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Rebus – A riddle composed of symbols
suggesting the sounds they represent
Basilica – A roman law court; converted to an
early form of Christian church buildings
Hymn – A song of praise to God
Melismatic Style – Multiple notes given to
individual syllables
Canon – Authoritative list of written works
Diatribe – literary form in which the speaker
raises a series of questions and answers them
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Judaism originates in Mesopotamia
A religious and national entity
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Descended from Abraham
 The word Hebrew is a reference to Abraham
 His descendants would eventually be known as
Israelites after Abraham’s grandson Israel
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The Jewish faith wouldn’t be called Judaism
until well after the Hebrew nation was split
into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms
Consists of a belief in one almighty God who
has chosen the Hebrews as His people
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Initially, the Hebrews were a seminomadic
people
During the 14th century BCE the Hebrews were
enslaved in Ancient Egypt
During this time they were liberated by Moses
who led them out of Egypt
Moses became the greatest of Hebrew prophets
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He used the power of God to free his people from
Egypt, received the Ten Commandments, and led
them to the promised land
Fifteen Commandments
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After wandering through the desert for forty
years, the Hebrews conquered the land of
Canaan
Under the leadership of Joshua, the nation of
Israel became a stable political and religious
entity
The nation flourished under King David and
conquered the city of Jerusalem which became
its capitol
King Solomon built a great Temple in
Jerusalem which became the religious center of
Israel
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After the death of
Solomon, a power
struggle ensued and
divided Israel into two
kingdoms
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The Northern Kingdom
- Samaria
The Southern Kingdom
– Judah
 Judaism refers to the
Southern Kingdom of
Judah
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Both kingdoms would eventually fall leaving
Israel in ruins
The destruction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem
left the Israelites without a central place of worship
 It was rebuilt in 515 BCE but was destroyed again
after Roman conquest in 70 CE
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Monotheistic
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Based on a series of covenants (agreements)
between God and mankind
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Believed in one god
God will bless the people if they worship Him and
observe His laws
Centered on the Hebrew Bible (The Old
Testament/the Torah)
Not only consisted of a set of religious beliefs,
but a common genealogy as well
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All Hebrews are descendants of Abraham
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Originates in the 1st century
CE
Based on the teachings of Jesus
Christ
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What is known of Jesus’
teachings comes from the
Gospels of the New Testament
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Believed that Christ was the
fulfillment of the Jewish prophecy
of a Messiah (anointed one)
These were written several
decades after the death of Christ
Jesus preached about a God
who especially loved the
downtrodden and outcast
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Christ’s teachings were
revolutionary in the Roman
Empire
He was executed by Pontious
Pilate through crucifixion
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Crucifixion was a common manner
of Roman execution
The Gospels say that on the third
day he arose from the dead
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This constitutes the miracle on
which Christianity is based – God’s
redeeming act of salvation
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The spread of Christianity comes from the
Apostolic Mission
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Christ told his disciples to make disciples of all the
nations
Belief in Christianity spread quickly due to its
accessibility and message of redemption
Christianity spread throughout the Roman
Empire with some resistance
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Christians were persecuted for not worshiping the
emperor as a divine entity
Christians would continue to be persecuted
and seen as outsiders until the time of
Emperor Constantine
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Constantine had a dream in which he won a
military battle by placing Christian symbols on his
army’s uniforms
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He won the battle and
converted to
Christianity
Constantine’s
conversion made
Christianity the
official religion of the
newly named Holy
Roman Empire
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Monotheistic
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Centers on the teachings of
Jesus Christ, belief in his
resurrection
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Belief in the same God of the
Hebrews
Jesus was God’s way of saving
all of mankind
Focuses on the New
Testament
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Collection of the four Gospels,
other writings on church history,
epistles (letters), and the
apocalypse
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Jewish
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Little Jewish painting exists due to the 2nd of the Ten
Commandments
What does exist is in the form of decoration
 These decorations record the history of the Hebrews in
pictures
The images show a real concern with plasticity
(three-dimensional space)
 Humans and animals appear shaded and detailed in
such a way that gives form to the images
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Christian
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Early Christian painting appears in the catacombs of
Rome
Roman influence is seen in the separation of images
into compartments
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Christian
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Initially Christians used
secretive symbols that
only they could
understand
One of the earliest
Christian symbols is the
Chi-Rho
This symbol combines
two Greek letters (XP)
 These letters are the first
two letters that appear in
the word Christos (Christ)
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Other Christian symbols included the ichthus
(fish) and the lamb
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The lamb was meant to represent Christ
The spread of Christianity in Rome also led to
the decoration of Roman sarcophagi with
Christian imagery
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The sarcophagus of Junius Bassus is an early
example of a Christian sarcophagus
It depicts multiple stories from the Old and New
Testaments
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Jewish
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The Temple in Jerusalem was the center of the
Jewish faith
The structure housed the Ark of the Covenant
 The Ark of the Covenant held the shattered pieces of
the Ten Commandments
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Christian
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Early Christian architecture adapted the existing
Roman style
The first churches were converted from the Roman
basilicas
Christians removed the many entrances of the
Roman basilica and designed the building to focus
attention on the altar
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Jewish
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References to music are made constantly throughout
the Hebrew Bible
 Even King David was known for his ability to play the
lyre
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Christian
Early Christian music combined elements of Jewish
worship songs and Greek/Roman Classical forms
 Most instrumental music was frowned upon in
services
 Vocal music was the preferred style
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Christian cont.
