http://www.friesian.com/

Eannatum 2454-2425

Lugalzagesi, Ensi of Umma 2360-2335

Ishqi-Mari, king of Mari

an ancient city that flourished between 2700 and 2200 B.C. in what is now northern Syria. Nearly 15,000 tablets and fragments were found, but when joined together they will consitute about 2,500 tablets. Written in the cuneiform characters originated by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, adapted to the language of Ebla's Semitic inhabitants.

Monotheism was not unknown even from the beginning of mankind. It was the norm. This tablet reads:
"Lord of heaven and earth: the earth was not, you created it, the light of day was not, you created it, the morning light you had not [yet] made exist"

.

The paper making remained a fine art. Regular medium still remained stones and clay for a long time

Egyptian paintings done on papyrus 'paper'.

The letters in a Semitic language, carved in stone cliffs west of the Nile, were found by Yale University Egyptologist, Dr John Darnell. He says they are nearly 4,000 years old, dating from around 1800 to 1900 BC.

= HIEROGLYPHS symbols on Gerzean pottery resemble hieroglyphic writing. 4000 BC

Earliest known hieroglyphic inscription was the Narmer Palette, at Hierakonpolis dated 3200 BC.

This lintel once stood above the door to the tomb chapel of a high official of the Kings of the 5th Dynasty (2494-2345 BC). Its beautifully carved hieroglyphs tell us that his name was Ka’Aper

Ancient Egyptian Wisdom Literature and was probably written in the 6^th Dynasty (2300 to 2150 BCE). It only comes down to us from much later copies. Papyrus Prisse is dated to the Middle Kingdom (2040 to 1650 BCE).

Early Dynastic Period of Egypt 3100-2890 seven rulers 2890-2686 nine rulers

Famine Stela--Djoser grants to temple of Khnum a share of revenue. 
Netjerirykhet (Djoser) 2628-2609

The lines 3 to 5 of the above translated gives:

The Middle Kingdom lasted from 2050 to 1800 B.C. It was ruled by the 11th and 12th dynasties with its capital at Thebes. During this time, the Nile river was also greatly used for trading. They also used irrigation systems to aid in farming.

The oldest religious texts are Egyptian. "The Pyramid Texts were a collection of Egyptian mortuary prayers, hymns, and spells intended to protect a dead king or queen and ensurelife and sustenance in the hereafter. The texts, inscribed on the walls of the inner chambers of the pyramids [from c. 2686-c. 2160 BC]., are found at Saqqarah in several 5th- and 6th-dynasty pyramids, of which that of Unas, last king of the 5th dynasty, is the earliest known. The texts constitute the oldest surviving body of Egyptian religious and funerary writings available to modern scholars." -Encyclopedia Britannica

Law Code of Hammurabi 1792-1750 BC
Stele of Hammurabi bearing the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon. The code inscribed on it recognized social classes and sought to regulate private life. At the top, Hammurabi approaches the seated sun god, Shamash, who was also the god of justice

http://www.bible-history.com/babylonia/index.html

"Probably the most important of the Middle Eastern religions was that which was developed by the peoples of Mesopotamia (i.e., the Sumerians, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians). These peoples, besides spreading their influence, absorbed contributions of the Hittites, the Phrygians, the Ugarites, and the Phoenicians. It was in Mesopotamia that the Sumerians implanted reverence for the sky and for high places. Later, when they came into contact with the Semites, new gods were absorbed into the pantheon. The result was a blend of religious thought, Sumerian and Semitic, in which everything (a tree, a stone, a fish, a bird, a person, or even an abstract idea) had a particular significance in the universe.

The highest authority was the triad of gods: the sky god Anu, the storm god Enlil, and the water god Ea, or Enki. Later a second triad arose: the moon god Sin, the sun god Shamash, and the goddess Ishtar (sometimes replaced by the weather god Hadad). As Babylon rose to supremacy in the 2d millennium B.C., the local god Marduk became important; a thousand years later Ashur of Assyria took his place. Thus many deities were determined by political conquest as well as by interchange.

There was a gradual development among the Middle Eastern cultures toward belief in a supreme god. One of the most widespread cults was that of the mother goddess (Inanna, Ishtar, Astarte, Cybele; see Great Mother Goddess). She was considered as more kindly disposed toward humans than the other deities but was also capable of cruelty and vengefulness.

It was the Hittite kingdom in Anatolia (Asia Minor) who brought to an end the first dynasty of Babylon. Mursilis I, king of the Hittites, invaded Babylonia by surprise and sacked Babylon."

