Ancient Civilization Lecture Review

Comprehensive flashcards covering the creation, the Fall, the Flood, and ancient civilizations including Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Persia, India, and China based on the PACE lecture notes.

According to the transcript, what is the only source of true facts regarding how the world began?

The Bible

How does the manner in which God created man differ from the creation of other creatures in Genesis?

God created the universe by His utterance, but He formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.

What specific qualities does man possess that make him different from animals?

A brain to process ideas and reason, a tongue to articulate thoughts, a conscience to distinguish between right and wrong, and a God-sized vacuum in his heart.

What was the specific warning God gave Adam regarding the 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil'?

God warned him that eating the fruit of this tree would bring him death.

According to Genesis 3:16-19, what were the consequences of sin for the woman and the man?

For the woman, sorrow in conception and bringing forth children; for the man, the ground was cursed and he would eat bread in the sweat of his face until returning to the dust.

What were the physical dimensions of the boat God instructed Noah to build?

The boat was to be $450\,\text{feet}$ ($137\,\text{meters}$) long, $75\,\text{feet}$ ($23\,\text{meters}$) wide, and $45\,\text{feet}$ ($14\,\text{meters}$) high.

How long did the floodwaters remain upon the surface of the earth according to human history's first principal epoch?

$150$ days

Where did the Ark finally rest after the Flood?

Mt. Ararat

According to most scholars, what needs did the three sons of Noah (Shem, Ham, and Japheth) answer for humanity?

Shem answered spiritual needs, Ham answered material needs, and Japheth answered philosophical needs.

What are the names of the three major language groups named after the sons of Noah?

Japhetic, Hamitic, and Semitic

What is the name of the super-continent where all landmasses were locked together during antediluvian history?

Pangaea

What is the thickness of the earth's crust beneath the oceans and the continents?

It goes down to about $3\,\text{miles}$ under the ocean and $22\,\text{miles}$ under the continents.

What device is used to detect and register seismic waves, and what scale measures an earthquake's intensity?

The seismograph records the waves, and the Richter scale measures the intensity.

Which two rivers define the area of Mesopotamia, and what does the name Mesopotamia mean?

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers; it means "land between the rivers."

Which group of people is described as the 'real forerunners of civilization' for building cities and a system of writing?

The Sumerians

Who created the first world empire by conquering Sumer and founding the dynasty of Akkad?

Sargon I (Sargon "The Great")

What was the first written law promulgated by King Hammurabi, and how many decrees did it consist of?

The Code of Hammurabi, consisting of $285$ decrees.

What was the highest architectural achievement of the Babylonians, described as a temple-tower?

The ziggurat

Which Assyrian ruler was considered the founder of the last Assyrian Empire and implemented a centralized system of government?

Tiglath-Pileser III

To Bible students and historians, who was Nebuchadnezzar?

To Bible students, the destroyer of Jerusalem who took captive Jews to Babylonia; to historians, the great builder and restorer of Babylon.

What are five major contributions of Mesopotamia to modern civilization?

The invention of cuneiform, the plow and wheel, the sexagesimal system in mathematics, libraries/schools/temples, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

What was the most significant contribution of the Phoenicians to civilization?

The alphabet

Who was the first prominent Persian leader, and who established the Persian Empire as the predominant world power?

Achaemenes was the first prominent leader; Cyrus the Great established the empire's power.

Where can archaeological findings of India's ancient civilization be found today?

Mohenjo Daro in Sind and Harappa in Punjab

What collection of sacred writings from about $1200\,\text{BC}$ provides information on Indo-Aryan culture?

The Vedas

Which Chinese dynasty is the earliest with reliable historical evidence, and which god did they worship as the 'Lord on High'?

The Shang dynasty; they worshiped Shang Ti.

What was required for working in any government office during the Zhou dynasty?

Passing the Civil Service examinations

What were the five virtues in life covered in the teachings of Confucius?

1) benevolence, 2) righteousness, 3) propriety, 4) wisdom, and 5) loyalty

Who founded Taoism and wrote the 'Tao-te Ching'?

Lao Tzu

What did Mencius teach regarding the power to govern and the right of the people?

The power to govern comes from God and should be used for the people's interests; the people have the right to overthrow a crooked government by revolution.