Fertile Crescent Test

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Fertile Crescent

A region in Southwest Asia that is the site of the first civilizations

Why is the area on the map called the Fertile Crescent?

The soil was very rich and the area was a crescent shape.

city-state

A city that is also a separate, independent state

polytheism

The belief in many gods

myth

A traditional story in some cultures, a legend that explains people's beliefs

What two rivers surround Mesopotamia?

Tigris River & Euphrates River

Why are the Tigris and Euphrates rivers called rivers of life?

floods spread fertile soil that helped crops grow

Why are the Tigris and Euphrates rivers called rivers of death?

Floods could come without warning and sweep away people, animals, and houses

Describe a typical ziggurat

A religious temple with terraces, called a "stairway to heaven" so priests could communicate with the gods

How did Sumerians honor their gods?

Priests washed the statues of gods before and after each meal

Played music and burned incense when giving food to gods

What are the six things that make up a civilization?

Government

System of writing

Humanities

Structured Economy

Urbanization

Specialization

Government

A structure for the making and enforcing of laws to keep/maintain peace and justice

System of Writing

A uniform system to record language using symbols

Humanities

Societal support for the study and preservation of art, music, sculpture, dance, etc.

Structured Economy

An agreed system of trade of the buying and selling of products

Urbanization

Development of planned cities

Specialization

Each person develops and markets his or her specific skill

empire

Many territories and peoples controlled by one government

caravan

A group of travelers journeying together

bazaar

A market selling different kinds of goods

Zoroastrianism

A religion that developed in ancient Persia (monotheistic)

Who created the Babylonian Empire and when did he create it?

Hammurabi created the Babylonian Empire in 1787 BCE

What was Nineveh?

Nineveh was Assyria's capital and had the first library!

Why was Nineveh's library important?

Its library had thousands of clay tablets (records)

Describe Nebuchadnezzar II's famous palace.

Giant palace (350 high)

Trees and gardens - Hanging Gardens of Babylon

What did the road network promote?

trade

What three things did the Persians spread?

1. Religion

2. Babylonian science

3. System of bureaucracy

code

An organized list of laws and rules

Hammurabi

The king of Babylon

Creator of the Babylonian Empire

Cuneiform

Groups of wedges and lines used to write in the Fertile Crescent

What was Hammurabi's Code?

A set of rules made by Hammurabi for his empire to follow

How many laws did Hammurabi's Code include?

282 laws

What does "an eye for an eye" mean?

The punishment should be similar to the crime committed

What were the first writing materials?

Scribes used clay tablets

Sharpened reed used to write/press in clay

How was Hammurabi's code fair?

everyone could know the laws and be held accountable

How was Hammurabi's code unfair?

punishment depended on one's social class (for example, women and children were punished more than men)

alphabet

A set of symbols that represent sounds

monotheism

The belief in one god

famine

A time when there is so little food that people starve

exile

To force someone to live in another country

What were two major Phoenician resources?

Snails (purple dye)

Cedar (wood)

How did Phoenicians keep competition away from the sea trading routes?

They told stories of horrible monsters living in the ocean

How many symbols were in the Phoenician alphabet and what did each letter stand for?

22 symbols, each stood for one consonant sound

What did God tell Abraham?

To leave Mesopotamia and settle somewhere else

Why was the Phoenician alphabet important?

Other alphabets were based on it (including ours!)

covenant

A binding agreement

Moses

An Israelite leader who led the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan

prophet

A religious teacher who is regarded as someone who speaks for a God

diaspora

The scattering of people who have a common background of beliefs

Torah (the main text of Judaism)

Records events and laws

Made up of 5 books

What are the Ten Commandments?

Rules for correct behavior and religious duties

What two other religions have their beginnings in Judaism?

Christianity and Islam