Hittites are Aryans.

We can see very close parallel between the Vedic gods and the Babylonian gods.

== "A magic spell to keep snakes away from the tombs of Egyptian kings, adopted from the Canaanites almost 5,000 years ago, could be the oldest Semitic text yet discovered." Associated Press Thursday, January 25, 2007

The first pure alphabet emerged around 2000 BC to represent the language of Semitic workers in Egypt (see Middle Bronze Age alphabets), and was derived from the alphabetic principles of the Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Wadi el-Hol inscriptions

Luxor in upper Egypt, Egyptologists have found limestone inscriptions that they say are the earliest known examples of alphabetic writing, in a Semitic script with Egyptian influences, has been dated between 1900 and 1800 B.C. The first experiments with alphabet thus appeared to be the work of Semitic people living deep in Egypt

Afterward Hebrew continued as a literary language until the Modern Era. when it was revived as a spoken language in the 19th century.

This picture shows many carved texts sitting on shelves.  This is in a museum in Turkey.
But some texts were found in libraries of clay tablets, where they found a shelf full of intact texts, with the catalog list at the front of the shelf.  The index list told archaeologists what tablets were missing from the shelf.  Obviously the archeologists were amazed to dig up complete libraries of carved clay.

Dr. Parpola's work, Deciphering the Indus Script was published by Cambridge University Press in 1994.

"I still very strongly believe that the Indus civilization language was in all probability an early form of Dravidian. Having said this, let me also sound a word of caution. This is still a theory."

"We haven't had final proof, we haven't been able to crack the code primarily because we do not have a bilingual [inscription in two languages] and also because the available inscriptional materials are all in the form of repetitive tablets and seals which are extremely small, not more than an average of five symbols strung in a row."
Iravatham Mahadevan The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables.

While there is a continuity of development of scripts and a growth of literature in all other early cultures, the Indus Valley civilization has no continuity nor literature to claim. Something happened to this ancient culture with elaborate cities and structures that is culture was cut off with nothing to replace.

Oracle bone script

writing was invented in China during the latter half of the 2nd millenium BC and that there is no evidence to suggest the transmission of writing from elsewhere. The earliest recognisable examples of written Chinese date from 1500-950 BC (Shang dynasty) and were inscribed on ox scapulae and turtle shells - "oracle bones".

Bronze Inscription )
Eastern Zhou dynasty (ca. 1150-771 BC) and late Shang period.

the total number of these symbols in the Chinese writing system is staggering. Even to be able to read a novel, it is absolutely necessary to learn at least 3,000 symbols. People with college degrees are judged to have mastered about 6-7,000 of them, but some large dictionaries can contain as many as 60,000 characters.

A page from a medieval Chinese manuscript. Bamboo strips (ca. 300 BCE)

The Bamboo inscription reads: 

...form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form, emptiness is nothing but form, form is nothing but emptiness...
http://www.logoi.com/notes/symbols_alphabet.html 

China was an isolated civilization and trade did not affect its literature. In spite of its difficult scripts they developed a large literature and religion of their own.

A bilingual Hieroglyphic and Cuneiform Hittite Plate

The first known Greek writings date back to 1450 BC.

Greek has been spoken in the Balkan Peninsula since the 2nd millennium BC. The earliest evidence of this is found in the Linear B tablets in the 'Room of the Chariot Tablets', a LMII-context (c. 1500 BC) region of Knossos, in Crete

Moses was trained in the Royal Art of writing
He wrote the five books. Books of the Law: Torah.
Writing was in existence in Egypt and Sumer
This date can be almost accurately determined as

As one brought up at the court of the Pharaoh, and learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, he must have had some knowledge of hieroglyphics. Moses was of Semitic Origin (Jew). So he must have been familiar with Babylonian Cuneiform as well

Among the Ras Shamra tablets, belonging to the Tell el Amarna period some tablets are written entirely in a Canaanite language, and in the cuneiform script. In this case, however, it is surprising to learn that the cuneiform is no longer syllabic, but (apparently under Phoenician influence) has been simplified for use as an alphabet. 'The decipherment of this script, which represents the Phoenician or Hebrew alphabet of actually 1400 BC, is one of the most interesting achievements of the present century.'
[C. Marston, The New Knowledge and the Old Testament (1933)

Amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls were found the oldest known Hebrew/Aramaic manuscripts of parts of the Old Testament. Some extensive, some only small fragments, nevertheless, every book is represented except Esther. They are all dated earlier than BC 100. These and also the "Septuagint" Greek translation of BC 285-246, to a remarkable degree, verify the accuracy of the Masoretic Hebrew Text of circa AD 900.

