Download Chapter 2: The Fertile Crescent (Notes and Study Guide)

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Section:__________________
Teacher: __________________
Chapter 2 vocabulary
Chapter 2 Vocabulary
Scribe:
Fertile Crescent:
City-state:
Polytheism:
Myth:
Empire:
Babylon:
Caravan:
Bazaar:
Battering ram:
Code:
Hammurabi:
Cuneiform:
Alphabet:
Monotheism:
Famine:
Exile:
Covenant:
Moses:
Prophet:
Diaspora:
Lesson 2.1
Land Between Two Rivers
p. 34-39
1. Think about it: How does geography affect the
way people live? _______________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
2. Where were the first schools? ____________
When were they created? _____________
3. Students (who were mostly boys) went to school
to learn how to __________ so that when they
graduated they could become __________ (professional writers)
The Geographic Setting
4. Where was Sumer located? __________________________ (find this location
on the map above and circle it!)
5. Why would farmers and city builders want to live in Mesopotamia? _______
_________________________________________________________
6. Due to its _______________ in the ancient world, Sumer became once of the
most wealthy areas in the ancient world. (find Sumer on the map on page 35 in
your textbook and add it to the map at the top of this page!)
7. Why is this area of the world called Mesopotamia? ___________________
_________________________________________________________
Which two rivers does the region fall between? __________ and ________
8. Mesopotamia is part of the larger area known as the _________________,
which was the site of the world’s first ___________________. (notice the
crescent shape of the region on the map)
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
9. Why were these two rivers important for the people of Mesopotamia? ________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
10. Although the floods were helpful to the people of Mesopotamia because they
helped to create the rich topsoil used for farming, they were also sometimes a
problem for the people of the area. Why did they bring trouble to the region as
well? _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
The First Cities
11. As farming succeeded in Mesopotamia, communities began to get a ___________
of food. This means that there is ___________ food, beyond that of which is
needed to support you and your family.
12. Mesopotamia was made up of several _____________ that were politically
independent from one another, each with his own ruler.
a. Each ______________ had its own religious beliefs, government system,
and eventually its own king.
13. Describe what a Sumerian city looked like. ____________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Sumerian Religion
14. What was at the center of each city? ________________ What was it used
for? _________________________________________________________
15. Describe a Sumerian temple (ziggurat). _______________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
16. Since the people of Sumer worshipped many gods/goddesses they were
_______________________. People that worship only a single god or goddess
are ___________________ (hint: you have to change the prefix of the word).
17. Sumerians had stories about their gods that explained people’s beliefs. These
stories are called __________.
18. Sumerian gods were honored in ____________________, and statues of the
gods were washed before and after each __________ was offered.
The fall of Sumer
19. What caused the breakdown of Sumer? ______________________
20. City-states ________ each other over Sumer’s _______ and use of the
____________.
a. After changing hands several times, Sumer was conquered by
_____________________ in 2300 B.C.
i. Once conquered, the city-states were _________ and the
government and military in the area improved.
ii. The _____________ lasted about _____ years until it dissolved
once more into independent city-states.
iii. Sumer fell to its northern rival, __________, in the 1700s B.C. and
was no longer a major power from that point on.
Lesson 2.2
Babylonia and Assyria
p. 42-46
The Two Empires of Mesopotamia
1. Why was Mesopotamia a target for
conquests? ___________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
2. The two most important empires of
Mesopotamia were ______________
and ______________.
a. In order to be considered an empire the area must have ____________
______________________________________________________
3. What traits did Babylonians and Assyrians have in common? ______________
___________________________________________________________
The Babylonian Empire
4. The Babylonian Empire was created by King ________________ when he
united the cities of Sumer and conquered lands all the way to Asia Minor. (find
Asia Minor on the map on page 43 and add it to the map on the top of this page!)
5. During Hammurabi’s rule the creation of a system of roads helped to improve
___________, ________________, and _____________ in the empire.
a. Babylon was a crossroads for trade because of its _______________. (find
Babylon on the map above and circle it!)
6. What factors led to Babylonia’s early growth? _________________________
___________________________________________________________
a. Despite its wealth, Babylon could not withstand conquests and after numerous
attacks it would continue to shrink until it was finally destroyed.
The Empire of the Assyrians
7. Assyria was located to the ____________ of Babylon.
8. Assyrians were skilled ______________ because of the need to constantly defend
their land.
a. Using their skill, they decided to attack surrounding lands as their method of
defense and were eventually able to extend their empire from the
___________ River to the ___________________. (using the map above:
About how many miles did the empire span? _______ miles.)
9. Assyrians were well equipped for war with many different types of weaponry and
protection, but are often known for their
creation of the _____________, a powerful
wooden beam mounded on wheels.
10. As Assyrians continued to conquer lands they
didn’t gain very many friends, rather the
conquered people tried to ____________
against them.
a. The __________ and ___________
were successful in the attacks and were able to ___________ the empire.
Babylonia Rises Again
11. Although the Assyrians destroyed the city of Babylon when they invaded, the city
was rebuilt with the efforts of King _____________________.
12. How did the Chaldeans show their interest in science and learning? _________
___________________________________________________________
Lesson 2.3
The Legacy of Mesopotamia
p. 47-51
1. Think about it: How would you feel if you lived in a
civilization where laws like those in Hammurabi’s code were
the rules you followed? Do you think they are
fair?________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Hammurabi’s Code
2. The purpose of a written code, or organized list of
________ is so that people know __________________
___________________________________________.
3. Hammurabi’s code was a very detailed set of laws. It
contained __________ laws that were organized into different _______________.
