Geography
What is the name of the region with fertile land shaped like a crescent?
The Fertile Crescent
What does the word Mesopotamia mean?
Land between the rivers
Who was the Babylonian king famous for his written laws?
Hammurabi
What is polytheism?
The belief in many gods
What were the Phoenicians especially known for?
Trade on the seas
Which two rivers surrounded Mesopotamia?
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
What was a Sumerian city-state?
A city and its surrounding land with its own government
How did Hammurabi keep City Statres under his control?
Many things:
1. kept his advisors in enemy cities
2. let them keep thier culture
3. let them rule themselves
What was a ziggurat?
A large temple structure in Mesopotamia
What important writing system did the Phoenicians spread?
An Alphabet
What is irrigation?
A system of bringing water to crops
What is a food surplus?
More food than people need
Why did cities need governments?
To make rules, settle disputes, and organize work
Why did ancient People build temples?
To honor / worship gods or spirits
What is monotheism?
The belief in one God
Why did people settle near rivers?
Rivers provided water and fertile soil for farming
What was cuneiform?
A writing system that used wedge-shaped marks
What was Hammurabi's Code?
A collection of laws for Babylonian society
What is an empire?
A group of territories ruled by one government
Who led the Israelites out of Egypt according to their religious tradition?
Moses
How did geography help early civilizations grow?
Rivers supported farming, which created food surpluses and allowed settlements to grow
How did job specialization change Mesopotamian society?
People could work at different jobs because farmers produced extra food
What does Hammurabi's Code reveal about Mesopotamian society?
Laws and punishments differed according to a person's social status
How did writing help Mesopotamian civilization?
It helped people record laws, trade, events, and important information
Why were the Phoenician alphabet and Israelite religious traditions historically important?
The alphabet influenced later writing systems, and Israelite monotheism influenced later religions