The Levant

 The Levant is the eastern shoreland of the Mediterranean Sea.  It is a region of the Near East whose ancient civilization both parallels, and is distinct from, that of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea, at the western end of the Fertile Crescent, the Levant in its present geopolitical landscape comprises Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. Though the survey attempts to highlight variability in regional trajectories, the objective is to synthesize broad cultural and historical trends in the development of civilization in this part of the ancient Near East. To that end, there will be a summary of select archaeological remains considered to be the essential building blocks of current scholarly interpretation and/or debate. The time span is broad: the Palaeolithic through the Greco-Roman/Byzantine eras, ca. 1.4 million years ago through the 6th century of the Common Era. Critical prehistoric developments are discussed, such as the evolution from hunter-gatherer strategies to sedentary lifeways and the Neolithic agricultural revolution. Early village settlements ultimately laid the foundation for the growth in cultural complexity out of which emerged the first urban civilizations and writing in the 4th millennium, BCE. Major issues of the succeeding 2000-year Bronze Age include the rise and collapse of urban life, the growing connectivity of regional states, and empire-vassal relationships. About 1200 BCE, widespread upheaval throughout the Mediterranean Basin ushered in the Iron Age Kingdoms, whose diverse ethnic groups, e.g., Phoenicians, Arameans, Israelites, played such a pivotal role in the foundations of western civilization. The impact of empire (Assyria, Babylon, Persia) on Iron Age peoples is a topic of consideration. Finally, the survey views the Levant through the lens of westernization and acculturation, phenomena of the Greco-Roman and Byzantine (Christian) eras. The area is part of the Palearctic realm, located in the Mediterranean Basin, whose climate supports the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123739629003757 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity_in_Israel,_the_West_Bank,_and_the_Gaza_Strip4