Unit 2 WH1: Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia

Hieroglyphic

A system of writing in Egypt; it also means sacred writings.

Dynasty

A family of rulers whose right to rule was passed within the family

Hyksos

A group of people who used horse-drawn chariots to defeat the Egyptians. The ruled for a hundred years, in which the Egyptians learned about bronze as well as the skills of the Hyksos, which included the chariots and how use them.

King Menes

A king who lived around 3100 BC, who united Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom and created the first royal dynasty.

Zoroastrianism

A monotheistic religion of the Persians. It started around 600 BC. It was very similar to Judaism and Christianity.

Hieratic script

A simplified version of hieroglyphic for businesses and the general needs or daily life.

King Khufu

An Egyptian pharaoh who constructed the Great Pyramid of Giza at around 2540 BC. For this, the pyramid is also known as the famous Great Pyramid of King Khufu.

Hatshepsut

An Egyptian queen who is good at military and trading expeditions. She is the second female pharaoh and she became pharaoh(king) in her own right.

Nubuchadnezzar

Chaldean King who was responsible for the new Chaldean Empire and the Hanging Gardens.

King David

David ruled from 1000 BC to 970 BC. He gained control over all of Israel and made Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

Amenhotep III

He built impressive temples. Egypt reached its height in his rule. (maybe) In the end of his reign, Egypt faced a military challenge from the Hittites.

Ahmose I

He is the pharaoh who banished the Hyksos and reunited Egypt. He establish the New Kingdom (1550 BC to 1070 C) He established a professional Egyptian army and a more militaristic path for Egypt.

Amenhotep IV

He is the pharaoh who introduced the worship of Aten. He used religion to deal with political disorder. It didn't work which led to a lot of chaos.

Tutankhamen

He is the young pharaoh who restored the worship of the old gods. Known as King Tut, we know him so well because of his tomb. Cool fact: his parents were siblings.

Moses

He led the Jewish people out of bondage in Egypt in the 1200s.

war chariots

Hyksos used these war chariots to defeat the Egyptians. When the Egyptians started to use war chariots themselves, they in turn defeated the Hyksos and kicked them out of Egypt 100 years later.

New Kingdom

It came after the Middle Kingdom at about 1650 BC. The invasion of the Hyksos planted the seed of the New Kingdom. In other words, the New Kingdom rose partially because of the Hyksos. It lasted from 1550 to 1070 B.C. During this time, Egypt created the most powerful empire in the region. it reached its height around 1400 B.C.

Son of Re

It is the title that Egyptian leaders took. Re is one of the sun god's names. So is Ra.

Lower Egypt

It is the triangular region called the delta.The Nile Delta region is Lower Egypt. Lower Egypt is ironically northwards of Upper Egypt, but it is important to remember the Nile flows northwards, so it passes Upper Egypt first, hence it's name.

Judaism

Judaism is a monotheistic religion. The beliefs are that God rules the world; all people are his servants; God created nature; however, God is not associated with it and etc. Covenant, law and prophets are three aspects of Jewish tradition They were people of the book. They were also called the chosen people.

King Solomon

King David's youngest son and the most successful king of the Israelites. He expanded government, encouraged trade and gathered armies. He was best known for building a temple in Jerusalem.

Kush

Kush became independent around 1000 BC. In 750, Kush conquered Egypt but was overwhelmed by the Assyrians. The Kushites farmed at first but later traded majorly in the Mediterranean region.

The Phoenicians

Living along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean sea, they focused on trade and was known for their alphabets. When Egyptians the Hittites lost power, there was no true dominant powers in the region. They lasted around 1000 BC to 700 BC.

Ramses II

Ozymandias. Expanded the New Kingdom during his 63 year reign. "King of Kings. If you looked at his works, he may be despaired.

Nile River

Played a critical role in Egyptian civilization. The longest river in the world. The river flows South to North.

The Israelites

The Israelites live to the south of the Phoenicians and believed in Judaism. Their history was written down in the Hebrew Bible. They were slaves until Moses let them out. King David and Solomon are the famous kings.

monotheism

The belief in one god such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Sargon

The first emperor of the Akkadian Empire: the first empire in the world.

The Old Kingdom

The first kingdom of Egypt. Lasting from around 2700 BC to 2200 BC, it was the very model of a good little kingdom. The pharaohs were very powerful; they had absolute power. When the kingdom fell, there was a period of disorder.

Aten

The god of the sun disk who is worshiped as the sole god in Amenhotep IV's time.

Pastoral nomads

The important people in history who existed between Egypt and Mesopotamia. They overran communities, created empires, domesticated animals, traded, passed on new technology and sometimes attacked civilized communities to obtain relief. The most famous groups were the Phoenicians and Israelites.

Upper Egypt

The land upstream of the Nile River, to the south, is called Upper Egypt.

Great Pyramids of Giza

The largest and most magnificent pyramid among all the pyramids, supposedly built by King Khufu at around 2540 BC. The pyramid covers 13 acres, measures 756 feet at each side of the base and stands 481 feet tall. These pyramids are arguably the most impressive structures ever built. Mystery surrounds the Great Pyramids of Giza to this day.

Pharaoh

The most common title for an Egyptian monarch. Pharaoh originally means great house or palace.

The Middle Kingdom

The second kingdom of Egypt which came after the 150 years of disorder. Lasting from 2055 BC to 1650 BC, it was known as the golden age of stability. Egypt began expanding and the pharaohs were now portrayed as the shepherd of his people.

patriarchial

a system where men rule households and societies

bureaucracy

an administrative organization with officials and regular procedures. A bureaucracy helped the Old Kingdom run a government divided into 42 different provinces.

Assyrian Empire

empire that dominated Mesopotamia around 700 B.C. They used iron effectively and had an effective administrative system. They treated conquered territories terribly, which is why they did not last.

Hanging Gardens

one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient world. The city of Babylon looked like a mountain of green. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon#/media/File:Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon.jpg

Persian Empire

one of the largest empires of the ancient world. Its biggest expansion occurred under Cyrus the Great, who respected also civilizations while building his empire.

Hammurabi Code

the first organized legal system in the world. Although "an eye for an eye" is now considered barbaric, this set the precedent for future legal systems

satrap

the name of a governor in the Persian Empire. Satrapies were the names for one of the 20 provinces in the Persian Empire. A satrap collected taxes, provided justices and recruited soldiers.

Chaldean Empire

the second Babylonian Empire, they replaced the Assyrians. They also put the Jews into slavery and were responsible for the Babylonian exile of the Jews from Jerusalem.

Akkadian Empire

the world's first empire.Started in 2340, it reached its height in 2223 B>C., only to collapse in 2150 B.C.