QUARTER 1
Judaism
Judaism is monotheistic.
To the Jews, God’s name is Yahweh.
A covenant is a contract.
Jews worship in a synagogue.
Israel - Hebrew people settled in Canaan, land promised to them by God.
Torah, 1st five books of Hebrew Bible, tells early history of Hebrews: God chose Abraham, a
shepherd, to be father of Hebrew people; Abraham moves family & herds from Ur to
Canaan around 1800 B.C.
The God of Abraham - Hebrews are monotheists, believing in 1 God only - Yahweh, who is all
powerful, not a physical being; mutual promise, a covenant, is made between God &
Abraham; Abraham promises to obey God, Yahweh promises to protect Abraham’s
people.
Circa 1650 B.C. Abraham's descendants move to Egypt; at 1st Hebrews are honored; later made
into slaves; "Let my people go" - Hebrews flee Egypt between 1300 & 1200 B.C. Bible
tells of God's command that Moses lead this "Exodus".
A New Covenant - Moses receives 10 Commandments - becomes basis of Hebrew law.
Torah tells of Hebrews wandering Sinai Desert for 40 years; arrive in Canaan, form 12 tribes;
judges provide leadership.
Prophet - leader whom the Hebrews believed to be a messenger of God.
Women & men have separate roles, responsibilities; law includes strict justice softened by
mercy; prophets arise later to interpret law; they teach people to live moral lives.
Moral - based on principles of right & wrong.
Hebrews threatened by Philistines to north; only 1 tribe remains, Judah; Hebrew religion called
Judaism.
From 1020 to 922 B.C. Hebrews (Jews) unite; new kingdom called Israel; King David
establishesJerusalem as capital.
David's son Solomon becomes king; makes Israel trading empire; builds magnificent temple &
royal palace in Jerusalem.
High taxes & forced labor lead Jews in north to revolt; by 922 B.C. kingdom divides in 2 –
Israel in north, Judah in south; 200 years of conflict follow.
In 738 B.C. Israel & Judah pay tribute (money for peace) to Assyria; by 722 B.C. Assyrians
conquer Israel. in 586 B.C. Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Solomon's Temple;
many surviving Jews enslaved in Babylon; in 539 B.C. Persians conquer Babylon;
40,000 Jews return to Jerusalem; temple & walls rebuilt; land later ruled by Persians,
Greeks, Romans.
Judaism has contributed:
1. monotheism
2. the concept of individual rights
3. public education
4. ethical treatment of animals
5. the concept of a day of rest from work
6. the idea that all countries should have just and ethical laws and judicial systems
7. the concept that there should be a limitation of punishment for crimes committed
8. the concepts of morality, and conscience
Christianity
Rome conquers Judea, home of Jews; makes it part of empire, A.D. 6; many Jews believe a Messiah, or savior, eventually will free them.
Jesus - a Jew born in Bethlehem (around 6 to 4 B.C.), raised in Nazareth; at age 30 begins
preaching monotheism, Ten Commandments; does good works, reportedly performs
miracles; stresses personal relationship with God, love for friends & enemies.
Apostles - the 12 men who are disciples (or pupils) of Jesus; Jesus ignores wealth & status; his
message appeals to poor.
Many Jews view Jesus as the Messiah; others see him as a heretic; Roman governor Pontius
Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified; Apostles believe Jesus ascended into heaven after
death.
Christos, Greek word for "savior"; Christianity derived from "Christ".
Apostle Paul spends his life preaching & interpreting Christianity; common languages of Latin
& Greek help to spread message; Paul stresses Jesus is son of God who died for people's
sins; Paul declares that Christianity open to all converts.
a.D. = anno Domini – In the Year of Our Lord.
Jews rebel against Rome; Romans storm Jerusalem, destroy Temple; rebellions in a.D. 66, 70,
132 fail; Jews driven from homeland of Israel.
Diaspora – centuries of Jewish exile (from Greek word for "dispersal").
Christians won't worship Roman gods; become enemies of Roman rule; Roman rulers use
Christians as scapegoats for hard times; as PaxRomanacrumbles, Christians crucified,
burned, killed in arena.