1427-1392 BC

The Papyrus of Ani

This hieroglyphics explains what happens after death when the heart is weighed to determine the level of rewards. If it is found wanting the heart is eaten by the wolf

Limestone ostracon with a drawing of a cat bringing a boy before a mouse magistrate, New Kingdom Egypt, 20th dynasty (1200–1085 BC); in the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago.

The beginnings of Greece was in the form of the Minoan culture, named after the legendary King Minos, on the island of Crete. From here, this great civilization spread to the rest of Europe, resulting in what we term the Greek civilization today. Greek gods and goddesses corresponds to later Indian mythical panthenon.

This corresponds to the period of the beginning of Kingship in Israel – Period of Saul, David and Solomon. We have the songs of David (Psalms) written down and elaborate temple rituals in Jerusalem at that time

Moabite Stone :West Semitic Language

I am Mesha, son of Kemosh-yat, the Dibonite

It was supposedly started at Olympia, named after Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods. The first Olympic games were initially dedicated to Zeus, the king of all gods.

Rome was founded by Romulus, son of Mars, brother of Remus, raised by she-wolf
on April 21, 753 BC by twin descendants of the Trojan prince Aeneas, Romulus and Remus

Homer's Iliad. Book XIV, ll. 227-253, 256-263, Oxyrhynchus, II A.D.
(Manuscripts Division and Princeton Papyrus Home Page)
The oldest copy of "Iliad" is dated 300 BC

721 The first Exodus of Jews: settled in countries to the East to escape slavery by the Assyrians.

This clay tablet reads, "In the thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the country of Babylon, he went to Egypt [Misr] to make war. Amasis, king of Egypt, collected, and marched and spread abroad."

Yasna 28.1, Ahunavaiti Gatha (Bodleian MS J2)

The founding of Greek democracy in ancient Athens is credited to a lawgiver named Solon, who lived from the late 7th to the early 6th century BC. He put an end to the wealthy aristocrats' complete control of the government and advocated that control of the government be shared among the people. He divided society into four classes and instituted economic and political reforms. He also cancelled debts and freed people imprisoned for debt.

Confucius had a simple moral and political teaching:
to love others; to honor one's parents; to do what is right instead of what is of advantage;
to practice "reciprocity," i.e. "don't do to others what you would not want yourself";
to rule by moral example instead of by force and violence; and so forth.

Rely on rational explanations for physical phenomena and avoid bringing gods into it.

Thales of Miletus was the first known Greek philosopher, scientist and mathematician. He is credited with five theorems of elementary geometry.

Parmenides stated that the senses deceive us and, hence, our perception of the world does not reflect the world as it really is. Instead, the real world is something above our apprehension and can only be apprehended through logic. His chief doctrine is that the only true being is "the One" which is indivisible and infinite in time and space.

The caste system was a social division system in India and contained 4 classes.
a)the priest (brahmans) - white colour
b)the warrior (kshatriyas) - red colour
c)the peasant (vaishya) - brown colour; included traders and merchants where trade was not considered an impure activity
d)serf (shudra) - black colour; included dasas and the artisans. They were despised because of their contact with the elements and were not allowed to hear or study the Vedas.

The serfs included many of the native people, the dasas, who were very skilled artisans and those Aryans who had intermarried. A person is born into a caste and according to Hinduism, the only way to move up in the caste system in the next lifetime is to do good in the present one. Professions are heriditary in the caste system and reflect a division of labour. The caste system also has taboos on commensality (eating together) as well as marriage limits; one can only marry within one's own caste.

King Darius says: By the favor of Ahuramazda these are the countries which I seized outside of Persia; I ruled over them; they bore tribute to me; they did what was said to them by me; they held my law firmly; Media, Elam, Parthia, Aria, Bactria, Sogdia, Chorasmia, Drangiana, Arachosia, Sattagydia, Gandara, India, the haoma-drinking Scythians, the Scythians with pointed caps, Babylonia, Assyria, Arabia, Egypt, Armenia, Cappadocia, Lydia, the Greeks, the Scythians across the sea, Thrace, the sun hat-wearing Greeks, the Libyans, the Nubians, the men of Maka and the Carians.

