7th Grade World History
Final Exam Study Guide Answers: Semester 1
2014
1. Why do scholars study the people, events
and ideas of long ago?
In order to learn about the past and how and
why the world and its people came to be as
they are today. It helps us understand how to
better make decisions and learn from people’s
mistakes and successes. Also God told us (the
Israelites to remember the things of the past
and celebrate His faithfulness.
2. All hominids are early __man_______ and all
__man________ is created by God.
3. List the 7 elements that make a civilization.
(1 pt each)
a) Stable Food Supply
b) Social Structure
c) Government
d) Religion
e) the Arts
7. Name the 4 types of government in Ancient
Greece. (1 pt each)
Monarchy
Oligarchy
Tyranny
Democracy
8. Pick 1 event in Jewish history and explain
why they are important (2 pts):
a. Passover/The Exodus: The Passover is
when God saved the Israelites who put blood
on their doorpost when the Angel of Death
was passing over killing the firstborn sons of
Egypt. It is a reflection of what Jesus did for
us; the blood of the lamb over the doorposts
of our heart.
The Exodus is when God miraculously
delivered the Israelites from Egypt using a
f) Technology
g) Writing
4. According to Mr. Almack’s talk (Ptolemies
and Seleucids and Daniel 9 prophecy), what is
the connection between your World History
Textbook and the Bible?
The World History textbook looks back on
history (big picture), where the Bible looks
forward to history, with predicting very
specific historic events that are in the future.
For example, Daniel 11 predicted important
events that would happen 300 years in the
future!
5. Why was it important that the Dead Sea
Scrolls were found?
The Dead Sea Scrolls are the earliest surviving
manuscripts of the Bible ever found! They
prove the reliability of the Bible as we know it
today and are a testament that God wants to
preserve His Word throughout the centuries.
6. What is a myth?
Myths are stories with meaning that tell about
a culture.
series of 10 plagues on the Egyptians in order
to convince the Pharaoh Ramses II to let the
Hebrews go. It is important, because it shows
God’s power, presence and faithfulness to His
people.
b. Masada:
Maccabee Jews were living in a fortress called
Masada, and the Romans wanted to attack
them. But the Romans had to build a ramp to
get up there, that took 2 years to build. But
when the Romans got to the top of the fort, all
they found were dead bodies. The Jews had
decided it was better to commit suicide,
rather than let the Romans kill them and have
the victory. Masada is important, because it
serves as a reminder of the Jew’s commitment
to never let their country fall again to
someone else’s rule.
7th Grade World History
Final Exam Study Guide Answers: Semester 1
2014
c. Hannukah:
Hannukah remembers a time when God
provided 8 days worth of oil for the
purification of the Jerusalem temple after the
Romans had destroyed it. It remembers God’s
faithfulness and miraculous provision.
d. Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement is the day
every year where Jews pray and think back
over the whole year. It is important, because
they believe that this is the day when God
decides whether they have done enough good
works to go to Heaven or not. They ask God
for forgiveness and recite the Shema
(declaration of faith: “Hear, Israel, the Lord is
our God, the Lord is One.” Sh’ma Yis’ra’eil
Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.).
9. Why did Rome fall? (4 pts)
a) Political
b) Economic
c) Social
d) Frontier
10. Name the 5 pillars of Islam and describe
each one. (2 pts each)
a) Shahada: declaration of faith (“There is no
god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.)