Christianity becomes powerful force; reasons for widespread appeal:
- embraces all people
- gives hope to the powerless
- appeals to those repelled by extravagance of Roman life
- offers personal relationship with a loving God
- promises eternal life after death
Priests direct a single church; bishops supervise numerous churches; Apostle Peter - 1st bishop
of Rome; clergy trace their authority to him; Pope - the father, or head, of Christian
Church; Rome, center of Church.
Church leaders compile standard Christian beliefs in New Testament; is added to Hebrew
Bible (also called Old Testament).
Early writers & scholars of teachings called Fathers of the Church; Augustine, bishop in
North Africa, 1 of the most important Fathers; stressed receiving sacraments to obtain
God’s grace, wrote famous book The City of God.
The Byzantine Empire
Describe the impact of Constantine the Great’s establishment of “New Rome” (Constantinople) and his recognition of Christianity as a legal religion.
a.D. 284 Emperor Diocletian restores order; divides empire in 2; 1 emperor in Greek-speaking
East, 1 in Latin-speaking West; in a.D. 305 Diocletian retires, rivals compete for power.
Constantine becomes emperor of Western Empire a.D. 312; has vision of Christian cross,
places it on soldiers' shields; believes Christian God helped him win; legalizes
Christianity & ends their persecution.
Seizes Eastern Empire in a.D. 324; moves Roman capital to Byzantium; Byzantium eventually
renamedConstantinople - city of Constantine.
a.D. 380 Emperor Theodosius makes Christianity official religion of Roman Empire.
Roman Empire officially divides into East & West in 395; Eastern Empire flourishes; becomes
known as Byzantium; Justinian becomes emperor of Byzantium in 527; his armies re-
conquer much of former Roman territory; Byzantine emperors head state & church; use
of brutal politics.
Justinian seeks to revise & update laws for governing empire.
Justinian Code - body of Roman law collected & organized by Justinian around A.D.534; code
regulates much of Byzantine life; lasts 900 years.
Theodora - wife of Emperor Justinian. Theodora is perhaps the most influential and powerful
woman in the Roman Empire's history.
Belisarius - a general of the Byzantine Empire. He was instrumental to EmperorJustinian's
ambitious project of reconquering much of the Mediterranean territory of the former
Western Roman Empire, which had been lost less than a century previously. His name is
frequently given as one of the so-called "Last of the Romans".
Anna Comnent (Comnena) - daughter of Byzantine Emperor Aleksios I. She wrote the Alexiad,
an account of her father’s reign, which is unique in that it was written by a princess about
her father.
civil law - deals with the rights of private citizens.
Byzantium faces attacks from many different groups; empire survives through bribery,
diplomacy, & military power.
Christianity develops differently in Eastern & Western Roman Empires; 2 churches disagree
over many issues, including use of icons (religious images & paintings); leading bishop
ofEastern Orthodox Christianity known as patriarch.
Saint John of Damascus - an Eastern Orthodox monk born in Damascus, Syria. He wrote works
expounding the Christian faith, and composed hymns which are still used in the Eastern
Orthodox Christian church today and is best known for his strong defense of icons.
Saints Cyril & Methodius - Byzantine Greek brothers in the 9th century who became Christian
missionaries among the Slavic peoples of Europe. Developed the Cyrillic alphabet so that
the Bible could be translated into Slavic languages.
Explain the contributions of the Byzantine Empire.
1) A Greek-speaking continuation of the Roman Empire.
2) Provided continuous civilization and government for over a thousand years.
3) Was the Shield of the West, actively protecting all of Europe from both invasion and cultural
destruction for a thousand years. Without the Byzantine Empire, Islam would have
conqueredEurope. During these centuries the kingdoms of the West were given the time
and room to rebuild and organize anew.
4) Preserved Classical science, literature, philosophy and critical thought, engineering,
architecture, art and medicine. Works that had been lost for centuries in the West were
reintroduced by Byzantines fleeing the Muslim attacks on Constantinople. Byzantine
scholars and the "lost" knowledge they brought to Italy, France and England were a
founding spark of the Renaissance.
5) Greece, Rome, and Byzantium are the foundations of the Western World.
Describe the causes and effects of the Iconoclast controversy of the 8th and 9th centuries and the 11th century Christian schism between the churches of Constantinople and Rome.
Iconoclast Schism (Great Schism) – a dispute between the Western Catholic Church and the
Eastern Orthodox Church over the use of religious images and statues. They were much
used in the Catholic Church due to the lower literacy rates in Western Europe and
illustrated bibles were important for spreading Catholicism there. The Eastern Orthodox
Church actively opposed the use of icons (iconoclasm) due to the Old Testament
prohibition against images in the Ten Commandments. The supporters of icons insisted
on the purely symbolic nature of the icons – that people were not worshipping the icons
themselves. This led to the Pope and the Patriarch excommunication each other over the
issue – each claiming that the other was wrong.
Analyze causes (Justinian’s Plague, ongoing attacks from the “barbarians,” the Crusades, and internal political turmoil) of the decline of the Byzantine Empire.
Plague of Justinian – one of the greatest plagues of history. It affected the Eastern roman
Empire, as well as Africa, Asia and the rest of Europe. It seriously weakened the Empire.
The Rise of the Islamic Empire
Discuss significant people and beliefs associated with Islam.
Arabian Peninsula - mostly desert with small amount of fertile land.
Bedouins, Arab nomads, thrive in the desert; live in clans, which give support to members;
some Arabs settle near oases or market towns.
Pilgrims come to Mecca to worship at Ka'aba, ancient shrine; Arabs associate shrine with
Hebrew prophet Abraham & monotheism; some tribes worship many gods & spirits,
bring idols to Ka'aba; some Arabs believe in 1 God - Allah.
Around A.D. 570 Muhammad is born into a powerful Meccan clan; becomes a trader, marries
wealthy businesswoman, Khadijah.
By age 40, Muhammad spends much time in prayer & meditation; he hears angel Gabriel tell
him he is a messenger of Allah; Muhammad founds religion of Islam - "submission to
the will of Allah"; any join him & become Muslim - "1 who has submitted".
Muhammad's followers are attacked; together they leave Mecca.
Hijrah - Muslim migration from Mecca to Medina; attracts many more followers, becomes
leader:
political leader - joins Jews & Arabs of Medina as a single community;
religious leader - draws more converts to Islam;
military leader - tackles growing hostilities between Mecca & Medina.
In 630, Muhammad & 10,000 followers return to Mecca; Meccan leaders surrender;
Muhammad destroys idols in Ka'aba, keeps sacred stone; Meccans convert to Islam;
Muhammad unifies Arabian Peninsula under his rule.
Muslims must 5 Pillars of Islam - statement of faith to Allah & to Muhammad as his prophet;
pray five times a day, can use a mosque (Islamic place of worship); give alms, or money
for the poor; fast between dawn & sunset during holy month of Ramadan; perform the
hajj - pilgrimage to Mecca – at least once.
Customs & traditions guide Muslim's lives; scholar class, ulama, & teachers apply religion to
life; no priests.
Original source of authority for Muslims is Allah; Quran(Koran) - holy book, contains
revelations Muhammad received from Allah.
Muslims follow: Sunna - Muhammad's example for proper living;
Shari'a - guidance of Qur'an & Sunna assembled in body of law.
In 632 Muhammad dies; Muslims elect Abu-Bakr to be 1st caliph; caliph, title for Muslim
leader, means "successor" or "deputy."
"Rightly Guided" Caliphs - 1st 4 caliphs guided by the Qur'an & Muhammad's actions.
2 branches of Islam:
Shi'a - believe caliph should be descendant of Muhammad's son-in-law Ali.
Sunni – believes successors of Muhammad should be elected.
Compare the major beliefs and principles of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Determine the causes, effects, and extent of Islamic military expansion through Central Asia, North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula.
Jihad, holy war against unbelievers, used to expand Islam; Muslims control all of Arabia,
armies conquer Syria, lower Egypt; by 750, Muslim empire stretches from Atlantic
Ocean to Indus River. Muslim armies are well disciplined & expertly commanded; Byzantine & Sassanid empires are weak from previous conflict.
Caliphate - an Islamic state led by a supreme religious as well as political leader known as a
caliph (meaning literally a successor to Muhammad) and all the Prophets of Islam. The
termcaliphate is often applied to successions of Muslim empires that have existed in the
Middle East and Southwest Asia.
