WHH Chapter 2

Who were Abraham and Jacob, and what is their significance in early Hebrew history?

Abraham: shepherd, led his people to Canaan Jacob: Abraham;s grandson, had 12 songs that made up the Twelve Tribes

Where and what did the Phoenicians trade?

Egypt, Greece, Italy, Sicily, Spain; glass, slaves, ivory works, timber, purple dye

Mesopotamia

Fertile Crescent area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

Why might the Greek historian's amazement about the Persian messenger system tell you about communication in Greece?

Greek communication was important; admired Persian messenger system

What were some of the key achievements of the Chaldean empire?

Hanging Gardens, developed calendars, advances in astronomy

Moses

Hebrew leader who led his people out of Egypt

Did the Assyrians' cruelty help them or hinder them in ruling their empire? Explain your answer.

I think that the Assyrians cruelty helped them at first, but then caused their downfall; Their cruelty and aggressiveness led other people to fear them and kept them in order; They were able to maintain peace across the empire until the empire grew larger and was harder to control.

Where is the Fertile Crescent, and which part of it is also known as Mesopotamia?

In Southwest Asia; area between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers

cuneiform

Sumerian writing

Who were the Indo-Eurpoeans, and how have scholars traced their migrations?

a group of several tribes that spoke related languages; by tracing modern languages

city-state

a political unit with its own government made of a city and its land

How did Cyrus the Great treat people he conquered? Why?

because of his ability to unite people; allowed people to keep their own customs

The Sumerians developed a wedge-shaped system of writing called _________.

cuneiform

By conquering and ruling many peoples, Sargon created the world's first ____________.

empire

Exodus

the journey of the Hebrew people out of Egypt, led by Moses

Judaism

the religion of the Hebrews

Do you agree or disagree with the position that ironworking was the greatest contribution of the Hittites? Support your answer.

Agree - iron weapons allowed for expansion of empire

Nebuchadnezzar II

Chaldean king who rebuilt Babylon

Xerxes

Persian emperor who was the son of Darius I

Persians

formed a huge empire; built roads

Indo-Europeans

tribes that spoke related languages and invaded Mesopotamia

Sargon

Akkadian ruler who was the first to create a permanent army

What three tribes conquered and ruled Mesopotamia after the decline of Sumer's city-states? List the tribes in order.

Akkadians Amorites Babylonians

Who was Nebuchadnezzar II, and what legendary Chaldean achievement is associated with him?

Chaldean king; built Hanging Gardens

A ruler named _________ founded the Persian Empire.

Cyrus the Great

Who do you think was the greater king of Israel -- David or Saul? Why?

David: unified Twelve Tribes

What is dualism? How is Zoroastrianism an example of a dualistic religion?

Dualism is the belief that the world is controlled by two opposing forces, good and evil Zoroastrianism taught the world that they were created by a god named Ahura Mazda who they honored. The opposing force was an evil spirit named Ahriman. Zoroastrianism believed that people had free and that it was their responsibility to follow Ahura Mazda.

What happened to the Kingdom of Israel after Solomon's rule?

Israel divided into two nations; Later conquered by Assyrians and Chaldeans

Why is the Exodus so significant in Hebrew history?

Israelites believed that these events proved that God loved them and was watching over them; The Israelites then had their own distinct nation

The Hebrews practiced a religion called ____________.

Judaism

Hammurabi

King of Babylon famous for his code of laws

What are the main teachings of Judaism?

Monotheism, Justice and Righteousness, Ethics, Obedience

According to the Hebrew Bible, __________ led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt.

Moses

Why is the Exodus a major event in early Jewish history?

Moses led Hebrews out of slavery; God gave Moses Ten Commandments

How did the Hebrew people come to live in Canaan?

Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt in the Exodus; led by God; Torah states that the Israelites wondered the desert for 40 years until they entered Canaan; in Canaan they fought and gained control over the land

The greatest Chaldean ruler was ___________, who built the famous Hanging Gardens.

Nebuchadnezzar II

Cyrus the Great

Persian king who, by 530 BC, ruled the largest empire in the world; founded the Persian Empire - conquered many lands - let people keep their customs

What are the three sections of the Hebrew Bible? Which one do the Jews consider to be the most sacred?

