Hist 101 SELU Exam 1

Akkad

Ancient region and empire in central Mesopotamia; associated with Sargon of Akkad.

Anatolia

Large peninsula in western Asia, roughly corresponding to modern-day Turkey.

Assyria

Ancient civilization and empire centered in northern Mesopotamia.

Babylon

Major city and kingdom in southern Mesopotamia.

Egypt

Ancient civilization centered on the Nile River in northeastern Africa.

Euphrates

One of the two major rivers of Mesopotamia.

Israel

Ancient region on the eastern Mediterranean associated with the Israelites and Hebrew kingdoms.

Jerusalem

Ancient city central to Hebrew political and religious history.

Judah (Judea)

Southern Hebrew kingdom centered around Jerusalem; later called Judea.

Nile River

Major river of northeastern Africa whose flooding supported ancient Egyptian civilization.

Nineveh

Major Assyrian city located on the Tigris River.

Persia

Ancient Iranian region that became the center of the Persian Empire.

Phoenicia

Ancient trading civilization along the eastern Mediterranean coast.

Red Sea

Long narrow sea between northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Sinai Peninsula

Land bridge between Africa and Asia, east of Egypt.

Sumer

Ancient civilization in southern Mesopotamia and one of the world's earliest urban civilizations.

Syria

Ancient region north of Canaan.

Tigris River

One of the two major rivers of Mesopotamia.

Abraham

Hebrew patriarch associated with God's covenant and a foundational figure in Judaism.

Afterlife

Existence believed to continue after physical death.

Agricultural Revolution

The transition from hunting and gathering to farming, leading to permanent settlements and civilization.

Ahriman

In Zoroastrianism, the destructive or evil spirit opposed to Ahura-Mazda.

Ahura-Mazda

Supreme god of Zoroastrianism, associated with truth, goodness, and order.

Akhenaton

Egyptian pharaoh who promoted worship of the Aten and challenged traditional Egyptian polytheism.

Amon-Ra

Major Egyptian god formed from Amun and Ra.

Anthropomorphism

Giving gods or nonhuman things human characteristics.

Anu

Mesopotamian sky god and one of the major gods in the Sumerian pantheon.

Assur

Chief god of the Assyrians and the name of an important Assyrian city.

Assurbanipal

Powerful Assyrian king known for his major library at Nineveh.

Astral religion

Religion emphasizing heavenly bodies such as stars, the sun, moon, and planets.

Astrology

The belief that heavenly bodies influence human affairs.

Atl-Atl

A spear-throwing device, also called an atlatl, used to increase the force and distance of a spear.

Book of the Dead

Ancient Egyptian funerary texts intended to help the dead in the afterlife.

Bronze Age

Historical period marked by widespread use of bronze tools and weapons.

Calendar

A system for organizing and measuring time.

Cambyses

Persian king and successor of Cyrus who conquered Egypt.

Canaanites

Ancient peoples who lived in Canaan along the eastern Mediterranean.

Cave art

Prehistoric art created on cave walls, often depicting animals and hunting.

Civilization

A complex society characterized by cities, government, social classes, specialized jobs, and often writing.

Croesus

Wealthy king of Lydia who was defeated by Cyrus the Great.

Cuneiform

One of the earliest writing systems, developed in Mesopotamia using wedge-shaped marks.

Cyrus

Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire.

Darius

Persian king who expanded and reorganized the Persian Empire.

David

King of ancient Israel associated with Jerusalem and a powerful Hebrew kingdom.

Enki

Mesopotamian god associated with water, wisdom, and creation.

Enkidu

Companion of Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Enlil

Major Mesopotamian god associated with wind, air, and authority.

Esarhaddon

Assyrian king who conquered Egypt and was the father of Assurbanipal.

Eschatology

Beliefs concerning final destiny, the end of the world, or life after death.

Gilgamesh

Legendary king of Uruk and central character of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Hammurabi

King of Babylon famous for his written law code.

Hebrews

Ancient people associated with Judaism and belief in one God.

Hieroglyphics

Ancient Egyptian writing system using picture-like symbols.

Hittites

Indo-European people who established a powerful kingdom in Anatolia.

Horus

Egyptian god associated with kingship.

Hunter-Gatherer

A person or society that survives primarily by hunting animals and gathering wild plants.

Hurrian

Member of an ancient people who lived in parts of northern Mesopotamia and Syria.

Hyksos

Foreign rulers who controlled parts of Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period.

Inanna

Sumerian goddess associated with love, fertility, and war.

Indo-European

A large language family including the ancestors of many European and Asian languages.

Iron Age

Period when iron became widely used for tools and weapons.

Irrigation

Artificial watering of land to support agriculture.

Isis

Major Egyptian goddess associated with motherhood and magic.

Kassites

People who ruled Babylonia for several centuries.

King

A monarch or ruler of a kingdom or state.

Land of No Return

Mesopotamian concept of the underworld, from which the dead do not return.

Law codes

Written collections of laws establishing rules and punishments.

Lex talionis

Principle of proportional punishment, often summarized as 'an eye for an eye.'

Lydians

Ancient people of western Anatolia whose kingdom was famous for wealth.

Ma'at

Egyptian concept of truth, justice, balance, harmony, and cosmic order.

Magic

Practices or rituals believed to influence supernatural forces.

Marduk

Chief god of Babylon.

Medes

Ancient Iranian people who helped overthrow the Assyrian Empire.

Middle Kingdom

Period of Egyptian history marked by political reunification and cultural revival.

Mitanni

Hurrian kingdom in northern Mesopotamia and Syria.

Monolatry

Worship of one god while accepting that other gods may exist.

Monotheism

Belief in only one god.

Moses

Major Hebrew leader traditionally associated with the Exodus and divine law.

Mummification

Preservation of a dead body, especially practiced in ancient Egypt.

Nebuchadnezzar

Usually Nebuchadnezzar II, powerful Babylonian king associated with the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Neolithic Age

The New Stone Age, characterized by farming and permanent settlements.

New Kingdom

Powerful period of Egyptian history marked by expansion and famous pharaohs.

Ninhursag

Sumerian goddess associated with the earth, fertility, and creation.

Nomes

Administrative districts or provinces of ancient Egypt.

Old Kingdom

Early period of Egyptian history famous for pyramid building.

Oracle

A person, place, or message believed to provide divine guidance or prophecy.

Osiris

Egyptian god associated with death and the afterlife.

Paleolithic Age

The Old Stone Age, when humans generally lived as hunter-gatherers.

Patriarchy

Social system in which men hold primary authority.

Pharaoh

The ruler of ancient Egypt.

Philistines

Ancient people who lived along the southern coast of Canaan and often conflicted with Israelites.

Piltdown Man

A famous archaeological fraud involving fake supposedly ancient human remains discovered in England.

Polytheism

Belief in and worship of multiple gods.

Pottery

Objects and containers made from shaped and fired clay.

Pyramids

Massive Egyptian stone structures, many built as royal tombs.

Sargon

Sargon of Akkad, ruler who created one of the first large empires in Mesopotamia.

Satrapies

Administrative provinces of the Persian Empire governed by satraps.

Sea People

Groups associated with migrations and attacks in the eastern Mediterranean near the end of the Bronze Age.

Seer

A person believed to have supernatural insight or the ability to predict the future.

Semitic

Relating to a language family including Akkadian, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic.