World History and Cultures Test 1 Study Guide

Practice question-and-answer flashcards covering key concepts from Chapters 1-3: Foundations of History, Babel, Sumer, Writing, Akkad/Babylon, Hittites/Assyrians, Persia, Israel, Islam, and Missions.

What is the study of mankind's past called?

History

From a Christian perspective, how must history be studied?

From God's perspective

What is the focal point of all history?

The advent of Christ

How are the years before and after Christ abbreviated?

Years before Christ are abbreviated B.C., and years after Christ are labeled A.D.

What is the earliest broad era of world history?

The Ancient period

What event traditionally marks the end of the Ancient period?

The fall of the Roman Empire

What was the worldwide judgment in Noah's day called?

The Flood (or the Deluge)

What does the word "postdiluvian" mean?

It describes events occurring after the Flood.

According to Genesis 9, when did civil government and capital punishment begin?

After the Deluge

What was the foundational civil ordinance given after the Flood?

Capital punishment

What term describes a large group of people linked by common ancestry and history?

A nation

What term defines the way of life of a group, including religion, government, family, arts, law, and customs?

Culture

What is a civilization?

A complex society with organized government, writing, laws, specialized labor, and developed sciences.

What is the process by which cultural traits spread from one people to another called?

Cultural diffusion (or cultural heritage)

Who was the leader associated with building the Tower of Babel?

Nimrod

How did God cause people to disperse at Babel?

By confusing mankind's language

In whose days was the earth divided, according to the Bible?

Peleg (whose name means 'divided')

Who were Noah's three sons?

Shem, Ham, and Japheth

Where did the descendants of Shem traditionally settle?

Much of Asia and the Middle East

What regions are associated with the descendants of Ham?

Parts of Africa and nearby regions

What regions are associated with the descendants of Japheth?

Europe and parts of western Asia

How did human differences develop among mankind?

Within one human race, not separate kinds of humanity.

Who developed the world's first civilization?

The Sumerians

What is the biblical name for Sumer?

Shinar

What does the Greek word "Mesopotamia" mean?

Between the rivers

What are the two rivers of Mesopotamia?

The Tigris and the Euphrates

What is the arc of fertile land extending through Mesopotamia called?

The Fertile Crescent

How did the Sumerians turn dry floodplain into productive farmland?

With irrigation canals

What must a civilization gain dependable control over to survive?

Its food supply

Which city-states were included in Sumer?

Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Kish, and Eridu

What did a Sumerian city-state consist of?

A walled city and nearby villages

What was a ziggurat?

A large stepped Sumerian temple tower

What architectural structures were developed by the Sumerians?

The arch, dome, and vault

What crop supplied Sumer's important textile industry?

Flax

What were the four broad classes of Sumerian society?

Nobles, commoners, clients, and slaves

What was the Sumerian king called, and what did the title mean?

Lugal, meaning 'big man'

What form of government do early Sumerian records suggest existed before strong monarchy developed?

A primitive democracy

What was a Sumerian school called?

An Edubba (or 'tablet house')

Who was chiefly trained by formal Sumerian schooling?

Professional scribes

What type of religious worship developed in Sumer?

Polytheism (the worship of many gods)

What is humanism?

Worship that makes humanity or human qualities ultimate.

What is the Epic of Gilgamesh?

A long poem about a hero seeking eternal life, identified as the world's oldest work of literature outside the Bible.

What was Sumerian wedge-shaped writing called?

Cuneiform

What medium did the Sumerians write on primarily?

Wet clay tablets

What are symbols used to express whole ideas called?

Ideograms

What inscription helped Henry Rawlinson decipher cuneiform?

The Behistun inscription

What is identified as the first true alphabet?

The Sinai script

What is a phonetic alphabet system?

A system in which letters represent sounds

Who carried alphabetic writing around the Mediterranean?

Sea-trading Phoenicians

What is literacy?

The ability to read and write one's own language

What number system did Sumerian mathematics use, and what number held special importance?

