Chapter 2 Flashcards
The fertile region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Mesopotamia
Belief in many gods
Polytheism
The earliest known form of writing
Cuneiform
Pyramid like structures that had terraces at different levels along their exterior
Ziggurats
Established the first empire and made his capital the city of Akkad, city-state Kish, created the Akkadian empire
Sargon
The rule of one people over another
Empire
6th king of the amorites, best known for his code of laws
Hammurabi
The study of celestial bodies
Astronomy
The practice of trying to interpret human events and destiny by the position of the planets and stars
Astrology
Crescent shaped fertile region encompassing Mesopotamia and the land of Canaan
Fertile Crescent
One of the pagan gods of the Canaanites
Baal
God’s covenant with Abraham in which He promised Abraham descendants, a land for his descendants and a Messiah that would come through his seed
Abrahamic Covenant
Man who God chose to bring Israelites out of bondage in Egypt
Moses
Belief in only one God
Monotheism
Man God chose as the next king, a man “after God’s own heart”, from his family the promised Messiah would come
David
David’s son, Israel reached its peak during his reign, built the temple
Solomon
70 year exile of Israelites in Babylon
Babylonian Captivity
Man from around 3000 BC that is said to have united upper and lower Egypt, named his capital “White Walls” (later named Memphis)
Menes
Rulers of ancient Egypt
Pharaohs
Most famous pharaoh, built great pyramid at Giza
Khufu
Early ruler of the new kingdom, one of the rare female rulers of Egypt, may have been the “daughter of pharaoh” who found Moses as a baby
Hatshepsut
Greatest Egyptian warrior king, under his rule Egyptian armies conquered Palestine and Syria, called the “Napoleon of Egypt”
Thutmose III
Built mammoth temples and monuments
Ramses II
A form of picture writing
Hieroglyphics
Led Assyrian army in 722 BC and destroyed Samaria and took captive the 10 northern tribes of Israel (2 Kings 17)
Sargon II
Tried to take Jerusalem during King Hezekiah’s reign
Sennacherib
“New Babylonian” Empire reached its height during his reign
Nebuchadnezzar
The scattering of the Jewish people
Diaspora
Co-ruler of Babylon, used golden vessels from the temple to drink out of and toast to the pagan gods of the Chaldeans, was drunken and saw the writing on the walls called Daniel to interpret it and was killed the same night by the conquering Medes and Persians
Belshazzar
One of the greatest conquerors who ever lived, Persian king, called in the Bible “Lord’s anointed”
Cyrus
Provinces in the Persian kingdom, king’s secret police
Satrapies
Religious leader of who the ancient Persian religion was founded and named by
Zoroaster
Persian king where Persia reached its height expanding all the way to Greece
Darius the great
A warlike people who came from Central Asia sometime after 1500 BC and subdued the non-aryan people of northwest India; established Sanskrit
Aryans
Early Indian language established by the aryans
Sanskrit
Collection of religious literature that contains the early traditions and religious beliefs of ancient India
Vedas
Extended family that includes the children, grandchildren, wives and close blood relatives of a common ancestor
Joint family
A system of rigid social groups in India
Castes
Indian religion that has no formal statement of doctrine but is based on the vedas and Upanishad; serves as a unifying influence in India’s diverse society
Hinduism
The great Hindu god who is believed to permeate everything on the universe
Brahman
A person’s deeds in life that Hindus believe determine his status in the next
Karma
Religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama; a religion built on the Four Noble Truths
Buddhism
Also know as Buddha “the enlightened one” found Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama
Center of Buddha’s teachings;
(1) suffering is part of all existence
(2) suffering is due to selfish desires
(3) suffering can be overcome by destroying selfish desires
(4) a man must follow the Eightfold Path to destroy selfish desires
Four Noble Truths
Changeless reality with no suffering
Nirvana
Chinese term reflecting their belief that china was the center of the earth
Middle Kingdom
Worship of a family’s ancestors
Ancestor worship
Also called the K’ung Futzu, most honored teacher in Chinese history, called by Chinese “the master” taught a moral government would produce a moral society
Confucius
Founded by Laozi; encouraged men to live in harmony with nature; became the basis of mystical, magical, and superstitious elements in Chinese nature
Taoism
Founded Taoism, taught that Tao (meaning “the way”) was the pervading force in nature
Laozi
