The Ancient Civilization that Dare Not Speak Its Name

A model modern US grade 6 curriculum at which I am looking currently seeks, admirably, to avoid the ethnocentrism of the old ancient history curriculum, which limited the birth of civilization as we know it to Greece and Rome. I'm all for that. In a delirium of inclusion, it adds to the mix Egypt, Mesopotamia, early China, Persia, India, East Africa, and Mesoamerica. Indeed, fearful of letting anyone feel their ancestors are left out, it also throws in “hunter/gatherer” and “tribal” generically, despite the fact that, not having had cities, these groups were not, literally, civilizations.

But hey, despite all this inclusiveness, do you notice a problem here? Do you notice one group awkwardly missing from that list above? One group that has had an undeniably important influence on civilization as we know it?

Apparently, Jewish students are to understand that their ancestors had no part in the ancient world, or in civilization. Where are the Hebrews or ancient Israel? The guys who gave us three great world religions, our basic moral code, and all that?

One can certainly understand the problem with including them. Their history is also sacred history, to Jews and Christians. Including them, perhaps, would be too controversial for a public school. But ignoring them does not work any better; and the very attempt to be inclusive makes their absence far more troublesome.

And it certainly denies schoolchildren a proper understanding of the development of civilization.

There is only one real solution here: religion-based schooling.