Christian reaction to this expansion:
Crusades - religious conflicts during the Middle Ages conducted under the sanction of the
RomanCatholic Church. Pope Urban II proclaimed the first crusade in 1095 with the
stated goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem. There
followed a further six major Crusades against Muslim territories. After the fall of Acre,
the last Christian stronghold in the Holy Land, in 1291, Catholic Europe mounted no
furtherCrusades. The impact of the Crusades was profound. They reopened the
Mediterranean to trade and travel, enabling Genoa and Venice to flourish.
Reconquista - a period of 781 years during which the Christian Spanish and Portugeuse,
reconquered the Iberian Peninsula from the Muslims who had invaded in 711. It ended
with the reconquest of Granada in 1492.
Safavid Empire
By the early 1500s, the Safavidsunited an empire in Persia (modern Iran). They were Shiite
Muslims who fought with Sunni Ottomans to the west and the Mughals in India to the
east.
Their greatest king, or shah, was Shah Abbas who ruled from 1588 to 1629. He created a
strong military and developed military alliances with Europeans.
Abbas lowered taxes and encouraged industry. He tolerated other religions and built a capital at
Isfahan, which became a center for silk trading.
After Abbas’ death, the empire suffered from religious disputes until its end in 1722.
In the late 1700s, a new dynasty, the Qajars, won control of Iran, made Tehran the capital, and
ruled until 1925.
Persia (Modern Iran)
Esmail (Ismail) converted Persia (Modern Iran) from Sunni to Shia by ruthlessly destroying
Sunni mosques, persecuting Sunnis, and forcing Sunnis to either convert to Shia Islam or
be murdered.
Describe the expansion of Islam into India and the relationship between Muslims and Hindus.
Mughal Empire
Founded in India by Muslim Babur in 1526 by the defeat of the Hindus. He was tolerant of
other religions.
Akbar the Great – Babur’s grandson. Enthusiastic patron of literature, poetry, architecture,
science and painting. Although he was a committed Muslim, Akbar encouraged religious
tolerance, and sought wisdom from holy men of all faiths. He became known as "Akbar
the Great.”
Shah Jahan – Akbar’s grandson 1627. Builds the Taj Mahal as a tribute to his dead wife.
Shah Jahan's third son, Aurangzeb, seized the throne and had all of his brothers executed and
locked up his father.
The ruthless Aurangzeb proved to be the last of the "Great Mughals." Throughout his reign, he
expanded the empire in all directions. He also enforced a much more orthodox brand of
Islam, even banning music in the empire (which made many Hindu rites impossible to
perform).
Sikhism - a religion which was found by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in 1469. They believe that God
is one, in Karma, and in Reincarnation. Sikhism is not similar nor part of Hinduism.
Abassid Caliphate
It flourished for two centuries. Abbasid rule was ended in 1258, when Hulagu Khan, the
Mongol conqueror, sacked the Abassid capital of Baghdad.
Ummayad Dynasty
Second of 4 major Islamiccaliphates established after the death of Muhammad. Founded in
661. Syria remained the Umayyads' main power base, and Damascus was their capital.
Describe the rise of the Ottoman Turks, the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, and the subsequent growth of the Ottoman empire under the sultanate.
Constantinople falls in 1453 to Ottoman Muslim invaders; brings an end to Byzantine Empire. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Ottoman Empire entered a period of expansion. The Empire
prospered under the rule of a line of committed and effective Sultans.
Suleiman the Magnificent (1520–1566) attacked Central Europe and laid siege to Vienna,
Austria in 1529, but failed to take the city.In the east, the Ottoman Turks took Baghdad
from the Persians in 1535, gaining control of Mesopotamia and naval access to the
Persian Gulf.
African Civilizations
Geographical bands of Africa: desert
savanna – most populated areas
jungle
dry woodlands
savanna
desert
savanna
Vocabulary
Lineage - a group whose members claim the same ancestry.
Matrilineal - a family system in which inheritance is passed through the mother’s side.
Patrilineal - a family system in which important kinship ties such as inheritance are passed
through the father’s side.
Savanna - a grassy plain .
Plateau – a large flat piece of land rising above the surrounding territory.
Bantu Migrations – the movement of Bantu language groups from central Africa to
southern Africa. Arrows on the above map show the Bantu migration.
Griot - a professional storyteller who recited ancient stories in West Africa.
Animism – the worshipping of things in nature: animals, trees, rocks, clouds, etc.
Ibn Battuda – Muslim traveler and writer. Visited North Africa, Western Africa, Eastern