Download Western Civilization Quiz Hints

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 scientific discipline which studies ancient ruins and has figured out much
of what we know about ancient civilizations. ARCHAEOLOGY
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3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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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13. 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
14. Who are they? They were great sea traders and colonizers in the Mediterranean Sea
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15. 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
16. 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)
17. 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
18. 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
19. 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
20. 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
21. 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
22. 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
23. 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
24. 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
25. 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
26. 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)
27. 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
28. What is it? It is the belief in many gods. POLYTHEISM
29. 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
30. 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
31. 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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32. 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
33. 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
34. 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
35. 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
36. 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
37. 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