World History Unit 1 Key

NotesEarly Civilizations

Civilizations Mesopotamia Egypt Hebrews Phoenicians

Mesopotamia Farming in the area allowed for the emergence

of civilization. Fertile cresent Agriculture allowed people to settle down,

social and cultural prosperity Code of Hammurabi

First written law code “Eye for an eye” Social inequality

Cuneiform = wedge-shaped form of writing

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamian Religion Ziggurat = political and religious

center Polytheistic = belief in multiple gods Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Unpredictable flooding led to the development of religion People believed the gods were angry when

the rivers flooded

Mesopotamian Government City-state: political unit that included a

city and its surrounding lands and villages

Instable because of constant warfare with each other

Egypt Pharaoh = religious and political leader

(theocracy) Pyramids are a symbol of the Pharaohs’

divine power Hieroglyphics = Egyptian form of writing

with symbols and pictographs

Judaism a.k.a. Hebrews Monotheistic = belief in one god

Different from polytheistic Mesopotamian and Egyptian religions

Torah = holy book, first five books of the Old Testament

Zoroastrianism Monotheistic Created by Zoroaster Believed in one universal god Struggle of good vs. evil

Phoenicians Traded throughout the Mediterranean,

spreading language and culture Created the Phoenician alphabet

Most similar to present-day English alphabet

Phoenician Trade

Key terms Monotheism Polytheism Hieroglyphics Cuneiform Pyramid Ziggurat Hammurabi’s Law Code Hebrews (Judaism) Zoroastrianism Pharaoh City-state Theocracy Phoenician alphabet