| A | B |
|---|
| messiah | The annointed one or the Christ. Messenger of God believed to free the Jews from the Romans. |
| Jesus of Nazareth | Poor carpenter preached about God's love and forgiveness. |
| Gospels | "Good news." Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Biographies of Jesus. |
| Twelve disciples | Jesus' chosen followers who assist him to spread his message. |
| Last Supper | Where Jesus said,"One of you shall betray me." |
| Holy Communion | Bread and wine are transformed into the "blood" and "body" of Jesus. |
| gentiles | Non-Jews |
| epistles | Letters Paul wrote to guide early Christian communities. |
| Old Testament | Followed by Christians and Jews. |
| clergy | Word means churchmen. |
| New Testament | Accepted only by Christians. Not by Jews and Muslims. |
| Bible | Old and New Testament |
| Holy Grail | Caught the blood of Jesus. |
| Roman Catholic Church | "Universal" Church. The one Church of Rome and the Middle Ages. |
| crucifixion | Execution by being tied or nailed to a cross. |
| Holy Lance | Spear that pierced Jesus' side while on the cross. |
| priests | Most common churchmen. Answers to the bishop. |
| Pontius Pilate | Roman governor crucifies Jesus. |
| Paul | Co-founder of Christianity. Spreads the faith to the gentiles (non-Jews). |
| Constantine the Great | Legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. |
| Great Fire in Rome | Probably started by Emperor Nero who wanted to remodel the city. |
| Barabbas | Revolutionary freed by Pilate at the urging of the crowd? |
| martyrs | Heroically die for the faith. Die for God. |
| B.C. | Before Christ |
| A.D. | Anno Domini or "In the year of our Lord." |
| Pope | "Father" Patriarch at Rome claims to be supreme and takes this title. |
| resurrection | Jesus rises from the dead. |
| Good Friday | Day remembering Jesus' death. |
| Easter Sunday | Day remembering Jesus' resurrection. |
| Honor | Your character, respect, dignity, glory and reputation |
| Valhalla | Feast and fight forever. |
| Oaths | Your sacred word by witness of the gods. |
| Eastern Empire | Byzantine Empire |
| The Dark Ages | Time of barbarism – lack of learning and knowledge in Europe. |
| Pope | claimed successor of Peter and successor of Christ. Leader of western Christians in sea of German barbarians. |
| Missionaries | Carry the faith to pagans – nonbelievers. |
| Monasteries | Religious communities of men who devote their lives to Christ and helping people-monks. |
| Convents | Religious communities of women-nuns. |
| Franks | Germanic group establishes a kingdom in Gaul (France) |
| Charlemagne | Opened schools, converted the Saxons, invaded Spain, and "Holy Roman Emperor:" |
| fiefs | Land for military service. |
| sword | God's word |
| Hinduism | Faith that is both monotheistic and polytheistic. |
| Brahman | The World Soul. It is everything and is everywhere. |
| Brahma | One of the main forms of Brahman - The Creator |
| Vishnu | One of the main forms of Brahman - The Preserver |
| Shiva | One of the main forms of Brahman – the Destroyer |
| Kali | Hindu goddess of death. |
| Ganesh | Elephant headed, god of good fortune |
| atman | Your undying, immortal soul. You are a little piece of Brahman! |
| Reincarnation | Your body dies and your soul gets a new one |
| Law of Karma | Your actions during your previous lifetimes determine your next |
| Nirvana | Means snuffed out. Your atman with Brahman. You know everything and you are everywhere |
| Avatar | Means “descent” Brahman in the form of Vishnu takes on human form to guide and aid humankind. |
| Kalki | Hindus await the 10th avatar who will ride a white horse and carry a flaming sword killing the wicked |
| Ganges | River in northern India. Washes sins away. |
| Cows | Sacred beasts who were involved with the universe's creation |
| Caste system | A rigid social division of people in society based on birth and occupation |
| Untouchables | A caste outside of the system. Treated with contempt. |
| AUM | According to Hinduism this is the sound of creation |
| Hebrews | small group of people who settled in southern Canaan. |
| Philistines | This is what the Hebrews called the Phoenicians in the Bible. |
| Judaism | One of the world's great religions and the mother to Christianity and Judaism. |
| monotheism | Belief in one god. |
| Yahweh | Hebrew word for God, written as YHWH. |
| Abraham | Led the Hebrews out of the city-state of Ur to Canaan. |
| "Promised Land" | As long as the Hebrews worship YHWH and only YHWH, then they may live in Canaan forever. |
| Moses | Hebrew raised as an Egyptian prince. Leads the Hebrews out of Egypt. |
| Passover | The night the angel of death passed over the Hebrews and killed the fist born of Egypt. |
| Red Sea | Reed Sea? |
