Dawn and Sunset is
a compelling Tale of the Oldest Cities of
the Near East written by amateur historian and Israeli high school English
teacher, Michael Baizerman. It’s clear, Baizerman
has spent countless hours researching and documenting this work. He has compiled minute details of everyday
life of the inhabitants of the old world known as Mesopotamia and the cradle of
civilization. The oldest cities encompassed
the Persian Gulf area and were referred to as Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian
and Assyrian regions. The Mesopotamia
area today is known as Eastern Turkey, IRAQ, Kuwait, Baghdad, Iran and Northern
Syria. The Greek meaning of Mesopotamia
is, “land between two rivers.” The twin rivers,
the Tigris and Euphrates nourished Mesopotamia and made it possible for nomadic
tribes to begin to cultivate the land for agriculture and eventually settle
into communal villages where life as we know it began. Then much changed over the course of
time. A lot of historical ground is
covered in the many millenniums referenced with some emphasis on the third and
fourth millennia BCE.
This work may be more than A Tale, perhaps it’s a social study of our earliest ancestors? Perhaps it’s closer to a documentary of
facts, yet facts that are sometimes verified through myths, legends and the
poetry of that millennium? Baizerman blazes
on undaunted by the scarcity of information for some periods and events. He gathers his content from different angles
to expose discrepancies and biases for what they were. If there is no documentation to support the
claim he will pursue other avenues; he will find a hieroglyphic, a poem or an
architectural marker of that time period so his points are well documented. The author himself says it best, “only artists
and scholars are entitled to examine our history through a magnifying glass
with inexhaustible vigor,” which he does very well in creating this educational
volume called Dawn and Sunset.
The Gods drove every decision in the ancient world. Temples attested to their glory and power. In the beginning, the Temples controlled the
economic life of a community. They were
central to all the regions and the many Gods were worshipped and honored constantly. Life was a battle, a consistent struggle with
the hostile land and various populations of people. Irrigation and farming allowed for communal
villages to give way to more complex societies with district states. Then pristine cities became early empires and
these gave way to dynasties with corruption and exploitation that would bring in
the Dark Ages and the eventual collapse of this early civilization that had
been “two thousand turbulent years in the making.” The temples fell to government rule and general’s
built extravagant palaces to display power and demand respect whether they
deserved it or not. Many great leaders
and warriors would rise and fall. Some
were virtuous and some were not. War was
inevitable and peace was all but nonexistent.
Though it all, writing, language and technological advancement
prevailed; metals, ceramics and new building materials enhanced and changed
their way of life forever. New transportation
routes and foreign trade changed the landscape, social classes, and the
expectations of the people. Division of
labor and other inequities emerged that would lead to more wars and the eventual
demise of a once glorious nation known as Mesopotamia. From pre-civilization to civilization to its
very downfall, this book delivers a lot as each chapter is organized and packed
with great detail about the grueling and difficult historical times between the
Dawn and Sunset of Mesopotamia– A Tale of the Oldest Cities of the Near
East. Ironically, through this
writing we can see many parallels of modern day society as it faces some of the
same indignities and dilemmas of this historical period.
After Dawn and Sunset
author Michael Baizenman emerges with a new book and is already writing
it. It’s about the attitude of the Latin
West to the East on the eve of the Age of Discovery. Both books should appeal
to history lovers and educators who like a dedicated spirit of inquiry and
documented exposure of facts that may not be so factual. Of course, any differences in opinion, by
this author is well researched, well documented and well written. These
volumes are sure to be a handy resource for any educator who would like that
little extra detail when it comes to the history of ancient civilizations.
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