Part 6/12:
The speaker discusses a cyclical model of history, suggesting humanity progresses through stages roughly 2,000 years long, characterized by rise, decline, and renewal. The first cycle began in 3000 BCE with the rise of river valley civilizations, ending with the Bronze Age collapse in the 12th century BCE. The second, including Greek, Roman, Persian, and Jewish civilizations, ended around the fall of Rome and Han China.
Jewish history aligns with this pattern as a societal response to civilizational excess and decadence—initially reacting against the failures of Bronze Age civilizations, then later creating Christianity as a renewal during the decline of classical culture, and more recently, influencing Marxism amid modern societal upheavals.