| Covenant | Sacred agreements. YHWH will assure the Hebrews get back to Canaan as long as they follow the Ten Commandments. |
| Ten Commandments | Laws of YHWH given to Moses on Mount Sinai. |
| Ark of the Covenant | Built to hold the Ten Commandments and the books of Moses. |
| Exodus | "Exit." Second book of the Bible that tells of the Hebrews being led by Moses out of Egypt. |
| Joshua | Leads the Hebrews into Canaan after Moses. Brings down the walls of Jericho. |
| Samson | Incredibly strong Hebrew superman. |
| Donkey's jawbone | Samson used this to kill 1000 Philistines. |
| Delilah | Bribed by the Philistines to uncover the secret of Samson's strength. |
| David | Hebrew warrior-king. As a boy slayed Goliath. |
| Solomon | King known for his wisdom and justice. 700 wives and 300 other girlfriends. |
| Torah | Holy book of the Jews - Old Testament |
| synagogue | Jewish house of worship. |
| rabbi | Jewish leader and teacher. |
| Sabbath | Saturday, day of rest for Judaism. "Remember the sabbath!" |
| Hanukkah | "Festival of Lights." Eight day celebration giving thanks to YHWH. |
| menorah | symbol of Judaism and a nine sticked candle holder. One candle is lit for each day of Hannukah. |
| Jesus of Nazareth | A famous Jewish leader and teacher. Teachings lead to Christianity. |
| Rosh Hashannah | Jewish ten day New Year celebration. |
| Yom Kippor | The tenth day of Rosh Hashannah. Many fast this day. |
| Israel | The Jewish nation-state. |
| Islam | “Submitting to the will of God.” Great faith born in the 600’s A.D. in the Arabian peninsula. |
| Bedouins | Nomadic herders in Arabia. Move cattle and sheep from oasis to oasis. |
| Mecca | Growing town in Arabia. Important for trade and also held greatest Bedouin religious object |
| Kaaba | A stone believed to have fallen from Heaven. Gift of polytheistic gods – (meteorite?) |
| Pilgrims | Travelers to a religious shrine. |
| Mohammad | Preaches a new religion in Mecca – founder of Islam. |
| fasting | Going without food and water. (purifying the body) |
| Allah | “God” Arabic word for the God of Christians, Jews and Moslems. |
| Hegira | “Flight” Mohammed and his followers flee from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D. Mohammed becomes ruler of the city. This is the first year in the Islamic calendar – this year is 1380 in the Islamic world. |
| Jihad | To struggle or to exhaust one’s effort to please God. |
| Muslims | “One who surrenders to God”- followers of Islam |
| Koran | Islamic scripture. Word of Allah as revealed to Mohammad. |
| People of the Book | Christians and Jews are to be respected because they also worship Allah. |
| Pillars of Faith | Five duties every Muslim must fulfill. |
| mosque | Muslim house of worship |
| alms | Charity |
| Ramadan | Month of the first revelation. Cannot eat or drink during daylight hours. |
| Hijaab | Head scarf or veil for women. For most it’s a choice. Modesty before Allah. |
| Sultans | Title for Arab kings. |
| Infidels | Nonbelievers in Islam |
| Alchemy | Arabs work to turn lead into gold. Founders of chemistry. |
| Arabian nights | Collection of Arab tales– Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves |
| Dome of the Rock | 687 A.D. Temple to house the sacred rock from whence Mohammad spoke to Allah about the hegira. Also the same site as the Temple of Soloman where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. |
| Wailing Wall | Last remaining wall of the temple Solomon where Jews insert prayers into the wall for God. |
| Fiefs | Land given as payment for loyalty and military service. |
| Lords | They were also called Counts, Nobles, or Barons |
| Manor | Name for the lord’s house and lands (fief). |
| Nobility | People that are lords, ladies, princes, princesses, relatives of the lord and minor lords. |
| Clergy | People who are churchmen. |
| Peasants | People in society who made up most of the medieval population. |
| Freemen | Peasants who pay the lord for the right to work the land. May leave if they wish but the lord can throw them out too. |
| Serfs | Peasants who are part of the land – property. Can’t move, own land, or marry without lord’s permission. |
| vassals | They swear faith to a lord. All are this except God.nge for a fief. |
| Knights | Armored warriors on horseback. Tanks. |
| Dubbing ceremony | Ceremony of knighthood – Become a sir. |
| Tournaments | These were practice for knights. Included jousts.. |
| Heraldry | Colors and designs to identify knights. Designs on the shield, armor, and even the horse. |
| Code of Chivalry | Code of honor that all knights should follow. |
| Charlemagne | Dark Age king who began feudalism. |
| Renaissance | French word means "rebirth." |
| Humanism | Belief in the importance and power of the human mind. |
