Mesoptamia
What two rivers surrounded Mesopotamia?
Tigris and Euphrates
Which person built the world’s first empire?
Sargon of Akkad
What were the Assyrians known for?
A strong army and use of iron weapons
Where did the Phoenicians live?
Along the Mediterranean coast (modern Lebanon)
Who is known as the “Father of the Hebrews”?
Abraham
What was the Sumerian writing system called?
Cuneiform
What is an empire?
A group of lands or peoples under one ruler
What was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire?
Nineveh
Why did the Phoenicians become expert sailors and traders?
They had little flat land for farming
What is the belief in one God called?
Monotheism
What was a ziggurat used for?
A temple to honor the gods
Who was the Babylonian king known for creating a code of laws?
Hammurabi
Who founded the Persian Empire and treated conquered people fairly?
Cyrus the Great
What was the Phoenicians’ most famous colony in North Africa?
Carthage
What agreement did Abraham make with God?
The covenant: to worship one God and move to Canaan
Why did Sumerians build irrigation systems?
To control flooding and water their crops
What was Hammurabi’s Code designed to do?
Bring justice and order to society
How did Darius organize the Persian Empire to make it easier to govern?
He divided it into provinces called satrapies with local governors
What was the most important invention of the Phoenicians?
The alphabet based on sounds
Who united the twelve tribes and made Jerusalem the capital?
King David
Name two Sumerian inventions that are still used today.
The wheel, plow, sailboat, or 12-month calendar
How did Hammurabi’s Code show differences between social classes?
Punishments varied based on a person’s status or class
What religion began in Persia that focused on good versus evil?
Zoroastrianism
How did the Phoenicians spread their culture across the ancient world?
Through trade and cultural diffusion
Why is the Exodus such an important story in Judaism?
It symbolizes freedom and God’s protection of the Hebrews