Torah Hebrew Bible Talmud

dynasty

a series of rulers from one family

covenant

a solemn agreement

patriarch

ancestral "fathers"

steppes

arid grasslands

Babylonians

built the city of Babylon; issued Hammurabi's code

Akkadians

built the world's first empire

A __________ is a political unit that includes a city and all the land around it.

city-state

Sumerians

created world's first civilization; invented cuneiform and the wheel; wrote the Epic of Gilgamesh

Abraham

father of the Hebrew people

Why was Hammurabi's Code a significant achievement?

first written code of laws; it was very thorough

How did geographic conditions in southern Mesopotamia encourage the development of civilization there?

flooding created fertile soil for farming

How did Zoroaster say people should act? Why did he think they should act this way?

follow Ahura Mazda; people should tell the truth and avoid bad deeds in order to live happy

Assyrians

formed a military society

satraps

governors who ruled a region in the emperor's name

Why did Darius I appoint satraps to help rule his empire?

helped Darius I control everything that happened in his empire

What were some of the key achievements of the Assyrian empire?

iron weapons, effective government structure, library in Nineveh

What is an empire

land that included different kingdoms and people under one rule

Hittites

made iron ornaments

Zoroaster

man whose religious teachings became the basis of Zoroastrianism

Why is the Phoenicians' alphabet considered one of their greatest legacies?

more flexible, influenced later alphabet

Do you think Hammurabi should be remembered for his military achievements or his cultural achievements? Why?

most famous for his Code

Torah

most sacred text of Judaism

Why do you think the Persian Empire never again regained the heights it had reached under Darius I?

no because unable to conquer another area and expand; became weak and could not contain control

Was Sumerian society fair? Why or why not?

no, it created inequality

In what ways did religion shape all aspects of government and life in Sumer?

people believed gods controlled all aspects of life; priests had high status; kings led religious ceremonies

Why was religion so influential in Sumerian city-states?

people believed gods controlled all aspects of life; priests had high status; kings led religious ceremonies; the Sumerians also believed that gods protected each city-state; the people worked very hard to please their gods because of their beliefs

How did geography influence religious beliefs in Sumer?

people believed gods controlled waters

Hebrews

practiced Judaism; established the Kingdom of Israel

Why was trade important in Sumer?

provided building materials and wealth

ziggurat

pyramid-shaped temple dedicated to a Sumerian city's chief god

Chaldeans

rebuilt Babylon

Fertile Crescent

region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf

Why did the Phoenicians focus on trade by sea for their livelihood?

resources were limited and trade allowed them to import necessary items

Darius I

ruler who followed Cyrus, restoring order to Persia; created a standing army - divided empire into satrapies - built the Royal Road

What is the Diaspora?

scattering of the Jews outside of Canaan after the Babylonian Captivity

In what ways do the Ten Commandments stress the values of human life, self-control, and justice?

stress kindness and respect

Why is the reign of Darius I considered the high point of Persian culture?

strong army (Ten Thousand Immortals), money (coins-currency)

Was the Assyrian use of terror and brutality as a means of control successful? Explain your answer.

successful at first but contributed to downfall

what group of people created the world's first empire

the Akkadians

Why were the Hittites able to defeat the Babylonians?

the Hittites army got stronger and more powerful; they had larger and improved chariots where more men could be on it; these advantages led to the defeat of the Babylonians

monotheism

the belief in one God

dualism

the belief that the world is controlled by two opposing forces, good and evil

Who was Zoroaster?

the man whose religious teachings became the basis of Zoroastrianism; developed the first religion to teach dualiasm (ancient Persian prophet)

What led to the creation of government in Sumer?

the people needed a government for control and rights and laws; they needed a system to regulate trade and currency; someone in charge to prevent fighting and keep order in a society

Diaspora

the scattering of the Jews outside of Canaan

polytheism

the worship of many gods

Why did Darius I have the Royal Road built?

to link all major cities of Susa and Sardis; messengers on horseback could travel faster across the Persian Empire in a matter of days; this also made trade and communication faster

For what is Cyrus the Great best known?

tolerance by letting people he conquered to keep their own cultures

Phoenicians

traded across the Mediterranean; developed an alphabet

For what are the Phoenicians best known?

traded across the Mediterranean; developed the world's first alphabet

What was the major cause of the Hittites' success as empire builders in Asia Minor?

use of a horse-drawn chariot

What is cuneiform, and why is it historically significant?

world's first known writing system

What were two features that made Persepolis an impressive city?

world's first long highway that linked many cities of Susa and Sardis beautiful architecture with golden objects and animals

What were some common features of Sumer's city-states?

ziggurats, mud bricks, walled cities