Chapter 3: Mesopotamia

Question 0

What two rivers is Mesopotamia located between?

Answer 0

The Tigris and Euphrates

Question 1

What is Mesopotamia also known as?

Answer 1

The Fertile Crescent because of its fertile soil

Question 2

What is the present-day location of Mesopotamia?

Answer 2

Iraq

Question 3

Who were the first people to inhabit Mesopotamia?

Answer 3

The Sumerians

Question 4

Why is this area called “the Crossroads of Civilization?”

Answer 4

crossroad location of Africa, Asia, and Europe

Question 5

What is cultural diffusion?

Answer 5

The exchange of ideas

Question 6

What occurred frequently in this land?

Answer 6

Wars and cultural diffusion

Question 7

Which river was bigger?

Answer 7

The Tigris

Question 8

Why was irrigation difficult in these rivers?

Answer 8

Because of the depth

Question 9

What were some problems with the river?

Answer 9

1) too much silt
2) constant unpredictable flooding
3) hard to make an irrigation system

Question 10

What was the climate of this land?

Answer 10

hot summers/dry winds

Question 11

Were the Sumerians an empire?

Answer 11

No, they were a civilization of people divided into city-states

Question 12

What is a city-state?

Answer 12

a town or city and the surrounding land it controlled (division of government)

Question 13

What were three Sumerian city-states?

Answer 13

Ur, Uruk, Kush

Question 14

What did each city-state contain?

Answer 14

1) town wall
2) its own government
3) government supervision
4) polytheistic theocracy
5) priests with government authority
6) military

Question 15

What was a ziggurat?

Answer 15

temple/shrine with housing, designed to be very tall, impressive, and imposing. Made of clay brick. At the base, there was usually a marketplace where you could find artisans and merchants.

Question 16

What was the general view of the gods?

Answer 16

They were viewed as cruel and unloving, each person was property of the gods. Their image was based on the harsh lifestyle and climate of the land.

Question 17

What was the Sumerian written language like?

Answer 17

1) Cuneiform
2) used to keep records
3) wet clay slate left to dry
4) time/date written down
5) wedges

Question 18

What were the Sumerians best known for?

Answer 18

1) Cuneiform
2) The Wheel
3) Ziggurats
4) Bronze
5) The Arch (strong)

Question 19

Who were the Akkadians led by?

Answer 19

Sargon

Question 20

How long did the Akkadian empire last?

Answer 20

200 years

Question 21

What were the Akkadians best known for?

Answer 21

A centralized language that united its people

Question 22

Who were the Babylonians led by?

Answer 22

Hammurabi

Question 23

What was Hammurabi’s Code?

Answer 23

laws written by Hammurabi to deal with issues and conflicts of everyday Babylonian life. These laws were known for having a stern sense of justice, in which some laws were very harsh. Laws posted in public and enforced by state.

Question 24

What were the Babylonians known for?

Answer 24

1) an organized government 2) high levels of diplomacy, trade, and business 3) astronomy/astrology, divination and superstitious medicine

Question 25

Where were the Hittites located?

Answer 25

Asia Minor

Question 26

What were the Hittites known for?

Answer 26

1) Pre-Republic ideas (democracy) | 2) Iron (advantageous)

Question 27

What was the image of the Assyrians?

Answer 27

tough and cruel, brutal takeovers of other lands

Question 28

What cities did the Assyrians establish?

Answer 28

Ninevah and Assur

Question 29

What is cavalry?

Answer 29

soldiers on horseback

Question 30

What is a siege weapon?

Answer 30

battering ram to knock down walls

Question 31

What were the Assyrians known for?

Answer 31

1) immense expansion and strong, brutally efficient military 2) library system 3) stone art 4) road system 5) chariots/cavalry/siege weapons

Question 32

What did the Chaldeans basically do?

Answer 32

Rebuilt Babylon

Question 33

Who led the Chaldeans?

Answer 33

Nebuchadnezzar rebuilds and revives Babylon

Question 34

What were the Hanging Gardens?

