common enemies, especially against Damascus. For about another century and a half Judah had a somewhat checkered existence after the termination of the kingdom of Israel till its final overthrow in the destruction of the temple (586 BC) by Nebuzar-adan, who was captain of Nebuchadnezzar's body-guard (2 Kings 25:8-21). The kingdom maintained a separate existence for three hundred and eighty-nine years. It occupied an area of about 8,900 km² (3,435 square miles).

The Kings of Judah

For this period, most historians follow the chronology established by William F. Albright, by Edwin R. Thiele, or by Gershon Galil, all of which are shown below. All dates are BCE.

Notes

#Hezekiah: contemporary with Sennacherib of Assyria, and Merodach-baladan of Babylon. #Zedekiah: King during the second rebellion (588–586 BCE). Jerusalem was captured after a lengthy siege, the temple burnt, Zedekiah taken into exile and Judah was reduced to a province. Nebuchadnezzar had left Gedaliah as his governor, who was killed in one last revolt, and the few members of the ruling classes left from the kingdom of Judah took the prophets Jeremiah and Baruch with them as they fled to sanctuary in Egypt.

From the end of the kingdom to the present

After the end of the ancient kingdom the area passed into foreign rule, apart from brief periods, under the following powers: 587–539 BC: Babylonian Empire 539–332 BC: Persian Empire 332–305 BC: Empire of Alexander the Great 305–198 BC: Ptolemaids 198–141 BC: Seleucids 141–37 BC: The Hasmonean state in Israel established by the Maccabees, since 63 BC under Roman supremacy 37 BC–AD 70: Herodian Dynasty ruling Judea under Roman supremacy (37 BC-6 AD, 41-44 AD), interchanging with direct Roman rule (6-41, 44-66). This ended in the first Jewish Revolt of 66 - 73, which saw the Temple destroyed in 70. AD 70–395: province of Roman Empire first called Judea, after 135 called Palestine. In 395 the Roman Empire is split into a Western and an Eastern part. 395–638: Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire 638–1099: Arab Caliphates and subject rulers 1099–1187: Crusader states, most notably the Kingdom of Jerusalem 1187–1260: dominated by the Ayyubides of Egypt 1260–1516: dominated by the Mamluks of Egypt 1516–1917: Ottoman Turks, having previously conquered the Byzantine Empire in 1453 1918–1948: British mandate of Palestine under, first, League of Nations, then, successor United Nations; the Emirate of Trans-Jordan was separated from the rest of Palestine in 1922, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan became independent upon the expiration of the League of Nations Mandate in 1946. May 1948 to present: independent State of Israel 1948-1967 the West Bank was occupied by and in 1950 annexed to Jordan 1967 to present: the West Bank occupied by Israel in the Six Day War, since