region of the Middle East in which civilizations first arose

region within the Fertile Crescent that lies between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Greek word meaning land between the rivers

A group of ancient city-states in southern Mesopotamia; the earliest civilization in Mesopotamia.

An epic poem from Mesopotamia, is among the earliest surviving works of literature

A group organized by rank

in ancient Mesopotamia, a large, stepped platform thought to have been topped by a temple dedicated to a city's chief god or goddess

in the ancient Middle East, a system of writing that used wedge-shaped marks

established first known empire by conquering his neighboring city-states of Sumer

ruler of the First Babylonian Empire; first to publish the law; not knowing the law was no longer an excuse for breaking the law

to arrange or set down in writing

branch of law that deals with private rights and matters

branch of law that deals with offenses against others

ruler of Second Babylonian Empire; rebuilt Babylon as his capital; given credit for building the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

economic system in which one set of goods or services is exchanged for another

economic system in which goods or services are paid for through the exchange of a token of an agreed value

Persian philosopher who taught of Ahura Mazda as a monotheistic god who fought evil; help to unite the large Persian Empire

territory settled and ruled by people from another land

writing system in which each symbol represents a single basic sound

triangular area of marshland formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of some rivers

ruling family

system of government that includes different job functions and levels of authority

chief minister who supervised the business of government in ancient Egypt

performed the job of pharaoh although a woman; established trade routes; Egypt prospered under her leadership

stepson of Hatshepsut; known as the "Napoleon of Egypt" to historians; stretched Egyptian borders to their greatest extent

last of the great pharaohs; ruled 66 years; died at age 90; extended Egypt to Syria again

Egyptian lord of the gods; pharaoh received authority to rule from him

Egyptian god of the dead

Egyptian god of women, Egyptian goddess of fertility

attempted to shift Egypt from polytheistic to a monotheistic religion; attempt failed

the preservation of dead bodies by embalming and wrapping them in cloth

system of writing in which pictures called hieroglyphs represent objects, concepts, or sounds

plant used in ancient Egypt for paper, clothing, furniture, etc.

Stone monument that includes the same passage carved in hieroglyphics, demotic script, and Greek and that was used to decipher the meanings of many hieroglyphs

led the slaves out of Egypt, and restored the covenant with God, and created the Ten Commandments.

(Son of David) Undertook the task of turning the city of Jerusalem into an impressive capital; built the great temple in Jerusalem

Men held the great legal and moral authority

Holy day for rest/worship

A person who the ancient Israelites thought was instructed by God

Moral standards of behaviour

Communities of Jews scattered all over the world

Father of Israelite people

Israelites' most sacred book

A binding agreement

To figure out the meaning of written passages

A large waterfall

Egyptian kings; organized a strong centralized state

The 2nd king of the Israelites; united tribes into single nation