Study Guide: Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Persians

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, geography, and concepts related to the Phoenicians, ancient Hebrews and Judaism, and the Persian Empire.

Phoenicians

An ancient civilization whose economy was based on trading products such as cedar, wine, slaves, and purple textiles, and who built ships to trade around the Mediterranean Sea.

Carthage

The most famous Phoenician trading port.

Alphabet

An important Phoenician legacy shared with other groups they encountered, which remains important today.

Phoenician Settlements (750–550 B.C.)

A network of maritime colonies and trading areas established along the coastal regions of the Mediterranean Basin, originating from cities like Tyre.

Canaan

The Hebrew "Promised Land" situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.

Monotheism

The belief in only 1 God.

10 Commandments

The moral code and standard for religious conduct for the Hebrews.

Torah

The holy text of Judaism.

Abraham

The individual regarded as the "Father" of the ancient Hebrews.

Exodus

The historical journey in which Moses led his enslaved people out of Egypt to the "Promised Land."

Jerusalem

A holy city sacred to the Jews since King David proclaimed it his capital in the 10th century BCE; the historic location of Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple.

Western Wall

A remnant of the wall surrounding the Second Temple in Jerusalem, revered today as a Jewish holy site visited by travelers worldwide.

Diaspora

The scattering and exile of Jewish people outside of the Holy Land.

Synagogue

A building where Jewish people worship, typically led by a Rabbi.

The Persian Empire

An ancient empire ruled by an emperor and administered by satraps that expanded through the tolerance of the people it conquered.

Territory of the Persian Empire

The imperial lands extending across Asia Minor, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Media, and Parthia all the way eastward toward Gandhara and the Indus River region.

Satraps

Provincial administrators and governors who oversaw regional territories across the Persian Empire under the authority of the emperor.

Zoroastrianism

A Persian religious system centered on the belief in two opposing forces in the universe, one good and one evil.

Darius

A Persian emperor who, in response to imperial expansion, developed a centralized bureaucracy and an extensive road network to increase efficiency and communication.

Royal Road

An extensive highway system mainly constructed by Darius to improve communication and trade throughout the Persian Empire.