Just for the hell of it, I thought I would jot down a concise and accurate overview of why we call the Arabian peninsula the "cradle of civilization."
When human kind made the leap from hunter and gatherers it began probably during the Sumerian era which goes back as far a 5,000BC. They had the first written language using the Cuneiform script in about 4,000BC. It was made up of pictographs inscribed on clay tablets. Note that humans inscribed on rocks, cave walls, wood, stone tablets and clay tablets before paper was invented. The first language that we know of is Sumerian and it sprang up in Iraq.
The cuneiform alphabet and Sumerian language was last used in about 50AD because it had been supplanted by Aramaic which gradually supplanted the cuneiform alphabet and Sumrian language. Aramaic began about 3.000BC with it's beginnings in what is now called Syria. It was the language of Jesus and of many of the Biblical scribes. It is the language of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the first religious books of the Hebrews and the Bible.
But, I digressed, paper was invented about 2,700BC from Papyrus reeds growing along rivers such as the Nile. It was perfected by the Chinese in 105AD.
Our modern alphabet is composed of the ancient Arabic symbols with an infusion later of Greek and Latin symbols.
The ancient Arabs invented the three Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The Western world is Christian because the Roman Emperor Constantine declared that the Roman Empire would be Christian in his edict of Milan in 313AD. He did it because his two cousins were planning to overthrow him and he asked that the Arab Christian tribes in the middle east help him defend himself. They agreed to do it on the condition that he name Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire which was from Ireland down through Spain. Hundreds of thousands of Europeans were killed enforcing this edict. Constantine with the help of the Arab Christian tribes were successful in the battle against his two cousins and keeping him in office.
That is why the western world has it's predominate religion Christianity. If you're a Christian,you can thank Constantine or the Arab tribes. You decide.
Incidently, Constantine liked the Christian Arab tribes so much that he set up his headquarter of the Roman empire in Turkey and called it Constantinople.
So far we've seen that the Arabs gave us our alphabet and religion. Just to list a few, here are some contributions to civilization besides a written language
with an alphabet and our religions.
In food, they gave us oranges, lemons, sugar, peach, plums, olives, rice, ginger, cloves, melons, shallots, pepper, dates, figs, and coffee
In numbers and math they invented the concept of zero, algebra, trigonometry and established longitude and latitude measurements.They invented first adding machine called the Abacus and the compass. Their use of the arch and pillars influenced architecture in Europe.
For the ladies, they invented lipstick, eye shadow, perfume, nail polish, hair dyes and body lotions.
They invented the water wheel, cisterns, systems of irrigation and the water clock. They wrote about and studied and invented optical instruments paving the way for telescopes and microscopes, etc. They invented tiles and glazing.They perfected the art of making leather soft for clothing and using
dyes to change the color.
They developed the art of crucible steel forging. They hardened the steel and etched elaborate drawings on them. We've all heard of the Damascus sword.
In music they invented the harp, lyre, zither, drum, tambourine, flute, oboe, and all the reed instruments that are played today. They also invented the bagpipe which
was introduced into Europe by the early Crusaders. The earliest examples of a stringed necked instrument date back to Syria in about 3,000 BC. It was the forerunner of the modern guitar.
They gave the world the first codes of law. What law student hasn't heard of Hammurabi's Code. This code spelled out Tort law, family relations, etc
The first university in the world was founded in Damascus, Syria.
There are so many other contributions to civilization that are too numerous to list such as the common fork. They didn't eat with their hands as Europeans did.
But, personally, I believe the greatest contribution they gave the world was the phonetic alphabet which allows me to sit at this computer and put down my thoughts.
Now if you've read the above, the question just cries out what happened to them to make them the way they are today? I believe it's religious fervor that caused them
not to continue on with their great science and inventions and just become immersed in their supernatural religion. Religion has always been a hindrance to scientific progress and the present day Arabs are victims of it.
Islam incorporates the First Testament of the Bible, but Mohammed came along and added a new book to it just like Jesus added anew book to the Old Testament. Fundamentalism , whether Islam, Christianity or Judaism is antithetical to human knowledge and progress. I forget who was quoted as saying the science has done more for mankind in the last 100 years than religions have done for thousands of years.
I'm writing this brief overview of history just to inform those who care to be informed about the huge contribution that the Arabs have given to mankind. But, their
contribution of religion to us has been detrimental resulting in intolerance, perpetuation of ignorance, blood shed and strife.
I wrote a long paper on this subject about 15 years ago and I'm largely going on my memory of what I've written tonight.
I just think Americans should understand the historical underpinnings of our civilization and our religions.
I will later write on the Greek contribution to our civilization which cannot be overstated in the field of philosophy and democratic governance.
I've written this with the help of 3/4ths of a bottle of red wine which increases my IQ and memory recall at least 10% and perhaps more.
Bob
PS Last , but not least to beer lovers, you can give thanks to the Arabs for inventing beer from grain as far back as 3,000 BC in Iran and other parts
of Arabia.
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