Fertile Crescent Unit Test Study Guide How did

Fertile Crescent Unit Test Study Guide

How did the geographical features of the Fertile Crescent impact the civilizations? Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Provided Fertile Soil for Farming Provided Fish for Food Provided Water to Drink Used for Travel Used for Trading

How did the geographical features of the Fertile Crescent impact the civilizations? Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Civilizations grew due to a surplus of crops and specialization of jobs.

How did the geographical features of the Fertile Crescent impact the civilizations? Plains provided large areas of flat land with rich soil that was good for farming.

How did the geographical features of the Fertile Crescent impact the civilizations? Mountains • Provided the water source for the two rivers • Provided protection from northern invaders

Religion of the Early People Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamians) Where did it Begin? Religion of Judaism Fertile Crescent God went to Abraham and told him to believe in only 1 god Abraham is considered the “founder” of Judaism • • What were their religious Books? What were their religious Buildings? • • ziggurats • What were their religious Beliefs? • • none polytheistic (belief in many gods) Divine Kingship – believed that gods chose the kings and that the right to rule was God-given • Torah temple or synagogue • • monotheistic (belief in one god) Ten Commandments – God gave Moses this set of rules to follow

How did religion impact the daily life of people in the Fertile Crescent? Religion of the Early People (polytheistic) They tried to keep the gods happy by: • worshipping many gods • providing offerings • making sacrifices

How did religion impact the daily life of people in the Fertile Crescent? Judaism (monotheistic) They tried to live as a good person by following the Ten Commandments which: • provided guidance for the worship of God • provided rules for moral behavior (living as a good person)

Achievements • irrigation • cuneiform • Hammurabi’s Code • wheel • plow

How did people of the Fertile Crescent meet their basic needs? Adaptations Food: • used the rivers as a source of fresh water and food • used irrigation systems to bring water from the rivers to the fields • used fertile soil to grow abundant crops for food • domesticated goats, cattle, and sheep Clothing: • once people began to specialize (not everyone needed to farm) some became weavers Shelter: • used reeds from the marshy areas near rivers to build huts • made bricks by mixing mud with straw • through trade, they were able to obtain copper, stone, and wood

Invention of Writing: cuneiform (Sumerian system of picture writing) Why was the invention of writing such an important achievement? 1. left a written record for historians 2. a new way of communication in the Fertile Crescent 3. taxes, arguments, literature, business transactions, etc. were now written down

King Hammurabi • His government was a monarchy (ruled by one person). • He wanted his laws to be fair so that the strong could not harm the weak. • His laws were clearly written down so everyone knew them and were expected to obey them. • King Hammurabi’s Philosophy: • “An Eye for an Eye” – which means the punishment fits the crime.

King Hammurabi What impacts did Hammurabi’s Code have on the people? • strict laws to keep order • laws were clearly written down so everyone knew them and were expected to obey them • an “eye for an eye” meant the punishment fit the crime

Economics: Why was the growth of trade important? • both goods and ideas were exchanged • trade led to a rich life because of the sharing of ideas between cultures • they had more resources available to them

Can you complete the social pyramid? King Government Officials And Priests Scribes, Merchants, and Artisans Farmers and Slaves