Unit 2 FIRST STEP Group Vocab

The Sumerians took actual steps into Mesopotamia.  Why would they choose to settle there?

The Sumerians settled in Mesopotamia (the land between the Tigris and Euphrates) because the rivers made the soil _______________ (able to grow plants).

The Sumerians created the world’s oldest written language. Describe the Sumerian language.

The Sumerians created _______________ (wedge-shaped writing) and wrote their language on clay tablets. Only upper class boys were allowed to become scribes (professional writers).

The Sumerians built large structures at the heart of each city-state.  What did they build and why?

The Sumerians built __________, pyramid-like temples with high stairs, to worship their gods and celebrate religious festivals.

The Sumerians were not all viewed as equals.  How were Sumerians divided in each city-state?

The Sumerians were divided into different ____ ____ (groups of people with similar backgrounds). The king was the most powerful, followed by the priests, and also artisans and scribes, but farmers and slaves had very little power.

The Sumerians developed the first organized religion.  What did the Sumerians believe in?

The Sumerians were __________, meaning they believed in many gods. They believed their gods came from the sky and taught them about civilization.

What did the Sumerians create to explain their beliefs? Example: The Epic of Gilgamesh 

The Sumerians created traditional ______ stories to explain what they believed about life, death, and nature. For example, they wrote the Epic of Gilgamesh about a god-like king trying to be a hero!

Hammurabi was the harsh king of the Babylonian Empire.  HOW do we KNOW his laws were cruel?

Hammurabi’s _____, like “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” was written down all over the Babylonian Empire. A _____ is an organized list of rules and laws. 

“Every empire that rises must fall.”  Explain what an empire is and what happens to all empires using examples from the unit.

An empire is when many territories are controlled by one government. The ______ Empire rose in Mesopotamia but fell when the Assyrian Empire rose up and took over. This is because every empire that rises MUST fall.

The ancient Hebrews were very unique.  How were their beliefs different from other civilizations?

Most civilizations believed in many gods, but the ancient Hebrews only believed in one God, which made them ________ and very unique!

The seafaring Phoenicians were also unique.  How did the Phoenicians change the world?

The Phoenicians invented the world’s first ______ (a system of letters and sounds used to make words) which made it easier to create written records.