Answer 34

A terrace garden with abundant water built by Nebuchadnezzar for his wife

Question 35

Why did the Chaldea/Revived Babylonia fall?

Answer 35

Nebuchadnezzar died and his son was an ineffective ruler

Question 36

What were the Chaldeans known for?

Answer 36

1) The Hanging Gardens 2) Revival of Babylon 3) Nebuchadnezzar

Question 37

What language did the Persians speak?

Answer 37

Indo-European

Question 38

Who was Cyrus the Great?

Answer 38

A fair and skilled leader who ruled the largest empire of that time. Refused to enslave conquered people and was tolerant towards other religions, such as the Jews. Used best innovations from the lands he conquered and advanced them further. Conquers Medes and Lydians.

Question 39

Who invaded Greece?

Answer 39

Xerxes, son of Darius

Question 40

Who was Darius the Great?

Answer 40

1) Built Persepolis 2) Established a drainage system (plumbing) 3) Expanded Persian empire 4) paid workers according to their skills 5) Built a canal connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean 6) Had an army called the 10,000 immortals

Question 41

Who were the 2 great leaders of Persia?

Answer 41

Cyrus and Darius (the Great)

Question 42

Who were The Eyes and Ears of the King?

Answer 42

People who spied on governors to make sure they were doing their job

Question 43

What was special about the government of Persia?

Answer 43

Divided the empire into provinces, ruled by governors, also known as satraps

Question 44

What were the Persians known for?

Answer 44

1) Very large empire 2) Cyrus and Darius 3) Provinces

Question 45

Why did the Persian Empire fall?

Answer 45

Alex the Great of Greece and weak rulers

Question 46

What were the two smaller states/kingdoms?

Answer 46

Phoenicians and Lydians

Question 47

What were the Phoenicians known for?

Answer 47

1) Purple cloth | 2) Created 22 letter alphabet

Question 48

What were the Phoenicians also known as?

Answer 48

"Missionaries of Civilization"

Question 49

What were the Lydians known for?

Answer 49

1) active trade | 2) invented money/coins

Question 50

Why was bartering inefficient compared to money?

Answer 50

Money was something everyone needed, portable, made trade easier, main system of exchange

Question 51

Who were the Hebrews?

Answer 51

Nomadic people from the Meso-Arabian desert. Descendants of modern-day Jews

Question 52

What place do the Hebrews invade in 1230 BC?

Answer 52

Palestine/Canaan

Question 53

Who were the two great leaders of the Hebrews?

Answer 53

1) David - Poet, built Jerusalem (capital), conqueror | 2) Solomon - Wise, built temple, rich, writer, kingdom's height

Question 54

Who was the god of the Jews?

Answer 54

Yahweh, A loving godly figure

Question 55

What was the book if the Jews

Answer 55

the Torah

Question 56

What were the guidelines for the Jews?

Answer 56

The Ten Commandments via Moses

Question 57

What is Ethical Monotheism?

Answer 57

A belief in a single, loving, righteous god who demands righteous conduct of people

Question 58

What are some beliefs of Judaism?

Answer 58

1) Monotheism 2) High moral standards 3) God is ultimate judge 4) Prophets can foretell the future 5) Believe all people are important 6) Belief in heaven/hell 7) No pork or shellfish

Question 59

What are some holidays of Judaism?

Answer 59

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah

Question 60

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Answer 60

Jewish New Year

Question 61

What is Zionism?

Answer 61

A movement for the establishment of a Jewish homeland (Israel)

Question 62

What is a Bar Mitzvah?

Answer 62

The "coming of age" of a boy or girl at the age of 13. After this age they will be held accountable for their sins.

Question 63

What is divination?

Answer 63

The act of foretelling the future by means of the supernatural

Question 64

What is the Pentateuch?

Answer 64

1st five commandments of the Torah

Question 65

Who is the Father of Judaism?

Answer 65

Abraham