Use primary sources to enhance your study of ancient history.

This 130-page ebook can be used to supplement any ancient history curriculum and is suitable for ages ten through adult. For this volume, we combed through the books of 32 ancient authors to find 78 significant excerpts concerning the time period from The Tower of Babel to 30 B.C. We then arranged the excerpts chronologically and provided the text and citation for each.

Today, we are giving away this ebook. You can download it here.

Contents of Ebook

Moses — NAME OF AUTHOR
Bible: Genesis — NAME OF BOOK
The Tower of Babel — DESCRIPTION OF SIGNIFICANT EXCERPT

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Where the children of Ham settled after the Tower of Babel

David
Bible: Psalm
Egypt was called the land of Ham or the land of Mizraim

Herodotus
The History
Min, first king of Egypt

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
Early history of Egypt

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
Cheops builds the pyramid

Herodotus
The History
The pyramids

The Instruction of Ptah-Hotep
Considered the oldest book in the world; a compilation of wise sayings; written c. 2450 B.C.

Letter of Pepi II
Letter of Egyptian pharaoh Pepi II (ruled 2161-2067 B.C.) to Harkhuf (an Egyptian official)

Moses
Bible: Genesis
Abram is called by God and travels to Canaan (c.1875 B.C.)

The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus
Earliest known surgical document; written around the 16th century B.C.

Epitaph of Beka
Inscription on a funeral pillar; Beka, the person who died, was the great steward of the Public Granary

The Laboring Classes
Compares the different occupations and their hardships with the easy occupation of a scribe

Moses
Bible: Genesis
Jacob is established in Egypt (c.1660 B.C.)

Herodotus
The History
Farm labor in Egypt is easy because of the Nile

Herodotus
The History
The people and customs of Egypt; embalming

Herodotus
The History
Egyptian crocodile and other animals

The Shipwrecked Sailor
A man tells of his fantastic adventure

Moses
Bible: Exodus
Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt (c.1445 B.C.)

Justin
Epitome of the Philippic Histories
Roman view of the early history of the Jews and of the Exodus

Pliny the Elder
Natural History
Description of Egypt

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
Description of Egypt

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
How the pharaohs lived

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
Customs of the early Egyptians

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
Egyptian medicine

Products of Arabia
Inscriptions on the inner walls of an Egyptian temple giving an account of the conquest of Arabia during the time of Thutmose III (ruled c. 1138-1085 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible: I Kings
David reigns over Israel (c. 1010-970 B.C.)

El-Amarna Letters
Tablets of Tel El-Amarna; Palestine is under Egyptian rule and the governor of Jerusalem (plus other Egyptian rulers in Palestine) tells pharaoh Akhenaten (ruled c. 1022-1006 B.C.) of a general revolt of the natives

Jeremiah
Bible: I Kings
The foundation of Solomon’s temple is laid (c. 966 B.C.)

Ramesses at Kadesh
Poem recording the battle between Pharaoh Ramesses II (ruled c. 940-873 B.C.) and the Hittite King Muwatallis II; called the Battle of Kadesh (c. 936 B.C.).

Treaty Between Ramesses II and the Hittites
A treaty of peace was signed between Ramesses II (ruled c. 940-873 B.C.) and the Hittite king after the battle called Kadesh (c. 936 B.C.)

The Mouse as Vizier
Ancient Egyptian Tale

Jeremiah
Bible: I Kings
The kingdom of Israel is divided; Rehoboam rules Judah (c. 930-913 B.C.) and Jeroboam rules Israel (c. 930-909 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible: I Kings
Ramesses II (the Great) — called Shishak in the Bible — sacks Jerusalem (c. 925 B.C.)

Spoliation of Tombs
Extract from a longer document from the time of Ramesses IX (ruled c. 835-816 B.C.) showing that tomb robbery was common even during ancient times

Strabo
Ancient Geography
Description of ancient Egypt

Sulpicius Severus
Sacred History
Hoshea makes an alliance with the Ethiopians, who at that time held Egypt (c. 726 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible: II Kings
Hoshea, the king of Israel, conspires with the king of Egypt/Ethiopia and stops paying tribute to the king of Assyria; Sargon of Assyria carries away the people of Israel (c. 722 B.C.); New Chronology says this king of Egypt/Ethiopia was Hedjkheperre Shoshenq Si-Bast (Shoshenq IV)

Isaiah
Bible: Isaiah
The prophet Isaiah predicts the war of Assyria against Egypt (c. 713 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
How Sennacherib made an expedition against Hezekiah (King of Judah); what threatenings Rabshakeh made to Hezekiah when Sennacherib was gone against the Egyptians; how Isaiah the prophet encouraged him; how Sennacherib having failed to success in Egypt, returned to Jerusalem; and how upon his finding his army destroyed, he returned home (c. 704-701 B.C.)

Ezra
Bible: II Chronicles
The Battle for Jerusalem (c. 704-701 B.C.)