b) Salat: prayer 5x a day facing Mecca
c) Zakat: almsgiving to the poor
d) Sawm: fasting of Ramadan
e) Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
11. Which of these rulers was the
“Greatest” in your opinion? Circle which
one and justify your reasoning in 1
sentence. (3 pts)
Qin Shi Huangdi (the great): Legalist ruler of
Qin Dynasty in China, unified China and built
the Great Wall of China
Cyrus the Great: Founder of Persian Empire;
conquered many lands and allowed people to
keep their customs and traditions
Alexander the Great: Expanded the Greek
Empire; conquered the Persian empire, great
military leader
Julius Caesar: Roman Emperor, built a bridge
to Britannia in just 10 days then took it down
just to show his power
Vespasian: destroyed Nero’s pleasure palace
and built the Flavian amphitheater aka Roman
Coliseum ; emperor of the people
Constantine: moved capital of Roman Empire
to Constantinople; built great churches and
conquered in God’s name; allowed religious
freedom for Christians
Pick one of the following Short Answer
questions and answer it in detail on a
separate sheet of paper. (10 pts possible)
12. Circle one of the following historical
accounts and compare/contrast it with the
Biblical Account:
a. Epic of Gilgamesh vs. Noah and the Ark
(Genesis 6)
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the record of Noah
and the Ark in Genesis 6 are both stories of a
righteous man and a flood. In the Epic of
Gilgamesh, the gods were angry and decided
to send a flood, but in the Genesis account,
God looked lovingly at His Creation and was
disappointed, saying he would start over with
Noah and his family. Some differences
between the accounts were the shapes of the
boat (square in Gilgamesh story), the kinds of
birds sent out and what happened in the end.
Gilgamesh was seeking eternal life, where
Noah received God’s true promise and
covenant.
b. Hammurabi’s Code vs. the Ten
Commandments
Hammurabi of Babylon came up with a code
to rule his empire; it was one of the first
written set of laws, but was unfair when it
came to the rich and poor. One example of
Hammurabi’s Code is “an eye for an eye, and a
tooth for a tooth.” On the other hand, the Ten
Commandments were God-given directly to
Moses and do not show partiality. The law is
the law for everyone. Some examples of the
Ten Commandments are “Do not steal. Do not
lie. Honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy.”
Following the Ten Commandments is God’s
will for us to live and the best way.
c. The Roman Twelve Tables vs. The Ten
Commandments
7th Grade World History
Final Exam Study Guide Answers: Semester 1
2014
The Roman Twelve Tables were another set of
written laws that helped govern the Roman
Republic. The laws tried to be fair, but the
consequences for breaking the law were
pretty harsh. For example, “A person who had
been found guilty of giving false witness
(lying) shall be hurled down from the
Tarpeian Rock.” If you break the Ten
Commandments, you are eternally separated
from God. Everyone has sinned and needs
redemption and forgiveness through Jesus
Christ.
d. The Buddhist 8-fold path and the Christian
view of salvation
The Buddhist 8-fold Path is their prescribed
method of getting rid of desire and therefore
suffering. It includes steps like:
-Right View
-Right Intentions
-Right Speech
-Right Action
-Right Livelihood
-Right Effort
-Right Concentration
-Right Mindfulness
They think this will help them achieve
Nirvana, or perfect peace.
However, in the Bible it says: 1) Desires are
given by God and ultimately we should desire
a relationship with Him, 2) There is NO way
we can earn salvation through doing the right
thing; it is only through believing in Jesus as
our Savior and Lord and asking Him for
forgiveness that we can have a relationship
with God and go to Heaven when we die. 3)
Perfect peace is only found in knowing Jesus.
Philippians 4:7-8
e. Greek mythology’s view of Olympus and the
Underworld vs. what the Bible says about
Heaven and Hell
The Greeks created multiple gods in man’s
image, where in reality there is a God who
made the Greeks in His image. The Greeks
were so concerned about perfection, that they
missed the fact that Jesus is the only way to
become righteous and live a holy life.
The Greeks believed their gods, the
Olympians, lived on Mt. Olympus, high above
the city. The Bible says that God lives in
Heaven, yet is omnipresent, can be present
everywhere at the same time, since he is all
powerful. Also, the Greeks believed their gods
had weaknesses and could be tricked and
trick others. The Bible says that God is holy,
perfect, and it is impossible for him to lie
because that would contradict His very
nature. Numbers 23:19
The Greeks also believed it was necessary to
make sacrifices to these idol statues in order
to worship their gods. But the true God only
requires: Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O
mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD
require of you? To act justly and to love
mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
f. Islamic 5 pillars vs. Christian view of
salvation
Islam is a religion based on merit (good
works) and following the 5 pillars of their
belief: Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and the
Hajj. Shahada is a declaration of faith about
there being no god but Allah and Muhammad
being his prophet. So the most major
difference is that Christianity is a religion
based on grace, that it is nothing that we have
done to earn salvation, but rather our good
works are “fruits” of knowing Jesus and
becoming more like Him.
