Mesopotamia - Questions

Who is called the "father of the Hebrews?"

Abraham

How did Sumerian cities protect themselves from attacks?

Built walls, made moats and had an army.

How do flooding rivers enrich the areas around them?

By depositing silt.

According to the Torah God told Abraham to move his family from Mesopotamia to where?

Canaan

What did early Mesopotamian's organize themselves into?

City-states

In Mesopotamia the irrigation systems consistently became clogged. How did they decide to maintain there complex irrigation system?

Cooperated with other villages to regularly maintain the entire irrigation system.

What is the writing system the Sumerians developed using wedge-shaped symbols?

Cuneiform

What Characteristic of a Civilization would a photo of a king represent?

Different social levels

What is a long period of time when there is not enough rain or snow fall called?

Drought

How might the location of the rivers explain why the area is known as the Fertile Crescent?

Fertile Crescent is mostly between the rivers. The water played a role in why the region is so fertile.

Describe geography of Mesopotamia.

Fertile, flat, many rivers.

What Characteristic of a Civilization would a photo of math, buildings or books represent?

Highly developed culture

What system did Mesopotamian farmers develop that controlled floods and droughts?

Irrigation system - canals, dams, levees, reservoirs.

Who organized the world's first empire?

King Sargon of Akkad

Who are at the top of the upper class in Sumer?

Kings and priests

What is the fertile region between the Tigris and Euphrates River called?

Mesopotamia

What was the Assyrian Empire known for?

Military inventions such as the battering ram or siege engine.

Who led the Hebrews out of Egypt?

Moses

What was the Mesopotamian's best option to address the problem of food shortage while living in the foothills.

Move down to the river plains and try to grow crops there.

Sumerians worshiped many gods, therefore, what did they practice?

Polytheism

Letters, tools, eyewitness accounts, laws and photographs are...

Primary Sources

What Characteristic of a Civilization would a photo of wagon of corn represent?

Regular food supply

What Characteristic of a Civilization would a photo of a ziggurat represent?

Religious system

Why did Hammurabi create a code of laws?

Rule society by laws, try to establish justice and to identify wrong doings and create punishments.

Who's job was it in a Sumerian society to keep official records?

Scribes

All though Hammurabi's Code of Laws applied to everyone, not everyone recieved the same punishment. What were punishments based on?

Social Class

What Characteristic of a Civilization would a person being a farmer or a photo of a metal pot represent?

Specialization of labor

For the Mesopotamian's to be able to engage in trade and specialization what did they need to have?

Surplus of crops

What Characteristic of a Civilization would a military represent?

System of Government

What are the 6 Characteristics of a Civilization?

System of Government, regular food supply, specialization of labor, different social levels, highly developed culture and a religious system.

What is the fertile land bordering outside the Tigris and Euphrates River and between the rivers called?

The Fertile Crescent

What religious beliefs made the Hebrews different from other ancient people?

The Israelite's (Hebrews) only believed in one God and the Mesopotamia's believed in many gods (polytheism).

What are laws that became the foundation of Judaism called?

The Ten Commandments

What forms the borders of Mesopotamia?

The Zagros Mts. to the north and east, The Euphrates river to the west, and the Persian Gulf to the south from the borders of Mesopotamia.

What is one central idea of Judaism?

The belief in one God.

What are the benefits of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers' flooding?

The benefits are that the floods bring fertile silt to areas that may have poor soil. The drawbacks are that the floods were unpredictable and could lead to destroying crops.

How did the Tigris and Euphrates rivers make the growth of civilization in Mesopotamia possible?

The rivers were the primary source of fresh water in the region. Using irrigation methods to bring water to fields allowed farmers to grow an abundance (large amount) of crops. A better food supply made it possible for people to focus on other aspects of culture, such as art, architecture, and technology.

Where can a person find the origins (history) of Judaism and its basic laws and beliefs?

Torah

The yearly floods of the Tigris and Euphrates were.....

Unpredictable

What invention improved agriculture, transportation, and the production of pottery?

Wheel