4. What did Hammurabi’s Code tell us about the social class system in Babylonia?
a. The classes were ______________.
b. The __________ classes were more valued than the ___________ classes
since punishments for crimes against the higher classes were more
_____________.
5. Hammurabi’s code was not the first attempt to set up a code of laws in early
civilizations but it is the first organized, __________ laws that we have found.
6. Examine the sample set of laws from Hammurabi’s code on pg. 49, this is just a small
sample of the nearly 300 laws from Hammurabi’s code. Which law deals with the
crime of kidnapping? (write out the law) _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
The Art of Writing
7. Writing was important to the Sumerians because they used it to keep __________.
8. What kinds of things did Sumerian Scribes record? ________________________
_______________________________________________________________
9. The records of Mesopotamia were written on _____________________________.
What do you think are the advantages of writing on clay tablets? ______________
____________________________________________ The Disadvantages?
_______________________________________________________________
10. The clay that was used to write on came from the _____________ and _________
rivers.
11. Written words started off as ____________ that represented objects. The
symbols eventually evolved into groups of ___________________ known as
cuneiform.
12. How does the way that the Sumerians organize their writing and read their text
compare to the way that we organize ours? _______________________________
13. Looking at the Development of Writing chart on page 51, how did the symbols for
each word change over time? _________________________________________
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Civilizations
A Civilization is ________________________________
It comes from __________________________________
Characteristics of civilization
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Lesson 2.4
Mediterranean Civilization
p. 52-57
Phoenician Sea Power
1. Using the map on pg. 53 in your
text, locate Phoenicia and its
colonies. Circle or highlight
those regions on the map to the
right on this page.
2. The two most plentiful resources
that the Phoenicians had were ___________________ and _____________.
3. Which two main bodies of water did the Phoenicians use to trade their goods?
________________________________________ (circle these bodies of water
on the map above).
4. How did the Phoenicians discourage others from trading in the Atlantic Ocean?
________________________________________________ Why did they do
that? ___________________________________________
The Phoenician Alphabet
5. The Phoenician alphabet had only _______ symbols and is the basis for many modern
_______________ used today (including _____________!)
6. How did the Phoenician alphabet spread throughout the ancient world? ______
________________.
7. The Phoenician alphabet is different from cuneiform because it is __________
________________.
The Rise of the Israelites
8. Although the _________________, originally known as Hebrews were a small group
of people, they had great influence on our civilization.
a. Much of what we know about them comes from the stories in the _______,
including that of the story of Abraham.
9. According to the Torah, Abraham taught his followers to practice _________, a
belief in one god.
a. He also led his people from Mesopotamia to __________, however due to a
__________ they then fled south to ___________.
10. After more than a __________ years in Egypt, Moses eventually led his people out
of Egypt because _______________________________. The exit from Egypt is
known as an _______________.
a. From Egypt the Israelites wondered through the desert for ____ years, at
which time they were given the _____________________ from God.
i. Eventually the Israelites returned to ______________ and began to
build cities. The capital eventually became _______________
11. After several changes in leaders, the instability led the people to be divided and
many were ___________ to distant parts of the Assyrian Empire.
Lesson 2.5
Judaism
p. 60-64
1. The most sacred text of Judaism in the
___________, which records events and _______
important to the Israelites.
a. The text is made up of ______ books
that the Christians later adopted as the first five books of the _______
____________.
The Beliefs in Judaism
2. The beliefs of the Israelites developed into the religion of _______________
which is different than the beliefs of other nearby people because _________
___________________________________________________________
3. According to the Torah, God promised _________________ that his people would
be leaders of nations, and, therefore the _________________ considered
themselves “God’s chosen people.”
a. By following ____________, an Israelite leader, to the promised land and
obeying God, his covenant (promise) was renewed.
4. The Israelites believed that God delivered the _____ Commandments to them
through _____________. They outline religious duties and correct ________.
5. In addition to the Ten Commandments the Torah outlined many other laws, including
how food should be prepared.
a. Many times today you will hear about food being Kosher. What does the word
Kosher mean? ____________________
6. ________ were considered head of the family and were considered owners of his
___________ and ______________.
7. Prophets, or religious _____________ speaking for God, told the Israelites how to
live including a code of ethics, or moral behavior.
a. Describe the code of ethics preached to the Israelites by prophets.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
The Effects of Judaism
8. The followers of Judaism, known as the _______, are scattered throughout the
world but remain united because they work to preserve their __________ and
traditions.
9. Judaism influenced the religions of _____________ and ____________. All three
religions are similar because they all believe in _______ God, are originate from
same ________________, all honor ____________________, and all share the
same __________ point of view.
Study Topics
1. When and where were the first schools created?
2. What was a scribe and why were they important?
3. Why did settlements develop around the Fertile Crescent? How did they benefit
from the physical geography of the area?
4. Mesopotamia was located between what two important rivers?
5. Cities in Sumer remained politically independent and developed into ____________.
6. Describe the difference between monotheism and polytheism.
7. Name the two important empires of Mesopotamia.
8. Who was King Hammurabi and why was he important?
9. Why was Babylon important as a center of trade?
10. What was the significance of Hammurabi’s code?
11. What did Sumerian scribes write on?
12. How has writing developed/changed over time?
13. What is civilization? What are the 6 characteristics of civilization?
14. How did civilization spread throughout the Mediterranean?
15. What is the Torah?
16. Judaism influenced what other religions? How are they similar?