Shahada: According to the Bible, you are not
saved by the words you say, but rather by the
condition of your heart. Romans 10:9 “That if
you shall confess with your mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God
has raised him from the dead, you shall be
saved.”
Salat: Praying 5x a day facing Mecca
Many times in the Bible, it says that we should
be in constant prayer to the Lord, giving
thanks, adoration, and presenting before Him
all of our requests. We are in a relationship
with Him as our Heavenly Father, and He
loves to talk with us. It doesn’t matter so
much as where or how we worship Him as to
the state of our hearts (John 4:23).
Psalm 119:64 says “Seven times a day I praise
you for your righteous laws.” But when the
Bible uses the number seven, that is God’s
7th Grade World History
Final Exam Study Guide Answers: Semester 1
2014
perfect number that means that we should
praise him all the time.
Zakat: Almsgiving to the poor
The Bible also says that we should give to the
poor and take care of the widows and
orphans. In fact, most of Jesus’ time was spent
with the impoverished and sick in Israel. He
says that the poor and last are the richest and
first in the kingdom of Christ. The Biblically
recommended tithe is 10% of what you earn.
Sawm: Fasting of Ramadan
Historically, there are many examples of
fasting in the Bible. They are all associated
with prayer, repentance, or a time of deep
intercession to the Lord. Matthew 6:16-18
gives us a picture of what fasting should look
like, that we shouldn’t flaunt the fact that we
are fasting in front of others to seem more
spiritual. Fasting allows us to become more
dependent upon God.
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca
Although visiting Jerusalem allows the Christfollower more insight into the Bible and
Christ’s life, it is not a required part of the
Christian’s salvation walk. Again, we are saved
only through the work of Christ on the cross,
NOT through good works, which is very
different than Islam.
13. How did geography play a role in the
formation of early civilizations (like Sumer or
Greece)? (Name 1 civilization and describe the
geography, the problems they faced and the
solutions they found).
Geography played a large role in where
civilizations decided to settle. Originally, most
people were nomads, moving from place to
place in search of reliable water sources and
food for their animals. Then, the Sumerians
found a way to control the rivers (stop them
from flooding) by building irrigation systems
and digging ditches. This led to people being
able to have a stable food supply and building
houses there. They discovered farming and
then cities grew around it. With more people
living in Sumer and the rivers under control,
Sumerians were able to focus on other jobs,
which led to a division of labor and a more
productive society.
14. Trace the start and spread of one of the
following religions. (Where did it start? What
is the religion based on? How did it spread?
To where did it spread? What were the
reactions of leaders who were opposed to this
religion?) :
-Judaism
Judaism traces its roots back to Abraham and
God’s call on his life to leave and go to the land
He would show him. Many patriarchs
including Moses, David, Isaiah, etc. serve as
examples to Jews of how to live a holy life and
treasure God’s word above all else. Judaism is
also a works-based religion, where Jews
evaluate their life once a year (Yom Kippur)
and if their good deeds outweigh the bad, they
believe they are granted access into Heaven.
Judaism spread from Israel to the foreign
nations that conquered it, because they saw
God’s blessing on His people. Israel was
punished by enemy nations when they chose
repeatedly to disobey God.
Judaism is very strong in maintaining
traditions, keeping the law (Torah), and the
respecting the holiness of God. In fact, they
don’t even write the name of G-d, or YHWH
(Yahweh) out of reverence.
-Buddhism
Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha
Gautama, a prince in India that questioned the
meaning of life. One day, he was meditating
under a Buddhi tree, when he came to a
revelation, which he later called the Three
Noble Truths: 1) All suffering is caused by
desire. 2) To get rid of suffering, you have to
get rid of desire. 3) The only way to get rid of
desire was to follow the Eightfold Path (Right
Intention, Right Mindfulness, etc). Then, you
can achieve Nirvana, or this state of perfect
peace. Buddhism spread through trade routes
from India to China to Japan and other parts
of Asia. It has been popularized today by the
Western World and Hollywood through
movies like “Star Wars.”