Herodotus
The History
Herodotus’ report of the invasion of Egypt by Sennacherib

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
Civil disorder in Egypt for two years followed by a twelve-man aristocracy (c. 687-670 B.C.)

Herodotus
The History
The twelve-man aristocracy diverts the flow of the Nile

Herodotus
The Histories
Psammetichus Sais took over Egypt and reigned there 54 years (c. 670 B.C.)

Herodotus
The Histories
The son of Psammetichus Sais — Necho or Pharaohnecho — rules Egypt for 16 years (c. 616 B.C.)

Ezra
Bible II Chronicles
Pharaohnecho, king of Egypt, set out to fight against the king of Assyria/Babylon by besieging Carchemish on the Euphrates River; Josiah, King of Judah, interferes and is killed (c. 610 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible: II Kings
Another version of Josiah’s death (c. 610 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
How Josiah fought with Necho and was wounded and died; Josiah’s son Jehoahaz (Shallum) becomes king of Judah (c. 610 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
When Necho returned from Assyria, he deposed Shallum and made Eliakim (Jehoiakim), his older brother, king of Judah (c. 610 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible: II Kings
When Necho returned from Assyria, he deposed Shallum and made Eliakim (Jehoiakim), his older brother, king of Judah (c. 610 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible: Jeremiah
Jeremiah makes a prophecy that Nebuchadnezzar would conquer Egypt (c. 607 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible II Kings
Nebuchadnezzar took all the land between Egypt and the Euphrates River (c. 605 B.C.)

Herodotus
The Histories
Psammis rules Egypt for 6 years (c. 600-594 B.C. )and his son Apries (Pharaohhophra) rules for 25 years (c. 594-570 B.C.)

Ezekiel
Bible: Ezekiel
Ezekiel makes a prophecy about Apries (Pharaohhophra) (c. 588 B.C.)

Ezekiel
Bible: Ezekiel
Ezekiel makes another prophecy concerning Egypt (c. 587 B.C.)

Ezekiel
Bible: Ezekiel
More prophecy concerning Egypt (c. 587 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible: Jeremiah
Pharaohhophra came with his army from Egypt to help Zedekiah, king of Judah, while the Chaldeans were raising a siege of Jerusalem (c. 587 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible: Jeremiah
Jerusalem is taken by the Chaldeans/Babylonians (c. 586 B.C.)

Jeremiah
Bible: Jeremiah
The remnant of the Israelites force Jeremiah to go with them to Egypt; Jeremiah predicts the destruction of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar (which occurred c. 571 B.C.) and makes a prophecy about Apries (Pharaohhophra) (c. 586 B.C.)

Ezekiel
Bible: Ezekiel
Ezekiel’s prophesy against Egypt (c. 586 B.C.)

Sulpicius Severus
Sacred History
The remnant Jews flee to Egypt (c. 586 B.C.)

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
Apries (Pharaohhophra) rules Egypt (c. 594-570 B.C.) and after him, Amasis, his son, rules while paying tribute to the Babylonians (c. 570-525 B.C.)

Herodotus
The Histories
Cambyses, son of Cyrus, conquers Egypt (c. 525 B.C.)

Arrian
Anabasis of Alexander
Alexander the Great conquers Egypt (332 B.C.)

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
Alexander the Great conquers Egypt and founds Alexandria (332 B.C.)

Vitruvius
On Architecture
How Alexander chose the man who designed Alexandria (332. B.C.)

Josephus
The War of the Jews
Alexander the Great moved a colony of the Jews (along with other groups of people) to Alexandria in order to populate it (331 B.C.)

Arrian
Anabasis of Alexander
Alexander settles affairs in Egypt before leaving (331 B.C.)

Lucian
Octogenarians
After the death of Alexander the Great, all of Egypt, among other lands, was given to Ptolemy (323 B.C.)

Daniel
Bible: Daniel
Daniel tells (200 years earlier) of Alexander the Great and what happens at his death

Justin
Epitome of the Philippic Histories
Ptolemy takes over Egypt and wins over the people

Diodorus Siculus
Historical Library
Ptolemy brings the body of Alexander the Great to Egypt to bury (321 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
How Ptolemy took Jerusalem and transported many Jews to Alexandria (320 B.C.)

Vitruvius
On Architecture
Ptolemy Philadelphus establishes a library at Alexandria (277 B.C.)

Tertullian
Apology
Ptolemy Philadelphus calls for a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures (277 B.C.)

Josephus
Antiquities of the Jews
Ptolemy Philadelphus calls for a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures (277 B.C.)

Plutarch
The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans: Antony
The Ptolemys rule Egypt until the death of Cleopatra in 30 B.C.; Egypt becomes a Roman province

Also available in this series:

Volume One: Julius Caesar
Volume Two: Alexander the Great
Volume Three: Augustus, Jesus Christ, and Tiberius
Volume Four: Ancient Egypt
Volume Five: Caligula, Claudius, and Paul
Volume Six: Nero, Paul, and the Destruction of Jerusalem