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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?
Religion
Babylonian science
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
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