Western Civilization Quiz Hints

ANCIENT MIDDLE EAST

What is History?

1. What is it? It is the record of important past events and the explanation of how these events relate to each other and more recent events. HISTORY

2. What is it? It is the relationship between events and how people react to these events and their surroundings. All our tools are linked both past and present. CONNECTION THEORY

3. What are they? They are causes of change in history. The first great man – made example is the plow. HISTORY TRIGGERS

4. What is it? IT is the consequences of using tools and technology. Because we have, historical changes in population and machines have boxed us in to the point of our being dependent on our technology and we suffer hurtful consequences when our machines fall. TECHNOLOGY TRAP

5. What is it? It is scientific discipline which studies ancient ruins and has figured out much of what we know about ancient civilizations. ARCHAEOLOGY

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6. What is it? It is a geographic region. It is defined as the “land between the rivers.” It is located between the Tigris and Euphrates River. MESOPOTAMIA

7. Who are they? They are people who move into the southern portion of the fertile plain of Shinar. They set up the world’s first civilization about 3500 B.C. SUMERIANS

8. What are they? They are small countries consisting of a city and the surrounding territories that depended on it. Due to the geography of the tributaries, Sumeria developed many of these. CITY – STATES

9. What is it? It is the massive stepped tower in the center of each Sumerian city. It was a temple with the purpose to please and clam the gods. Each city – state had its own local god. ZIGGURAT

10. What is it? It is the name of the Sumerian writing. The term means “wedge – shaped.” It is the first writing invented in the world, sometime before 3000 B.C. and may have started developing as early as 9000 B.C. CUNEIFORM

11. What are they? They are the advancements made by the earliest civilized people. These inventions include many firsts such as writing, the arch, the plow, wheeled vehicles, figuring 360 degrees for circles, 60 minute hours, 60 second minutes, and the organization of things into dozens. SUMERIAN TECHNOLOGY

12. Who is he? About 2300 B.C., he invaded Sumeria form Akkad in northern Mesopotamia and set up the world first empire. This empire extended east to Persia, south along the shores of the Persian Gulf, north to the Black Sea, and west to the Mediterranean – well beyond Mesopotamia. He and his descendents through this empire spread Sumerian civilization over much of the Middle East. SARGON I

13. Who is he? He was the ruler of Babylon about 1700 B.C. who came from what is now Syria. He brought all of southern Mesopotamia under his rule and created the Babylonian Empire. He is remembered for his Code of Laws. HAMMURABI

14. What is it? It is a code of laws which was developed out of Sumeria law by Hammurabi. Its purpose was to promote justice, destroy those doing harm and prevent the strong from oppressing the weak. In a nutshell, it made life fairer with its “eye for an eye” justice. This code of laws became the basis for their legal systems long after his death. CODE OF HAMMURABI

Other

15. Who is he? He was ‘he who saw everything to the ends of the world.’ He was two – thirds god, one – third man and king of Uruk. He was the focus of the most famous epic tale in Mesopotamia. He was famous for the wall he built around his city, had adventures with Enkidu, traveled the earth to find the survivor of the Flood and tried for immortality, but failed. GILGAMESH

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16. Who are they? They were the Indo – European people from Asia Minor who destroyed the Babylonian Empire and fought Egypt for Syria and Palestine. They were the first people in the Middle East to use iron tools, ending the Bronze Age. They built on the Mesopotamian civilizations accomplishments creating a large well ordered and peaceful empire of their own form about 1450 to 1200 B.C. HITTITES

17. Who are they? They were great sea traders and colonizers in the Mediterranean Sea region. Based along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, they flourished from 1200 – 300 B.C. They never unified, but had many independent city – states such as Tyre, Byblos, and Siddon. They even sailed around Africa and to Britain in the north using star navigation. They spread Mesopotamian and Egyptian arts and sciences around the Mediterranean. PHOENICIANS

18. What is it? It was a communication system developed by the Phoenicians who needed a better record system than Sumerian and Egyptian writing. It uses signs to represent sounds. It was developed around 1000 B.C. and our modern written system derives from it. ALPHABET

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19. What is it? It is one of the World’s great religions and has had great influence on the ethical values of the Western world. It’s Holy Book containing history, laws and teachings of right and wrong are found in the Old Testament part of the modern Bible. JUDAISM

20. What is it? It is the record of early Jewish history and collection of writings sacred to both Jews and Christians. It is the most important influence from the ancient world on the modern world for ideas of right, wrong, and justice. BIBLE (Bible)

21. Who is he? He is the main person that the Jews trace their ancestry and religion to. He left Mesopotamia, shortly before Hammurabi’s conquest, and roamed Canaan around 1900 or 1800 B.C. and received promises of God for a great future for his descendants. He was obedient to God despite occasional judgment lapses. ABRAHAM

22. Who is he? He was the ambitious deceiver grandson of Abraham who deprived his brother Esau of his birthright and his father’s blessing. His twelve sons and their wives were the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was called Israel, “he struggles with God” after wrestling with an angel. Under his leadership the Jews left Canaan migrating into northeastern Egypt to escape drought and famine. JACOB

23. Who is he? He was the leader of the Israelites, who led them from Egypt’s slavery in the 1200s B.C. Through him God established many of the rules and morals for life of the nation of Israel and the nation’s agreement (or Covenant) with God. MOSES

24. Who is he? He was the successor of Moses and leader of the Israelites as they started the conquest of Canaan after, leaving Egypt. This conquest took several hundred years. JOSHUA