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In the 4th century hymns emerged
 Early hymns consisted of poetic texts with multiple
verses that used the same melody
 These were intended to be sung by the congregation
rather than a formal choir
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The alleluia also developed during the 4th century
 The alleluia is known for its use of melismatic style
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Jewish
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The Hebrew Bible contains three sections that have
been accepted as canon
 The Law (Torah) – Contains the Ten Commandments
and the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy
 The Prophets – Tells the history of Israel and Judah
 The Writings – Contains a variety of literary forms such
as poetry and apocalyptic visions
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Christian
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The Christian Bible became the most significant
literature of its time
The primary canon for the Christian Bible lies in the
New Testament which contains four literary forms
 The Gospels (Good news) – Tell the life and teachings of
Jesus Christ
 History – Contained in Acts, tells about the spread of
Christianity
 Epistles (letters) – Letters written to various churches and
individuals
 Utilized diatribes
 Apocalypse – The Book of Revelation (God’s plans for the
end of days)
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Mosaic – A decorative work for walls, vaults,
floors, or ceilings, composed of pieces of
colored material set in plaster or cement
Hajj – A Muslim’s sacred pilgrimage to Mecca
Mosque – Muslim place of worship
Framing Tale – Overall unifying story within
which one or more tales are related
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Islam emerged out of the Arabian peninsula
Islam is centered on the teachings of Muhammad
Many people were suffering in Mecca when Muhammad
began preaching
 Muhammad taught that all must make Islam (to submit)
to the one God
 His teachings are contained in the Qur’an (Islamic holy
book)
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After Muhammad’s death, Islamic leaders
encouraged jihad (holy struggle) to expand the
influence of the faith
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The appeal of Islam rested in its openness to
everyone
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Islam stressed the brotherhood of the faithful rather
than race or culture
During the Middle Ages the Muslims became
known for excelling in math and science
Also produced proficient artists, writers, and
architects
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Islam believes in the one God,
Allah
Muslims believe that God wants
people to repent and purify
themselves to attain Paradise
after death
 God communicates through the
prophets which include
Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and
Muhammad
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 Muhammad is respected, but not
worshipped
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Islam teaches faith in God,
kindness, honesty, industry,
courage, and generosity
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Islam requires all believers to perform five
religious duties known as the Five Pillars of
Islam
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Pillar 1: Believers must recite the shaddah (There is no
god but God and Muhammad is his prophet)
Pillar 2: Ritual prayers facing Mecca must be
performed five times a day
Pillar 3: Fast during the holy month of Ramadan
Pillar 4: Pay zalaat (a set percentage of each adult’s
wealth to help the poor)
Pillar 5: If possible, at least once perform hajj
(pilgrimage to Mecca)
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Islam
Typically images of living things are prohibited by
Muslims
 However, existing images were considered harmless
if they did not cast a shadow, were small, or were on
everyday objects
 Early Islamic illustrations accompanied the
translation of Greek scientific manuscripts
 Arab traders brought a Chinese influence into
Middle Eastern art
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In the 14th century paintings
about the life of
Muhammad were common
The Ascension of Muhammad
tells a story from the Qur’an
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The angels and centaur
Muhammad rides have
oriental faces
Scripture in Arabic also
accompanies the art
Vivid colors and elaborate
figures create a framework
around the Prophet
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The first major example of Islamic architecture
appeared in 691
The Dome of the Rock was built near the site of
the Temple of Solomon
Was designed to be a special holy place, not
just a mosque
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The site is said to be the tomb of Adam, where
Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac, and where
Muhammad ascended into heaven
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Decorated with
glazed blue
tiles on the
exterior
Inside, mosaics
made out of
gold, glass, and
mother-of-pearl
decorate the
walls and
floors
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Mosaics are made up of
multi-colored tiles that
form an image
Most early Islamic
architecture features
decorative mosaics that
depict everyday objects
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Later Islamic architecture
would feature minarets
(towers)
From the minarets
Muslims would be called
to prayer by the
muezzins (prayer
leaders)
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Music has fallen in and out of favor with
Muslims over the span of many generations
Islamic music primarily functioned as part of
religious rituals
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Sometimes verses of the Qur’an would be chanted as
hymns
Music also accompanies the chanting of the name of
God in worship services
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One of the most well known pieces of Islamic
literature is The Thousand and One Nights or The
Arabian Nights
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A collection of stories accumulated during the
Middle Ages
Utilizes a framing tale to unify the mass of smaller
stories
Includes such stories as “Ali Baba and the Forty
Thieves” and “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp”
The stories are supernatural, romantic, and satiric at
times
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The Qur’an is the sacred
scripture of Islam
For Muslims, the Qur’an
forms the ultimate source of
knowledge and inspiration for
life
 Consists of 114 surahs
(chapters) arranged in length
from longest to shortest
 The entire Qur’an is shorter
than the New Testament
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The Qur’an is written in
Kufic script
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A style of calligraphy
developed to give the Qur’an
the proper honor