The earliest civilizations in history were established in the region now known as the Middle East around 3500 BC, in Mesopotamia (Iraq). At about 3300 BC, the historical record opens in Northern Africa with the rise of literacy in the Pharaonic civilisation of Ancient Egypt.
Middle East: Ancient Orient
Abraham (a Hebrew) and Hagar (the Egyptian maid of Sarah) had Ishmael. Abraham and Sarah had Isaac. According to Genesis, Abraham was brought by God from Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan. Abram was born in the Chaldean city of Ur, Mesopotamia [Genesis 11:28,31 and Genesis 15:7, and Nehemiah 9:7]. Acts 7:2, before Abraham lived in Haran, he was in Mesopotamia.
Isaac married Rebecca and they had twins - Jacob and Esau. Ishmael married an Egyptian and they had 12 sons - Geneis 25.
Jacob's name was changed to Israel, his offspring gave rise to the Jewish nation. Jacob aka Israel had 12 sons aka the 12 tribes of Israel.
Esau (the first born twin) aka Edom descendents gave rise to the Roman Empire aka Edom.
Rebecca helps Jacob to steal the blessing that Isaac was to give to Esau. Esau plots to kill Jacob until Rebecca sends him away to her brother - Laban in Haran.
Jacob's sons - Judah and his brothers - sold their brother Joseph into slavery in Egpyt.
Judah and his wife have 3 sons. One of their sons married Tamar and he dies. The 2nd son married Tamar and he died. It was customary for the other family members to marry the wife of their brother if he dies without having children.
Tamar tricks Judah into having sex with her and she conceived. The descendents of Judah and Tamar are King David, Solomon, and Jesus.
Jacob aka Israel and his 12 sons live in Ancient Middle East Canaan. Well, except for Joseph who was sold into slavery in Egypt. Joseph was Jacob's favorite son and the other brothers were jealous of Joseph.
While in Egypt as a slave, Joseph receives favor from God and Pharaoh appoints him head of everything. Famine hits the land of Canaan and Egypt. Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to get food and they meet up with Joseph. The Pharaoh invites the whole Jacob family to stay in Egypt and gave them the best of the land. Ancient Egypt in Northern Africa was a place of idolatry, immorality, a very licentious (sexually unrestrained) place.
Joseph (a Hebrew) married Pharoah and Potipher's daughter Osnat (an Egyptian). They have two children (sons) - Menasche and Ephraim.
The two earliest civilizations are:
Egypt, situated in the Nile River/Valley.
Mesopotamia (Abraham's birth place), the land situated in the plains between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. Today the rivers join up to flow into the Persian Gulf.
Today the Euphrates and Tigris rivers are in Iraq. Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are the border countries of Iraq. The two river's origin is in Turkey, but today they are in Iraq.
Mesopotamia is on the continent of Asia and Egypt on the continent of Africa.
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers have their origin in Turkey. These are two of the rivers that flow from the Garden of Eden [Genesis 12:4]. The other two rivers are: Pishon and Gihon.
Middle East: Mesopotamia to 2500 BCE
Middle East: Ancient Near East
In Genesis 12, Abram left Haran (the city of Haran was in Mesopotamia. Today it's in southern Turkey) to go to Canaan (Canaan is current day Israel).
Today's Middle East