| Italian city-states | Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Genoa. Families competed for power and for impressive art and achievements. |
| Leonardo da Vinci | Renaissance inventor, painter and sculptor. One of the greatest minds in human history. |
| The Last Supper | 15’ by 30’ on the wall of an Italian church. Moment after Jesus tells his disciples “One of you will betray me.” |
| Mona Lisa | Most valuable painting the world by da Vinci. |
| Michelangelo | Painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and sculpted David. |
| Copernicus | Author of the heliocentric theory. The Earth rotates and is moving! Published as a theory so as to not offend the Church! |
| Galileo | Wrote vigorously in support of Copernicus’ theory! Said it was a FACT. The Earth moved around the sun! Imprisoned by the Church. |
| Pope Julius II | "Papa Terrible" The warrior Pope of the Renaissance. |
| Martin Luther | Troubled monk extremely concerned about going to Hell. How do you know for sure? Studied the Bible thoroughly for himself to find the answers. Started to have different ideas from the Church. |
| “Justification by faith and faith alone” | Luther's idea. Only faith in God and Jesus can get you to Heaven. Nothing else – not by good works. |
| “Individual priesthood” | Luther's idea. Don’t need a priest to tell you what the wisdom of the Bible. Anyone person could read it for themselves. |
| Indulgencies | Documents that freed their owners from the penalties of sin. |
| Purgatory | Wait here for a time to work off the penalty for sins then you go to heaven. Unless you have an indulgence |
| Limbo | Realm of unbaptized babies. |
| 95 Theses | 1517 A.D. Luther posts a statement of his beliefs on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Only God forgives sin, not the church, not anyone else. |
| Gutenberg Printing Press | 1440 A.D. movable carved letters that could now print off books, pamphlets, etc. Books faster, cheaper, easier. Ideas are everywhere quickly! |
| Protestants | Those who protest against the Catholic Church. |
| Lutheran Church | Luther’s Church. Christianity is divided. Much of Catholic Church ritual is discarded. |
| St. Peter’s Basilica | (1570) Renaissance Church in Vatican City, Rome. Commemorates the spot of St. Peter’s burial. Peter a.k.a. “The Rock” |
| Steel-tipped plow | Invention allowed for a greater amount of lands to be cultivated. Increased food production! |
| Venice | Italian merchant city. Silks and spices from Cathay. |
| Monopoly | One company has exclusive control over a product. No competition. |
| Fairs | Special gatherings for trade sponsored by the lords. Lord's can tax them. |
| Towns | Inhabitants engage in trade and manufacturing. Lords and Church hate them. |
| Craft guild | Eliminates competition to ensure equal treatment and profits for all. Bad for consumers. |
| Apprentice | Trainee. Live and work under a master for 10 years. |
| Journeyman | Paid under a master. Here until you produce a masterpiece. |
| Master | Make and sell your own goods in you own shop. |
| Interest | Charging a fee for borrowing money. Medieval Church considers this a sin. |
| Usuary | Sin of charging interest for which you shall burn. Doesn't apply to Jews. |
| King John | Loses all French lands. Raises taxes. Nobles force him to sign the Magna Carta. |
| Magna Carta | 1215 A.D. "Great Charter" - No taxation without representation. No one is above the law. |
| Hundred Years War | Wars fought between England and France for the French crown. (1337-1453 A.D.) |
| Battles of Crecy and Agincourt | Heavily outnumbered English archers destroy armies of French knights. |
| Welsh longbow | Six foot bow that made armor useless. End of the medieval knight. |
| Black Death | Bubonic plague hits in 1347 A.D. Kills 25 million in five years. |
| Rats | Fall from 50 feet unhurt. Live on manure and urine. |
| Fleas | Jump 150x their lengh. Live on blood. Throw up into you when they bite you. |
| Order of the Flagellates | People walk the countryside whipping each other to show God they're sorry. |
| Beak doctors | Doctors dress up like birds to protect themselves from plague. |
| Penicilan | Found on moldy bread and cheese. Kills black plague bacteria. |
| Joan of Arc | Little girl who saves France. |
| Byzantine Empire | Eastern Roman Empire |
| Byzantine advantages | Massive wealth, Constantinople was a might fortress and Greek fire. |
| Black Death | Weakened the Byzantine Empire allowing Muslims to conqure N. Africa and the Holy Land. |
| Pope Urban II | Pope who preached the First Crusade. |
| Church of the Holy Sepulchre | Church in Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified and resurrected. |
| Peasant's Crusade | Crusade of the poor, the week, lepers, cripples, etc. |
| Peter the Hermit | Donkey riding hermit preached the Peasant's Crusade. |
