Ancient History

History is like a tree—the ancient parts are roots, and as the story progresses the trunk rises and branches expand to encompass every person and event since Adam and Eve. Because history is unified, every element of the story is interconnected, even if that connection is distant. Furthermore, the current parts are all directly the product of the parts that have come before, and to understand the current situation you'll need to understand the past.

Understanding the ancient history roots at the bottom of the tree is essential for a proper perspective of everything that comes after. Some people take this too far and assume that ancient history is all that matters, but those who disregard it or understand it on no more than a cursory level are just as mistaken. Just as a building must have a strong foundation, so a study of history must begin in the right place.

The ancient world was different from ours, and the same. It was different in primarily physical ways: technology was less advanced, there were fewer people, and the general standard of living was far below what we enjoy (at least in the industrialized world). However, human nature never changes, and the same universal conflict that exists today—between God's children and His enemies—raged then.

It's interesting to what extent the dominant theories and philosophies of the modern world reflect those of the ancients. There is truly nothing new under the sun, and the Enlightenment rationalism, faith in human progress, belief in man's innate goodness, evolutionary idealism, and even postmodernism against which Christians fight all have their roots in the ideas of the Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians, and every other early civilization.

That doesn't mean there isn't a clear trajectory from the ancient world to the present. Ideas all run a distinct course, and some reach prominence at different times; while the seeds of every successive philosophy were sown in the ancient world, it took time to grow them into what we recognize how as humanism, modernism, postmodernism, and the ever-illusory post-postmodernism.

The same is true of events. The history of any period is simply the chronicle of man's attempts to thwart God's will and Yahweh's use of even the most outrageous rebellion to achieve His own ends. In some ways, this is more obvious in ancient history, as the nation of Israel fought the surrounding nations, and too often embraced their paganism.

That story, of God's work among His people and in the world, and of man's continual rebellion, is also our story. The Church fights the same battles our Israelite forefathers did, though on a more ideological rather than physical scale. When we realize how much the story of the ancients is our own story, the significance of studying their world becomes much clearer, and the urgency of such study is made plain.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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Accidental Voyage
Mr. Pipes Series #4
by Doug Bond
from P&R Publishing
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in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
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Ancient Egyptians
People of the Ancient World
by Lila Perl
from Scholastic Inc.
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Ancient Greek Art
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Ancient Greek War and Weapons
by Haydn Middleton
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Augustus Caesar's World
by Genevieve Foster
from Beautiful Feet Books
Non-fiction for 7th-10th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
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Aztecs
Journey Into Civilization
by Robert Nicholson and Claire Watts
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Book of the Ancient Greeks - Student Guide
by Matthew Anderson
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Book of the Ancient Greeks - Teacher Guide
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Book of the Ancient Romans - Teacher Guide
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Book of the Ancient World
by Dorothy Mills
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Book of the Ancient World - Teacher Guide
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Children's Homer
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Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
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Children's Homer
by Padraic Colum
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Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
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Children's Homer
by Padraic Colum
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Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
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City
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Coloring Book of the Olympics
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Coming of Civilization
by Trevor Cairns
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Cry From Egypt
by Hope Auer
from Great Waters Press
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$8.50 (2 in stock)
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths - Audio CD
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
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Greek Mythology for 4th-8th grade
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Dateline: Troy
by Paul Fleischman
New Updated Edition from Candlewick Press
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Forgotten Daughter
by Caroline Dale Snedeker
from American Home-School Publishing
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1934 Newbery Honor Book
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From Distant Days
by Benjamin R. Foster
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God King
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Joanne Williamson
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Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
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Golden Fleece
by Padraic Colum & Willy Pogany
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
1922 Newbery Honor Book
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Greek Life
by John Guy
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Greek News
The History News
by Anton Powell & Philip Steele
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$4.50 (3 in stock)
Greek Way
by Edith Hamilton
from W. W. Norton and Co.
Greek History for 7th-10th grade
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Hands-On Culture of Ancient Greece and Rome
by Kate OHalloran
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History of US Book 1
History of US Book 1
by Joy Hakim
3rd Revised Edition from Oxford University
American History Reference for 5th-9th grade
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Hostage Lands
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Make This Roman Fort
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Motel of the Mysteries
by David Macaulay
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Humor for 4th-8th grade
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Mummies
by Nathaniel Harris
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Mummies & Their Mysteries
by Charlotte Wilcox
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Mysteries of Ancient Egypt
by Nancy E. Krulik
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Mystery of History Volume I (old)
by Linda Lacour Hobar
2nd edition from Bright Ideas Press
History Curriculum for 4th-8th grade
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$25.00 (1 in stock)
North American Indian Burial Customs
by Dr. H. C. Yarrow
First Edition from Eagle's View Publishing
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by Bill Manley
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Atlas for 2nd-7th grade
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Punic Wars 264-146 B.C.
by Nigel Bagnall
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Pyramid
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Pyramid
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Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt
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First Edition from National Gallery of Art
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Quintus
by R. Weerstand
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Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
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Romans
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Romans, Reformers, Revolutionaries Volume Two
A Biblical World History Curriculum - Volume Two
by Diana Waring
2nd edition from Diana Waring History Alive!
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Rome: A Fold-Out History of the Ancient Civilization
by Leigh Grant
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Science in Ancient Rome
by Jacqueline Harris
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$4.50 (2 in stock)
Secret of the Scribe
by Jennifer Johnson Garrity
from Brimwood Press
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Short History of Ancient Egypt
by T. G. H. James
from Johns Hopkins University Press
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Son of Heaven: Imperial Arts of China
by Robert L. Thorpe
First Edition from Son of Heaven Press
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Story of the Romans
by H. A. Guerber
from CreateSpace
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Story Starters on Ancient Rome
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Tales Mummies Tell
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from Herald Press
Historical Fiction for 4th-7th grade
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from Sunburst Book
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by Dan Mannix
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What Really Happened in Ancient Times
by Terri Johnson, editor, illustrated by Darla Dixon
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What Really Happened in Ancient Times
by Terri Johnson, editor
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Biographies for 4th-8th grade
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Young Carthaginian
by G. A. Henty
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Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
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