Fertile Crescent Study guide
Name: _____________
Vocabulary
1. Caravan: a group of travelers journeying together.
2. City-State: a city that is a separate, independent state that
has its own ruler, army, and form of government.
3. Scribe: a professional writer.
4. Prophet: a religious teacher who is regarded as speaking
for God.
5. Polytheism: a belief in many gods or goddesses.
6. Myth: a traditional story; in some cultures, a legend that
explains people’s beliefs.
7. Monotheism: A belief in one god.
8. Moses: The Israelite leader who, accorsing to the Torah,
led the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan; said to have
received the 10 Commandments from God.
9. Diaspora: The scattering of people who have a common
background or belief.
10.
Code: An organized list of laws and rules.
11.
Covenant: A promise made by God; a binding
agreement.
12.
Cuneiform: groups of wedges and lines used to write
several languages of the fertile crescent. An ancient form
of writing.
13.
Empire: Many territories and people controlled by
one government.
14.
Exile: To force someone to live in another country.
15.
Famine: A time when there is so little food that many
people starve to death.
16.
Fertile Crescent: A region in Southwest Asia; site of
the first civilizations.
17.
Hammurabi: The king of Babylon from 1792 – 1750
BC; the creator of the Babylonian Empire and first written
set of laws.
18.
Alphabet: A set of symbols that represent sounds of a
language.
19.
Babylon: The capital of Babylonia; a city of great
wealth and luxury.
20.
Battering Ram: A weapon having a wooden beam
mounted on wheels used in battle by the Assyrians.
21.
Bazaar: A market selling different kinds of goods.
22.
Ten Commandments: A code of laws given to the
Israelites by God.
23.
Abraham: The first leader of the Israelites, who,
according to the Torah, led his family to Canaan, where he
became founder of a new nation.
24.
Exodus: The Israelites’ departure from Egypt.
Directions: Know the following questions and be able to
write a thorough response:
1. What are three important contributions made by ancient
peoples living in the Fertile Crescent and the Mediterranean?
*Babylonian King Hammurabi set down a code of laws that
clearly stated expectations of behavior and consequences in
writing
*Sumerians developed a system of writing; Cuneiform
*Phoenicians developed the alphabet
*Israelites contributed the 10 Commandments
2. How did the people of Mesopotamia benefit from the
physical geography of their region? Rich soil (silt)
Life-giving rivers
Excellent trade; central location which made Mesopotamia
prosperous (this was a natural crossroads for travelers)
Directions: Additional short answer questions you should
know:
1. What made Phoenicia a thriving and wealthy region?
*The selling of valuable wood and dyed cloth to neighboring
regions
2. What is a major event in the history of the Israelites?
* The settlement of Canaan
3. Why did the Meads and Chaldeons join forces in 612 BC?
* To destroy the Assyrian Empire
4. Why did the cities in Sumer separate into city-states?
* They were separated by long stretches of desert
5. Why did civilizations develop in the Fertile Crescent?
* The rivers helped to create rich farmland through their silt
deposits after floods