Base $10$, with special importance given to the number $60$

How many degrees did the Sumerians divide a circle into?

$360$ degrees

How long was the lunar year developed by Sumerian astronomy?

About $354$ days

What is astrology?

The false belief that heavenly bodies influence human affairs.

Who was the Akkadian ruler who conquered Sumer?

Sargon of Akkad

Which ruler is credited with the world's most ancient surviving law code?

Ur-Nammu

Who established the Old Babylonian Empire?

Hammurabi

What was the greatest achievement of the Old Babylonian Empire?

Hammurabi's Code of Law

Where were Hammurabi's laws publicly displayed?

On a stone monument called a stela

How did Hammurabi's code impose penalties?

It sought justice but imposed different penalties according to social class.

Who were the inhabitants of Asia Minor who first used iron extensively?

The Hittites

What was the Assyrian capital famous for its library?

Nineveh

Which Assyrian king built the world's first great library?

Ashurbanipal

When did the Northern Kingdom of Israel fall to Assyria?

In $721\,\text{B.C.}$

Who was the ruler who began the Neo-Babylonian Empire?

Nabopolassar

Which Neo-Babylonian king destroyed Jerusalem and carried away its inhabitants?

Nebuchadnezzar

When did the Southern Kingdom of Israel fall?

In $586\,\text{B.C.}$

Which prophet served God in Babylon under several rulers?

Daniel

What were two famous features of Babylon?

The hanging gardens and massive walls

Which Persian ruler conquered the Medes and founded the Persian Empire?

Cyrus the Great

What titles did God give to Cyrus in the Bible?

'My shepherd' and 'my anointed'

Which Persian ruler is called Ahasuerus in the Bible?

Xerxes

What were Persian provinces called?

Satrapies

What major system did Persia establish to help messages travel?

The world's first organized postal system, using the Royal Road and mounted couriers.

What principle did Persian law teach regarding the king?

Even the king was subject to established law.

What was the Persian religion associated with Ahura Mazda?

Zoroastrianism

Who are the founding fathers of Israel, and who were the three great ones?

They are called the Patriarchs; the three great patriarchs were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Where was Abram called from, and to where was he sent?

Called from Sumer to the land of Canaan

What was the significance of Canaan's geography in the ancient world?

It was the main land bridge linking Asia, Africa, and Europe.

What covenant was made at Mount Sinai?

God made a covenant with Israel, giving them His law.

What is another name for the Ten Commandments?

The Decalogue

What is a government directly ruled by God called?

A theocracy

What was Israel's portable worship center in the wilderness?

The Tabernacle

How long did Israel wander in the wilderness due to fear and unbelief?

$40$ years

Which two of the twelve spies trusted God to give Israel the land?

Joshua and Caleb

Who led Israel in the conquest of Canaan after Moses?

Joshua

Who was Israel's first king?

Saul

What key accomplishments are credited to King David?

He expanded Israel's boundaries, made Jerusalem the capital, and brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

What did David's son Solomon accomplish?

He built the Temple, ruled during an age of peace and plenty, and wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.

How was the kingdom divided after Solomon?

Into the Northern Kingdom of Israel (first king Jeroboam) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (ruled by Rehoboam).

In what direction is Biblical Hebrew read, and in what script was the Old Testament chiefly written?

Read from right to left, written chiefly in Classical Hebrew.

What was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire?

Byzantium, also called Constantinople

Who was the founder of Islam, and what are its followers called?

Mohammed was the founder, and followers are called Muslims.

What is Islam's holy book?

The Koran

What was Mohammed's flight from Mecca to Medina in $622\,\text{A.D.}$ called?

The Hegira

What were the successors of Mohammed called?

Caliphs

What is the sacred pilgrimage destination for Muslims?

Mecca

What is the language of the Koran?

Arabic

Who was the pioneer missionary who worked in Persia?

Henry Martyn

Into what languages did Henry Martyn translate the New Testament?

Persian, Arabic, and Hindustani