The Cyrus Cylinder speaks of Cyrus the Persian and his conquest of Babylon in 539 BC

Vardhamana Mahavira or 'The Great Hero' founded Jainism during 540-468 B.C.

Second Temple Period Like the first temple built by King Solomon they were both built out of white limestone, which is a fossil rich rock.

Cambyses II (530–522 BC )led a campaign into Egypt and crowned himself king (or pharaoh), thus founding the XXVIIth dynasty. His brother Bardiya (who had usurped the throne of Darius 1st), had him assassinated

No Vedas yet written down yet.

Catvāry Āryasatyāni (Pali: Cattāri Ariyasaccāni), or the "Four Noble Truths".

1. Suffering: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.
2. The cause of suffering: The craving which leads to renewed existence (rebirth) (the cycle of samsara) Reincarnation of Buddha was different from the modern Hindu understanding of reincarnation.
3. The cessation of suffering: The cessation of craving.
4. The way leading to the cessation of suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path;

Noble Eightfold Path:

1. Right Speech
2. Right Actions
3. Right Livelihood
4. Right Effort/Exercise
5. Right Mindfulness/Awareness
6. Right Concentration/Meditation
7. Right Understanding
8. Right Thoughts

No Vedas yet written down

http://www.friesian.com/

This figure identifies the religions that evolved in the civilizations that were based on languages. Vedism was not the major religion of India. They never were because they did not have the knowledge of writing nor the philosophical content until the coming of St.Thomas. Vedism remained a minor religion of a few.

Zeno-Stoic (333-262BC) God is not separate from the world; He is the soul of the world, and each of us contains a part of the Divine Fire. ... All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature

Alexander (356 – 323BC) the Great invaded India

Asoka’s Edicts

Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, has caused this Dhamma edict to be written
http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=1601&rendTypeId=4

PILLAR 6
Beloved-of-the-Gods speaks thus: Twelve years after my coronation I started to have Dhamma edicts written for the welfare and happiness of the people, and so that not transgressing them they might grow in the Dhamma. Thinking: "How can the welfare and happiness of the people be secured?" I give attention to my relatives, to those dwelling near and those dwelling far, so I can lead them to happiness and then I act accordingly. I do the same for all groups. I have honored all religions with various honors. But I consider it best to meet with people personally.

This Dhamma edict was written twenty-six years after my coronation.

Brajbuli dates to 1000 BC
Pali is Magadhi, Magadhanirutti, Magadhikabhasa, that is to say, the language of the region in which Buddhism had arisen.
The earliest recorded Prakrit is in Asoka's Inscriptions 500 BC

Greek and Aramaic translation of an edict by Asoka. Khandahar

Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC, the most famous being the one built between 220 and 200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang

The earliest printed text of the Rigveda mantra Samhita with the Bhāshya of Sāyaņa was brought out during (1848-1874) by Friedrich Max Muller (1823-1900).
Dr. A Weber published the text of Vājasaneyi Samhitā of Shukla YajurVeda in 1852
and
the Taittirīya Samhitā of Krişhņa Yajur Veda in 1871.
Dr. L. Von Schroeder published the text of Maitrāyaņi Samhitā in (1881-86)
and
Kaţhaka Samhitā in (1900-11).

Professor Stevenson published the text of the Rāņāyanīya Sāmaveda Samhitā with English trnaslation in 1842.

Eugene Burnouf (1801-52) produced the German translation of "Kauthumīya Sāmaveda Samhitā in 1848.

Roth and Whitney (1827-94) published the Atharva Veda Samhitā.”

http://www.vedah.com/org2/literature/veda_books/printed_texts.html
from the booklet "An Introduction to the Vedās" by K.S. Srinivasacharya published by the Alliance Company

The whole purpose of looking through the time line was to indicate that while all the other religions of the world insisted on the scriptures to be written down and crystalized so that it may not be perverted or interpolated, Vedid religion alone do not have any such heritage. We only have oral traditions for Vedism. We do not have any way of determining its integrity and we have aboslutely no means of dating the vedas since they were never really in any "hard copy" and we have only the hearsay evidences of their antiquity. While oral traditions especially in songs and music are a powerful means of reaching the population, it has no built in safeguard against interpolation and omissions. Thus by the time it was written down, there were several parallel versions and most of the orally transmitted portions of Vedic hymns were totally lost. Only 1% survived.

Out of the more than a thousand 'shakhas' (recensions) of the four Vedas in our country, unfortunately only 11 shakhas survive today in the oral tradition
http://www.arshavidya-nagpur.org/veda.htm