Chapter 2 Flashcards
where Sumerian civilizations rose 5,000 years ago
Tigris and Euphrates River
area that stretches in an arc from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.
Fertile Crescent
means “between the rivers.”
Mesopotamia
where the world’s first civilization developed in southeastern Mesopotamia
Sumer
a long narrative poem that describes a great flood that destroys the world
Epic of Gilgamesh
some of the worlds first great cities
Ur and Uruk
pyramid temples that soared towards the heavens
Ziggurats
system of ranking groups
Hierarchy
earliest known writing. Comes from Latin word cuneus for wedge because scribes wrote by making wedge shaped marks on clay tables
Cuneiform
ruler of akkad who invaded and conquered the city states of Sumer
Sargon
king of Babylon. Brought much of Mesopotamia under the control of his empire
Hammurabi
remarkable set of laws made by hammurabi made to ensure unity
Code of Hammurabi
arrange and set down in writing, all the laws that would govern a state
Codify
dealt with murder, assault, and theft
Criminal Laws
dealt with private rights and matters such as business contracts property inheritance, taxes, marriage and divorce
Civil Laws
conquerors that brought new skills to the region
Hitties
People who invaded the Fertile Crescent. Handy nomads who settled on the upper
Tigris as early as 2000 BC
Assyrians
where one of the worlds first libraries was founded by king assurbanipal
Nineveh
aggressive and ruthless king who revived the power of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar
led armies that took over Babylon and controlled a wide sweep of territory stretching from Asia Minor to India
Cyrus the Great
emperor who ruled from 522 bc to 486 bc. Skilled organizer set up bureaucracy
Darius I
system of managing government through various bureaus or departments run by appointed officials
Bureaucracy
exchange of one set of goods or services for another
Barter Economy
where people pay for goods and services by exchanging tokens of an agreed value, such as coins
Money Economy
Persian thinker who put forward religious beliefs and helped to unite the empire
Zoroaster
gained fame as sailors and traders, occupied a string of cities along eastern Mediterranean coast, in the area that today is Lebanon and Syria
Phoecians
territory settled and ruled by people from another land
Colony
system of writing that uses symbols to represent a single basic sound such as a consonant or vowel
Alphabet
has a different belief system for the first three generations as oppose to nearby people because they were monotheistic
Israelites/Hebrews
believing that there was only one god
Monotheistic
most sacred text, tells the history of the ancient Israelites and their continuing relationship with God
Torah
considered father of Israelites and their religion Judaism
Abraham
Israelites religion, monotheistic
Judaism
promise and agreement
Covenant
Israelite who renewed gods covenant with the Israelites
Moses
strong and wise second king of Israel, established Jerusalem as its national capital, led successful military campaigns creating secure borders for Israel
David
David’s son who followed him as king
Solomon
means that men held the greatest legal and moral authority
Patriarchal
a set of laws that Jews believe god gave to them through Moses
Ten Commandments
holy day for rest and worship
Sabbath
spiritual leaders that emerged to interpret gods will who also reminded Jewish people of their duties
Prophetsn
moral standards of behavior
Ethics
the spreading out of Jewish people
Diaspora
rich irrigated land along the Nile, no more than 10 miles wide
Black Land
sun baked desert that stretches across North Africa
Red Land
stretched from niles first cataract of the Nile northward to within 100 miles of the Mediterranean Sea
Upper Egypt
waterfall
Cataract
triangular area of marshland formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of some rivers
Delta
king of upper Egypt who United the two regions and set up his capital at Memphis near the Nile delta
Menes
ruling family
Dynasty
Egyptian rulers that organized a strong centralized state
Pharaohs
chief minister who was depended on by a pharaoh to supervise the government
Vizier
Old kingdom. During this time the Egyptians built the majestic pyramids
Pyramid Age
foreign invaders who occupied the Nile delta region
Hyksos
outstanding ruler of new kingdom who reigned from 1472 bc to 1457 bc
Hatshepsput
stepson of hatshepsut that took over as pharaoh once he reached adulthood
Thutmose III
later pharaoh who won fame for his military victories. Pushed Egyptian control northward bringing Syria under Egyptian rule
Ramses II
south of Egypt a kingdom that developed along the Nile
Nubia
sun god who was the chief god in Egypt
Amon-Re
god and goddes related to more by Egyptians, their stories touched human emotions such as love, jealousy, and fear of death
Osiris and Isis
jealous brother of Osiris who killed him
Set
used to survive the dangerous journey of the underworld. Contained spells charms and magic formulas meant to help the dead in the afterlife
Book of the Dead
preservation of dead bodies by embalming them and wrapping them In cloth
Mummification
pharaoh who’s tomb remained untouched for more than 3,000 years
Tutankhamen
means he who serves Aton. Was a pharaoh who devoted his life to the worship of Aton
Akhenaton
form of picture writing developed by the ancient Egyptians. Used to keep important records
Hieroglyphics
made to make paper like writing material, a plant that grows along the Nile
Papyrus =
figure out the meaning of
Decipher
flat black stone which has the same text carved in hieroglyphics, demotic script, and Greek
Rosetta Stone
Mythical creature with the body of a lion and a human head. Egyptians thought of sphinxes as guardians of the entrances I’d temples or pyramids
Sphinx
Egyptian story retold in different forms by other people
Tale of Sinuhe
(2575 bc - 2130 bc) during this time pharaohs organized a strong centralized state
Old kingdom
( 1938 bc - 1630 bc) turbulent period, Nile didn’t rise as much as the past, corruption and rebellions were common
Middle Kingdom
(about 1539 bc - 1075 bc) = during this time powerful and ambitious pharaohs created a large empire
New Kingdom