-Hinduism
Hinduism started in India and was largely
based on the teachings of the Vedas, or holy
ancient writings, that were found. Hindus are
polytheist which means they worship many
gods. There are three main ones though:
7th Grade World History
Final Exam Study Guide Answers: Semester 1
2014
Vishnu (preserver), Shiva (destroyer), and
Brahma (creator). Hinduism is based around a
society that is organized in a caste system
(social hierarchy that you are born into), from
Brahmin (priests) at the top to Dalit
(untouchables) at the bottom.
Hindus believe in a reincarnation process
called Samsara. They believe that if you do
your duty (dharma) in whatever caste you are
born into and rack up enough karma (good
works) points, then when you die, you will be
reincarnated into a higher caste level. You
work your way up the caste system through
the process of Samsara until you achieve
Moksha (or freedom from the reincarnation
cycle) and become one with the Hindu gods (3
million of them). It is a works-based religion,
but they often fight with other Hindus as well
as Muslims over lifestyle, culture, and core
beliefs.
-Islam
The religion of Islam started in Saudi Arabia
during the 500s AD with the birth of
Muhammad, yet Muslims trace their roots all
the way back to Abraham and his first son,
Ishmael. Muhammad was a wealthy trader
who one day, went away to a cave to meditate.
He reported that he received a vision where
an angel appeared to him and commanded
him to recite and that he was a prophet of
Allah. Islam is monotheistic, proclaiming one
god, and so many of the people in Mecca
opposed this new religion.
Muhammad converted more people and they
all went away to Medina and spread Islam
through trading with people from all over
Saudi Arabia. They came back to Mecca and
used their army to conquer it for Islam. Islam
spread through a series of conquests, and,
even after Muhammad died, his followers took
his words and wrote them all down and
memorized them. They called the revelation
that Muhammad received from the angel, “The
Quran,” and this became their holy book.
Then, they compiled everything Muhammad
ever did and called it “The Sunnah,” which
gave Muslims an idea of how to live a “good
life.” The Muslim Turks has a huge influence
on Eastern Europe and Turkey, converting
many of the Christian churches to mosques
and implementing shariah law. Since then,
Islam has spread all over the world, because it
has five basic beliefs and can be adapted to
any culture. The country today with the
highest population of Muslims is in Indonesia.
-Christianity (in Rome)
The followers of Jesus were first called
“Christians” or “little Christs” in (Acts 11:1926) in Antioch, Syria, and it was meant as an
insult. After Jesus rose from the dead, He left
his Holy Spirit for the disciples to go on
preaching and healing in His name. Many
Christians were persecuted by the Jewish
leaders, because they were proclaiming Jesus’
resurrection from the dead and freedom from
the law. People thought they were crazy!
The Romans especially didn’t like the
Christians, because they didn’t worship the
pagan gods, including the emperor. And when
people became Christ-followers, they decided
they didn’t want to worship the false idols
anymore and that hurt business in the empire.
Christians advocated a radically different
lifestyle, transformed into the image of Christ
and forgiven. Paul (formerly Saul) went on
three different missionary journeys to share
the Good News with the Roman World. His
credentials of being a Roman citizen got him
out of quite a few messes and allowed him the
special privilege of appealing before Caesar
and speak before him in Rome.
1. The civilization of Sumer was known for:
-cuneiform, the wheel, and the plow
2. The Epic of Gilgamesh comes from
Sumerian history. What is the story mainly
about?
a local flood
3. The civilization of Assyria is mainly known
for:
-Military might and cruelty
4. The civilization of Babylon is mainly known
for:
-Hammurabi’s Code
5. The Old Kingdom of Egypt is most
associated with:
-Age of the Pyramids
7th Grade World History
Final Exam Study Guide Answers: Semester 1
2014
6. The Middle Kingdom of Egypt is most
associated with:
-Period of Reunification
17. Which of the following did Egyptian use as
a form of writing?:
-Hieroglyphics
7. The New Kingdom of Egypt is most
associated with:
-A Golden Age
18. Which of the following did Egyptians use
as a monument and Romans stole as a war
trophy?:
