Lecture - 1177 BC, The year Civilization Collapsed

Here is an interesting lecture by Mr. Eric Cline, PhD about the relatively sudden decline of a number of ancient cultures and the collapse of their civilizations in terms of the levels of education, manufacturing, the collapse of inter-dependent (quasi-globalized) trade networks, as well as a decline in population that took place, not all at once in 1177 B.C., but over a period of about 100 years between 1250 and 1150 B.C.

Some of the factors that may have contributed to this collapse are: a complicated global trade network that was sophisticated, but therefore vulnerable to disruption; climate change and subsequent drought and famines; foreign invasion and the migrations of large numbers of peoples; an increased level of seismic/earthquake activity; and rebellions and warfare - all combining into a "perfect storm" of pressure on these civilizations, that ultimately took all of them down, save for Egypt, which itself never recovered its former strength.  Interestingly, many of these factors are in play today, though of course we have resources for dealing with these pressures unheard of in the 12th Century B.C.

Another interesting this about this is that the decline of these civilizations is that it coincides with the rise of Israel as a coherent nation, as Cline notes several times.  He also notes that the Ancient Near East experienced significant population decline, which is very interesting as we read passages in Scripture (like Deuteronomy 6:10-11) in which God promises to the Israelites towns and homes they did not build, wells they did not dig, and the like.  As someone who believes in the Providence of God working through human history, this raises all sorts of interesting questions and possibilities in my mind.