25. Who are they? They were twelve heroes who were used by God to deliver Israel in the centuries after the death of Joshua. These military and religious rescuers included Deborah who defeated the Canaanites and sand a song of victory, Gideon who defeated 135,000 Midianites with 300 soldiers, and Samson who killed a lion with his bare hands, killed 1,000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone, and after betrayal by Delilah, destroyed thousands of Philistines when he collapsed the Gaza temple upon himself and them. JUDGES

26. Who is he? He was the first king of Israel ruling from 1020 to 1000 B.C. He unified the twelve tribes and led the fight against the powerful iron using Philistines. He lost God’s favor when he refused to follow God’s instructions. SAUL

27. Who is he? As a Shepard boy he killed a giant, named Goliath. As the appointed king of Israel to follow Saul, he was on the run from Saul for a number of years. After Saul and his son were killed in battle, he became the second King of Israel. As king, he completed the conquest of the Promised Land and gave a strong unified Israel to his son Solomon. DAVID

28. Who is he? He was the third king of a united Israel. He built the Temple in Jerusalem, cities, roads, palaces, fortresses, etc. His was the richest high point for Israel, but the heavy taxes to pay for his building program helped cause the revolt and division of Israel after his death. SOLOMON

29. Who are they? They were and are the special chosen people of God i.e. Israelites or Hebrews. Their ancient history is recorded in the Bible. They trace their ancestry to Abraham. Their name comes from that of the southern kingdom formed from the division of Israel into two kingdoms, after 932 B.C. JEWS

30. Who is he? He is the creator and ruler of the universe. The Bible teaches that he desires his followers have strict moral conduct and ritual behavior, as detailed in the Old Testament portion of the Bible. He set up an eternally binding covenant with his chosen people assuring them of love and protection and requiring they be accountable for their sins and failures. GOD (God)

31. What is it? It is the belief in one God. This belief se the Jews apart from their Middle East neighbors who worshipped many gods and goddesses. MONOTHEISM

32. What is it? It is the belief in many gods. POLYTHEISM

33. What are they? They are the basis of the Jewish code of laws as given to Moses for Israel by God. They were given after the exodus from Egypt on Mount Sinal. The cod forbids people to steal, murder, lie, curse, envy, or commit adultery. They are also to honor their parents, observe the seventh day of the week as a holy day and most important – worship only God. TEN COMMANDMENTS

34. Who are they? They were religious leaders who communicated God’s will to the people of Israel and Judah between 750 and 550 B.C. They demanded righteousness, protection of the weak, mercy and justice from the kings of Israel and Judah. They warned of the coming conquest by the Assyrians and Babylonians as God’s punishment of the Jews for not keeping their side of the covenant. One of them, Isaiah who was of the Jews that didn’t keep his side of the covenant. One of them, Isaiah who lived to see the end of the 70 year Babylonian Exile, noted the purified Jews would continue to be guided in worship of God in the many centuries to come. PROPHETS

35. What is it? It is the term for the first five books of the Bible. It is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It is the early history of the Israelites and the basic laws of Judaism. In the 1st century B.C. rabbi Hillel summed up the intent of the laws in these books by saying, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.” TORAH

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36. What is it? It is the thin semicircle of fertile land stretching from Israel and Judah on the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. The western part curves along the Mediterranean coast and the eastern part follows the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. FERTILE CRESCENT

37. What are they? They are the two major rivers of the Fertile Crescent along with cities like; Ur, Babylon, and Nineveh were located. These rivers form the boundaries of Mesopotamia. TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES

38. Who are they? They were the Nazi’s of the ancient world. They conquered the Fertile Crescent and Egypt by 671 B.C. They were very brutal with people who resisted them. Their empire was short-lived due to the desire of the peoples near them to take revenge for their brutal tortures. ASSYRIANS

39. What is it? It was the capital city of the Assyrian empire. From here the Assyrians efficiently administered their empire. This administration was used as a model for later empires. The library found that in this city it helped preserve much of our knowledge of ancient Mesopotamia. NINEVEH

40. Who are they? They were one of the peoples who conquered the Assyrians in 612 B.C. They re – created the Babylonian empire by conquering the Fertile Crescent. They made important contributions to astronomy by their accurate table of the movements of the sun, stars, and planets. They believed it was possible to tell the future by studying the stars. They began the still continuing practice of astrology. CHALDEANS

41. Who is he? He was the strong Chaldean king who conquered the Fertile Crescent. He rebuilt Babylon into a city of wonder with such marvels as the Hanging Gardens. The Bible says his pride at his accomplishments caused him to be judged by God and, until he repented, he was insane acting like an animal eating grass. NEBUCHADNEZZAR

42. Who are they? They were ruled by despots like Darius I. Their empire was started by the genius general Cyrus the Great, about 525 B.C. Their empire, being so large and lasting several hundred years was one where people on the whole were treated decently. Subject people were allowed to keep their own religion, culture, and language. PERSIANS

43. What is it? It is a king with unlimited power. The term today generally is applied to rulers with immense power who are cruel and unjust. DESPOT

44. Who are they? They are followers of the Persian religion which taught that Ahura Mazda was the god of good and Ahriman was the god of evil. They believed they should follow Ahura Mazda and that someday the world would come to an end. All people would then face a last judgment and the righteous would go to heaven and the wicked to hell. ZOROASTRIANS