-Obelisks
8. Kush is a civilization primarily known for:
-Trading gold, ivory, iron
-Copying Egypt
19. Why was the Rosetta Stone important?
-It acted like a translation code to understand
Egyptian hieroglyphics
9. India most leaves a legacy on our world
today because:
-Their concept of zero
India
10. Greeks are credited for many
achievements. Name three:
-democracy
-theater
-mythology
11. Romans were great engineers but mostly
stole and copied ideas from which
civilization?:
-Greek
12. The Arabic world is known for many
achievements one of which includes:
-Hindu Arabic numerals and algebra
20. Followers of Hinduism believe strongly in
a caste system, which is:
-A social order people are born into
21. The highest of all the Hindu castes is:
-Brahmin
22. Hinduism has many “gods,” but the three
main ones are:
-Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
China
23. Confucianism is the belief that:
-People are naturally good and should respect
and follow the example of leaders in how to
behave
Mesopotamia
13. Development of agriculture helped change
society because now people could:
-Create a fairly stable food supply
-Establish more permanent homes and
cultivate the land
14. The world’s first civilization developed
around which two rivers:
-Tigris and Euphrates
24. Legalism is the belief that:
-People are naturally evil and they need to be
controlled through a strict set of punishments
and rewards
25. Daoism is the belief that:
-Nature is only good in the world and it is
most important to live in harmony with it
15. One similarity between the Epic of
Gilgamesh and the story of Noah and the ark
in Genesis 6 is that:
-Both men were considered “righteous”
26. The mandate of Heaven is:
-The belief that a divine power has given a
ruler the authority to rule and that authority
should not be questioned
16. The word Mesopotamia literally means:
-land between the rivers
Hebrews/Judaism
Egypt
27. Monotheism is the…
-The worship of only one God
7th Grade World History
Final Exam Study Guide Answers: Semester 1
2014
28. What are three important beliefs in
Judaism?
-God is so holy you shouldn’t write or say His
name
-Traditions help people remember God’s
faithfulness throughout history
-Jews are a people chosen by God, through
their patriarch Abraham
Rome
29. Three important patriarchs of Judaism
are:
-Abraham, Moses, and David
41. How did Rome’s location help Romans in
their quest to conquer the entire
Mediterranean region?
-it was at the center of three continents
-it was close by trading networks and seas
-it allowed them to build an extensive set of
roads across the empire
30. Zealots and Sicarii both opposed Roman
rule because the Romans:
-Taxed them heavily
-Abused them physically
-Forced them to worship pagan gods
31. The Diaspora was when:
-The Jews were spread out because of
persecution
32. The Dead Sea Scrolls are important
because:
-They are the earliest manuscripts of the Bible
we have found
39. There were two main social classes in
Ancient Rome, they were the:
-the Patricians and the Plebeians
40. Rome had a republic. A Republic is:
-A government in which people elect leaders
42. Why were Christians persecuted in Rome?
-Rome worshipped pagan gods including the
emperor
Islamic and African Civilizations
43. What does jihad mean?
-struggle
Greece
44. The holy book of the Islamic religion
which can never be translated out of Arabic is
the:
-Quran
33. What major geographic feature divided
the Greek city-states?
-mountains
45. An African griot’s job is to:
-Tell stories, sing legends, and pass on oral
history
34. In which areas, could Athens and Sparta
agree:
-How they should fight the Persian Empire
46. Why was silent bartering helpful?
-People from different tribes could trade
-It diminished the chance that the traders
would become violent
35. What is an Acropolis?
-the high part of a city state
36. Direct democracy is when
-Each person in the community votes
37. What myth do Greeks use to explain the
seasons?
-Demeter and Persephone
38. The Greek myth of Echo and Narcissus
teaches two lessons:
-You should be careful of how much you
speak.
-You shouldn’t love yourself too much.
7th Grade World History
Final Exam Study Guide Answers: Semester 1
2014
47. Sundiata was a powerful King of Mali,
what was his nickname?:
-Lion King
48. Some of the valuable items traded in W.
Africa were:
-salt, gold, and slaves
49. Which of the following religions spread
mostly because of trade routes through Saudi
Arabia and North Africa?
- Islam
50. Different from other world religions, the
Bible says that the only way to know God and
have eternal life is:
-by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and
Savior