World History Foundations & First Civilizations Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing key concepts, mythological figures, and historical milestones from Foundations & First Civilizations lecture notes.

Apsu

The freshwater god in the Babylonian creation narrative (Enuma Elish) who, along with Tiamat, fathered the younger gods and later sought to destroy them because they were loud and disruptive.

Tiamat

The saltwater goddess representing chaos in the Enuma Elish who created sea monsters and an army to seek revenge against the younger gods after Apsu was killed.

Marduk

The chief Babylonian god who defeated Tiamat, split her body to form the sky and earth, and created humans from Kingu's blood so they could serve the gods and do their work.

Kingu

Tiamat's champion and army leader in the Enuma Elish whose blood was used by Marduk to create human beings.

Enuma Elish

The Babylonian creation story detailing the conflict among original and younger gods, explaining the emergence of Marduk as leader and the creation of the world and humanity.

Nun

The dark, endless primordial waters of chaos that existed before creation in the Egyptian narrative.

Atum

The first creator god in Egyptian belief who emerged from Nun and started world creation by creating Shu and Tefnut.

Shu

The Egyptian god of air, created by Atum, who separated Geb (earth) and Nut (sky) to create space between earth and sky.

Tefnut

The Egyptian goddess representing moisture, created by Atum alongside Shu.

Geb

The Egyptian god of the earth, child of Shu and Tefnut, who was separated from Nut by Shu.

Nut

The Egyptian goddess of the sky, child of Shu and Tefnut, who was separated from Geb by Shu.

Ma'at

The central Egyptian concept of order, balance, truth, and harmony—the opposite of chaos—which humans and rulers were responsible for maintaining.

Biblical Creation

The biblical creation narrative placed around $4000\,\text{BCE}$ in the notes, followed by the Fall, Cain and Abel, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel.

Neolithic Revolution

The historic transition where humans began producing food through agriculture (cattle, sheep, goats, wheat, barley), leading to permanent settlements, food surpluses, trade, and urbanization.

Abraham's Travel

The biblical journey of Abraham mapped from Ur to Haran (Gen. 11:31), Haran to Canaan (Gen. 12:1-9), and Canaan to Egypt and back (Gen. 12:1-13:1).

Sargon of Akkad

The conqueror and ruler of the Akkadian Empire from around $2334\text{--}2279\,\text{BCE}$ who united Mesopotamian city-states under one ruler and made Akkad his capital.

Hammurabi's Code

One of the earliest written law codes created around $1150\,\text{BCE}$ by King Hammurabi of Babylon, covering crime, property, marriage, and trade based on the principle of 'eye for an eye' with punishments varying by social class.

Fertile Crescent

A region of fertile land in the Middle East optimal for farming that included Mesopotamia and parts of Egypt, where early civilizations developed.

Mesopotamia

Meaning 'Land between the Rivers' and known as the 'Cradle of Civilization', the region located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern-day Iraq that was home to Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians.