Mesopotamia - Part 2 Flashcards
Define monotheism.
Belief in one god
What religion did the Hebrews follow?
Judaism
What is the Tanakh?
Stories about creation.
Studied by the Hebrews.
What is the torah?
The Jewish bible.
The first five books of the Tanakh.
What are the Ten Commandments?
A set of principles that
- Provides a religious base
- Provides a sense of morality and culture
Who was the greatest king of Israel?
King Solomon
What is King Solomon known for?
The story of cutting a baby in half to see who the real mother was
Who was Moses?
A Hebrew prophet who was taken out of slavery.
Who were the Hittites and Assyrians?
A nation of warriors
What were some of the innovations of the Hittites and Assyrians?
- Iron weapons instead of bronze
- Chariots - wheeled, mechanized weapons of war
- Use of calvary (horses) on open ground
- Use of siege warfare - battering rams, siege ladders, sappers (tunnel under walls)
What is a tribute?
Payment for protection to prevent being attacked
What is Ninevah?
- Capital city of Hittites and Assyrians
2. Location of the first library of the world - possessions came from conquered lands
Who was King of the Chaldeans?
King Nebuchadnezzar
What are the Hanging Gardens?
Garden built in Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar for his queen
A step format along the palace walls, with fresh flowers and plants
What did the Chaldeans use ziggurats for?
For astronomy
To predict the future
12 constellations create the zodiac
When does the Chaldean empire fall?
When the Persians invade - Cyrus the Great
What was the largest land empire in the ancient world?
Persia
What area did Persia cover?
From the Nile River to the Indus River
What was Cyrus the Great known for?
- Created the great city of Persepolis
- Defeated Babylon and set the Hebrews free
- Treated conquered people with respect
A. As long as people paid tribute of tax and soldiers
B. People could keep their local customs and religions
What is Darius the First (Darius the Great) known for?
- Keeping the Persian empire together and strong
- Road system - “Royal” road
- Inspectors - spies who were to report to the king about the affairs of the kingdom
- Same/standard weight and measure system
- Use of coin money
What are litters?
Stretchers with a vaulted covering that wealthy Persians rode in.
Describe Persian men.
Persian men wore long beards and makeup on face and around eyelids
What was the life of Persian women like?
They lived apart from the men.
They were not given much freedom.
What professions did the Persians prefer?
Soldiers
Farmers
Shepherds
Why did Persians not like merchants?
They thought they were liars and cheaters.
Describe Zoroastrianism.
- Zoroaster - priest who talked about two forces
- Light/Goodnes - god Ahura Mazda
- Dark/Evil - god Ahirman
- Eternal pillar of Fire to illustrate the Light’s conquering of Darkness
The use of fire in Zoroastrianism is seen in what other religions that are practiced today?
Christianity
Judaism
