Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia

Nile

River flowing north in Egypt

Delta

Area around the mouth of the Nile with rich soil

Cataracts

Rapids in the Nile in Upper Egypt

Upper Egypt

Southern area of Egypt

Lower Egypt

Northern area of Egypt, contains the Nile delta

Sinai Peninsula

Land connecting Africa to Asia (Mesopotamia)

Sahara

Desert west of Egypt, acts as a barrier

Thebes

Last capital of Egypt

Pharaoh

God-king of Egypt

Pyramids

Tombs for the Pharaohs

Book of the dead

Guide for souls through the afterlife

Hieroglyphics

Pictographic writing system used to record history

Old Kingdom

Period in Egypt known as the Pyramid Age

Middle Kingdom

Period in Egypt known as the Transitional Period

New Kingdom

Period in Egypt known as the Age of Pharaohs

Theocracy

Government where the ruler is both a political and religious leader

Nubia

Kingdom in the Upper Nile region

Kush

Alternate name for the Nubians

Menes/Narmer

First pharaoh who united Upper and Lower Egypt

Ahmose

Egyptian queen who defeated the Hyskos

Hatshepsut

Egyptian queen who declared herself pharaoh

Thutmose III

Pharaoh who created Egypt's first empire and conquered Syria

Amenhotep IV/Akhenaton

Pharaoh who started a cult worshiping one god and changed his name

Ziggurat

Religious temple

Stylus

Writing tool used for cuneiform

Solomon

King who united the 12 tribes of Israel

Exile

Period of Jewish enslavement in Babylon

Flax

Plant used for cloth

City-State

Smaller part of a larger civilization

Torah

Holy book of Judaism

10 Commandments

Moral law code

Abraham

Father of Judaism

Moses

Led the Hebrews out of Egypt

Diaspora

Cultural diffusion of Jews around the world

Judaism

First monotheistic religion, followers are called Hebrews

Sumer

First city-state and creator of cuneiform

Babylonia

First code of law (Hammurabi's code)

Phoenicia

First Mediterranean traders and creators of the first alphabet

Akkadians

First empire (Sargon)

Hittites

First ironworkers

Chaldeans

Advanced in astronomy and known for the hanging gardens

Assyrians

Known for military supremacy

Lydians

Creators of the first coins

Mesopotamia

Fertile crescent