a group of land and peoples ruled by one government
empire
a long period with dry weather
drought
a special agreement between God and the Jewish people
covenant
a system of writing using wedge-shaped symbols
Cuneiform
prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt
Moses
a raised structure built to carry water over long distances
aqueduct
the land promised to Abraham and his wife
Canaan
a self-governing city that also governs nearby villages
city-state
belief in one God
monotheism
Abraham
a mixture of tiny bits of soil and rock, deposited by a river
silt
the watering of dry lands through canals and pipes
irrigation
a wall built along a riverbank to prevent flooding
levee
a professional writer
scribe
a legendary Mesopotamian king and hero
Gilgamesh
the gradual wearing away of soil and rock by wind, glaciers, or water
erosion
the belief in many gods
polytheism
Torah
a person who speaks for God
prophet
a man found frozen in the Alps, with artifacts depicting his times
Otzi
a large pyramid with several stories, often a temple
ziggurat
a written set of laws that apply to everyone under a government
code of law
the scattering of Jews throughout the world
Diaspora
Ishtar Gate
archaeologist who determined how old the Iceman was through carbon dating
Conrad Spindler