Location of the Middle East
Name at least 3 modern day countries that we named which are located in the ancient Mesopotamian area (not including Egypt)...
Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine
What was the name of Gilgamesh's best friend?
Enkidu
According to both Christian & Islamic traditional stories, who were the first human beings?
Adam & Eve
Tell the Judeo-Christian story of the Deluge.
Version must be verified by teacher.
Basics: The mankind of the world was turning sinful. God sent an angel to tell Noah, the only good man, to build a large boat (an arc) for his family and 2 animals of every kind. He did - the great flood happened with 40 days of rain and wiped out the world/humans/life. After a year of floating, the waters subsided and God promised never to flood the world again.
Are there 1001 stories in 1001 Arabian Nights?
No - usually only around 280, depending on the version/translation
What is the name used to describe the ancient, fertile area that includes ancient Mesopotamia?
The Fertile Crescent (or the Cradle of Life)
What was the name of the ancient city Gilgamesh ruled?
Uruk
According to Islamic creation stories, why do human beings come in all different skin tones?
Because the Angels were called to collect 7 handfuls of different colored soil from all over the Earth to create man.
Name at least 3 other cultures that have Deluge mythological stories that we've mentioned/learned about.
Greek - Zeus punishing Prometheus' creation
Norse - Ymir's blood flooding the land
Celtic - the great battle of the giants of the sea
Aztec - the story of the 5 worlds
Mesopotamian - Gilgamesh/Utnapishnim
Egyptian - myth of Sekhmet
How did Shahrazad both save her own life and cure the king?
By telling him a long series of stories that would end on a cliffhanger until the next evening, and then continue and blend into the next story in a very (very) long chain of storytelling.
Why was it called the Fertile Crescent?
Because the ground was fertile/good for growing crops/agriculture.
How is Gilgamesh first taught the lesson of humility and what it is to be a good ruler/king?
Enkidu challenges Gilgamesh to a wrestling match, and while it basically ends in a tie/draw, Gilgamesh appreciates that there is someone who is his near equal and is willing to challenge him, and they become like brothers.
What offense god Adam & Eve thrown out of the Garden of Eden?
They tasted the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.
Where was the Tower of Babel built?
in or near ancient Babylon (Modern day Iraq)
What are jinn made of?
Smokeless fire
What does "Mesopotamia" mean?
Land between two rivers.
What is the monster's name in the great cedar forest that Gilgamesh and Enkidu fight and defeat?
Humbaba
According to Judeo-Christian creation story, what was created on the first day?
Light (the separation from light and dark)
What happened that made the Tower of Babel stop being built and fail?
God confused the languages of the workers overnight.
What is it called when there is an "outer" story and an "inner" story (2 stories) worked together in a piece of literature called? (like "A Thousand and One Arabian Nights")
A "framed" story or a "story within a story" framework. (also called "nested" or "embedded")
Name at least one of the two rivers of ancient Mesopotamia.
The Tigris & the Euphrates
Why does Gilgamesh seek out Utnapishtim and what does he learn through his journey?
He seeks him in order to learn the secret to immortality; however, he what he really learns is to accept human limitations and mortality.
What similarity do we find in both Judeo-Christian & Islamic creation story events of the 7th day of creation?
On the 7th day, God/Allah rested/was seated on the throne.
What message/lesson is usually associated with the fall of the Tower of Babel?
Don't try to be God/don't challenge God's might. Humility before God.
What is a ghoul, and what would they do?
It was a creature who would look like a beautiful woman, and then lure in travelers, kill them, and then eat them. (Known to eat the dead.)