History 1, Fall 2016

Professor Borses

Study Guide Chapter 2

Session 1:Structure of the State: Mesopotamia and the Ancient Egyptians

Specific themes of this class session:

In two class sessions we will examine the creation of the state as a method to bring organization some of the earliest human civilizations, starting in ancient Mesopotamia, the ancient Egypt, before moving on to other civilizations in the Near East. One recurring theme will be the use of writing to allow these societies to function.

Reading/Writing assignment for this week:

McKay, et. al World Societies, Chapter 2, pp. 30-49

Document 2-2, “Hammurabi’s Code: Laws on Society and Family

Life,” p. 23-28

Part 1: VOCABULARY: Know the definitions to these words in order to communicate ideas for the other sections of the study guide. These will not be tested directly in your exams, but use of these words may be necessary in order to answer exam questions.

state

civilization

polytheism

Pharaoh

Part 2: TERM IDENTIFICATIONS: (Be able to identify each term in a sentence and then provide a few sentences describing its SIGNIFICANCE in terms of the themes of the course and week.

the Fertile Crescent

Cuneiform

Epic of Gilgamesh

Sargon of Akkad

Hammurabi’s Law Code

Hatshepsut

Bronze Age collapse

Iron Age

Phoenicians

Part 3: BROAD QUESTIONS (these questions may be approached in very different ways and there is no SINGLE way to frame their answers. Draw on your historical understandings of the material this week to consider what YOU think.)

  1. Why do historians describe the civilizations discussed here as “complex societies?”
  2. What role did writing play in the administration of these societies?

Part 4: GEOGRAPHY (be able to locate these places on a blank world map)

Mesopotamia

City of Babylon

Egypt

Part 5: Primary Source Documents

Consider answers to the Reading and Discussion Questions on page 28.

Session 2: Hebrews, Assyrians and Persians

Specific themes of this class session:We will complete our examination of the creation of the state as a method to bring organization some of the earliest human civilizations, starting in the Near East. One recurring theme will be the use of writing to allow these societies to function.

Reading/Writing assignment for this week:

McKay, et. al World Societies, Chapter 2, pp. 49-57

Primary Source: Document 2-5, “Book of Exodus: Moses Leads the Hebrews from

Egypt,” pp. 36-41

Part 1: VOCABULARY: Know the definitions to these words in order to communicate ideas for the other sections of the study guide. These will not be tested directly in your exams, but use of these words may be necessary in order to answer exam questions.

monotheism

prophets (in the monotheistic tradition)

Part 2: TERM IDENTIFICATIONS: (Be able to identify each term in a sentence and then provide a few sentences describing its SIGNIFICANCE in terms of the themes of the course and week.

Yahweh

Kingdom of Israel

Assyria

Persia

Cyrus the Great

Zoroastrianism

Part 3: BROAD QUESTIONS (these questions may be approached in very different ways and there is no SINGLE way to frame their answers. Draw on your historical understandings of the material this week to consider what YOU think.)

  1. Why do historians describe the civilizations discussed here as “complex societies?”
  2. What role did writing play in the administration of these societies?

Part 4: GEOGRAPHY (be able to locate these places on a blank world map)

Kingdom of Israel

Assyria

Persia

Part 5: Primary Source Documents

Consider answers to Reading and Discussion Questions 1 and 3 on page 41.