Nations and People of Ancient Near East and their Impact on the Current African Kenyan Set Up

Abstract

This paper examines the land of the ancient Near East that had complex urban centers in
Mesopotamia, the land between Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The history of Mesopotamia is
inextricably tied to the greater region comprising the modern nations of Egypt, Iran, Syria,
Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, the Gulf states and Turkey. We must acknowledge that Egypt is part
of Africa. The whole of this geographical area is often referred to as the Near or Middle
East. The topography of this place was a vast desert rimmed by rugged mountain ranges,
punctuated by lush oases and flowing through this topography are rivers. Its terrain was
rough, sand, rocky, and mountainous. There were several communities who lived within this
geographical area. Some of the names used for a people or community also referred to their
nation. They lived within the same locality and so they heavily influenced each other. This
work examines the life of the people in the ancient Near East by comparing it to the Kenyan
set up for valuable lessons. The influences infiltrated through marriages and assimilations.
Some of the areas of impact included religion, politics, economy, and social life. This is how
such an impact penetrated into the Old Testament from the people and nations of the ancient
Near East. The Old Testament shows such impact in its literature, name of God, language
and linguistic styles, culture, geography, art, worship, sanctuary, construction material, task
force or personnel, designs, liturgy, ritual, and religious elements. Such impact also took
place with African communities beginning in Egypt which are centrally found in the Bible
and spreading to other places like Kenya which will be given some focus in this article. Such
impact in Kenya touches on food, family set ups, means of transport, and trade among others.