Land Between the Rivers
This ancient Greek term translates to "the land between the rivers."
What is Mesopotamia?
Developed by the Sumerians, this world's first writing system used wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay tablets.
What is Cuneiform?
Unlike their polytheistic neighbors, the early Israelites practiced this belief in only one God
What is monotheism?
This prophet led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery during the Exodus.
Who is Moses?
The worship of or belief in multiple gods and goddesses, common in early Mesopotamian civilizations.
What is polytheism?
Mesopotamia was located between these two major rivers.
What are the Tigris and Euphrates rivers?
These expert Mediterranean navigators created a 22-symbol alphabet that simplified reading and writing.
Who are the Phoenicians?
The first five books of the Hebrew Bible, containing foundational laws and history, are known by this name.
What is the Torah?
Received by Moses at Mount Sinai, these fundamental laws serve as the moral core of Judaism.
What are the Ten Commandments?
The term describing the spread of ideas, goods, and technology from one culture to another through trade and travel.
What is cultural diffusion?
To control seasonal river flooding and grow crops in dry soil, early Mesopotamians invented this technology.
What is irrigation?
The Phoenicians became famous and wealthy across the Mediterranean for exporting this rare luxury item.
Bonus: What was this dye made from?
What is purple dye? Bonus:What is Snails?
In 1700 BCE, Abraham made this sacred, binding agreement with God.
What is a covenant?
Considered the patriarch of Judaism, God instructed him to move his family to Canaan.
Who is Abraham?
King Darius strengthened economic unity across the Persian Empire by introducing standardized weights and this financial system.
What is standardized coins / currency?
Independent political units in Sumer consisting of a central urban city and its surrounding farmlands.
What are city-states?
King Darius built this 1,600-mile highway network to speed up communication and transport across the Persian Empire.
What is the Royal Road?
A mandated weekly day of rest dedicated to prayer, rest, and study in Judaism.
What is the Sabbath?
This term describes the historic journey and escape of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
What is the Exodus?
The Assyrians gained a huge advantage over competitors on the battlefield by crafting weapons from this durable metal.
What is iron?
These massive, stepped pyramid-shaped temple towers were built at the center of Mesopotamian city-states to honor their chief local deity.
What are ziggurats?
The Sumerians developed a mathematical system based on this specific number, which gives us 60-minute hours and 360-degree circles today.
What is the base-60 (sexagesimal) system?
The Jewish emphasis on personal morality, justice, and right conduct alongside belief in one God is known by this two-word concept.
What is ethical monotheism?
This king of Israel, famous for his wisdom and wealth, built the Great First Temple in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant.
Who is King Solomon?
King Darius divided the vast Persian Empire into 20 provinces, each ruled by one of these local governors who collected taxes and reported to the king.
What are satraps (or satrapies)?