Vocabulary
Watering fields using human-made systems.
Irrigation.
I was the king of Babylon and the founder of the first Babylonian Empire. I wrote a set of strict laws and was considered a fair and just leader. My empire weakened after my death because I did not say who should rule after me. Who am I?
Hammurabi
Why were scribes important in Sumerian government?
To write down the laws.
Why were the Mesopotamian communities called "city-states?"
Each of them had its own ruler, laws, way of life, etc.
I was a Babylonian King who exiled the Jews from Judea and built the Hanging Gardens. Who am I?
King Nebjuchadnezzar
What belief made the Israelites different from their neighbors?
Belief in one God
Mesopotamians believed in many gods. This is called ____?
Polytheism
I have a famous story written after me and this is the oldest piece of literature. I ruled the city-state of Uruk and I am famous for building high walls around the city to protect it from attack. Who am I?
Gilgamesh.
What invention most affected the food supply in Sumer?
The wheel
The name of Mesopotamia comes from its location, which was...
Also, what were the two rivers along the region?
(Hint: Nickname)
The land between two rivers. Tigris and Euphrates
This civilization came after Sumer but before Babylonia and was the world's first empire.
Akkadian Empire
Who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt?
What writing system did the Sumerians develop that used wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets?
Cuneiform
I was the third ruler of the Persian Empire. I divided the empire into three large pieces called provinces. I created a standard currency/monetary system. Who am I?
Darius I
Which invention/achievement made it possible for Sumerian armies to use chariots?
The wheel.
This place was the world's first civilization in the Mesopotamian region. What was it?
Which Mesopotamian people were known for their shipbuilding and sailing skills as well as extensive trade networks?
Phoenicians
What set of laws guided Israelite religion and society?
The Ten Commandments
People who are skilled at making things by hand.
Artisans.
I am the leader of the Akkadians who conquered Sumer and created the world’s first empire?
Sargon the Great
What Phoenician achievement influenced later civilizations' writing systems including Greek and Latin?
The alphabet
The flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers can best be described as...
Violent and Unpredictable
What two major innovations did the Phoenicians create? What two civilizations were influenced by these innovations?
Purple dye and the alphabet. Influenced Greeks and Romans
The Israelites’ belief in one God is called…
Monotheism
The ziggurat is an example of what kind of Mesopotamian achievement? What was a ziggurat used for?
Religious architecture. It was used as holy place to honor the gods they believed in. If they treated their gods right, good things would happen.
I am the FOUNDER of the Persian Empire. I was kind and allowed people to keep their religious beliefs and cultural traditions. Even though I died, my Empire lived on. Who am I?
Cyrus the Great
The calendar was created for what purpose?
To predict flooding for crops
Mesopotamia is often referred to as the ________ because of the shape of the area and its rich soil.
A brutal civilization that was very war like and would often conquer the civilizations around them.
Assyria.
Compare Israelite religion to Mesopotamian religion.
Israelites were monotheistic; Mesopotamians were polytheistic