| Constantinople | Capital of the Byzantine Empire. |
| First Holocaust | Peasants slaughter Jews throughout Europe before leaving on crusade. |
| Holy Lance | Roman spear that pierced Jesus' side while on the cross. Makes an army invincible? |
| jihad | Infinite struggle |
| Crusade | Wars for God to retake Jerusalem from the Muslims. |
| Catholic Church | “Universal Church.” The only church in western |
| heresy | Dangerous beliefs that are not Church doctrine. |
| witches and warlocks | People in league with the devil who can destroy. |
| Dominican and Franciscan friars | Wandering preachers who followed monastic |
| doctrine | Official teachings of the Church. Correct belief. |
| Inquisition | Church courts rooted out heresy and witches |
| iron maiden | A spiked coffin |
| Mass | Service held on Sunday in which worshipper |
| Confession | Admit sin to a churchmen so you may be forgiven. |
| penance | Penalty for sin. |
| saints | Martyrs and those who have performed |
| relics | Holy objects |
| Virgin Mary | Mother of Jesus and thus the mother of God. |
| The rack | Device that stretches the body |
| rosary | A beaded prayer chain. |
| Lent | Mourning period 40 days before Easter. |
| tithes | All paid 1/10 of their income to the church. |
| simony | Sale of Church offices. |
| Excommunication | Thrown out of the Catholic Church. Your soul will burn. |
| Shroud of Turin | Rumored burial shroud of Jesus. Carbon dates to the 1300s A.D. |
| Temujin | Father was murdered. Adopted by a rival tribe. Unites the Mongols. Changes name to Genghis Khan. |
| Genghis Khan | "Universal ruler" |
| Great Hunt | Mongol method of practicing warfare. Warriors encircle hundreds of miles, bagging drums and scaring game before them. Once the circle closed they would use their bows to eliminate everything. |
| gunpowder | Chinese invention stolen by the Mongols. Bamboo-tubed rockets and for blowing holes in walls. |
| Urgench | All within are killed, zoo animals are killed, graves are unearthed and bodies mangled, and a river is diverted to flow through it. |
| Ogodei Khan | Drunken son of Genghis becomes ruler. Promises only to drink two cups of alcohol a day. Has bigger and bigger cups. Eventually drinks himself to death. |
| Batu Khan | Genghis’ grandson and general under Ogodei who invades Europe. |
| Battle of Leignitz | Polish army composed of 100,000 men including many thousands of church knights, Templars, Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights face 40,000 Mongol horsemen. One of the finest armies in western Europe! |
| Great Wall of China | Massive wall build by the Chinese to keep people like the Mongols out. Longest cemetary in the world. |
| merit | To merit something is to deserve it. |
| Vikings | Raiders from Scandinavia from 800-1000 A.D. terrorized Europe. |
| Scandinavia | Area in Europe that today is the countries of Norway, Swedena and Finland. |
| Big size, hit and run and dragonships | Three main reasons why the Vikings were successful. |
| Dragonships | Could be moved across land and even could sail in small rivers and streams. |
| Spring and summer | When the Vikings raided. |
| Fall and winter | When the Vikings were in Scandinavia. |
| fjords | Bays that riddle Scandinavia. |
| jarls | Name for Viking chieftains. |
| Althing or Thing | Meetings to decide local matters and raids. Anyone could speak but only men could vote - democracy? |
| Women | They could be purchased by men but they could also get a divorce. |
| Boys | Had to learn to be warriors and memorize sagas. |
| Sagas | Great stories of warriors and gods. |
| Runes | Viking writing system. |
| Chain mail | Interlocking metal ringed armor. Pulls on yer chest hair! |
| Beserkers | Crazed Viking warriors. |
| Eric the Red | Landed and settled Greenland. |
| Leif Ericson | Landed in North America. The settlements fail though. |
| Christianity | Religion that replaces the Viking belief in Valhalla. So sad! |
| Odin | One-eyed god of wisdom. Wednesday. |
| Frigga | Odin's wife. God of fertility. Friday. |
| Thor | God of thunder and Odin's son. Kills Frost giants with hammer. Chariot pulled by red-eyed goats. Thursday. |
| Mjollner | Thor's magic hammer. It hurts. |
| Frost Giants | Evemies of the gods who live at the edges of the world. |
| Loki | God of evil. Has three nasty children. |
| Hel | Daughter of Loki. Half woman, half rotting corpse. Ruler of the dead. |
| Fenris Wolf | Child Loki. One day will eat Odin. |
| World Serpent | Child Loki. Will one day kill Thor. |
| Ragnarok | The final battle when Loki will lead the forces of evil to fight the gods. All will end this day. |
| Motivations of early explorers | Gold, Glory and God |
| New technology of exploration | Caravels, compass, and astrolabe |
| Bartholomew Diaz | Portuguese who was the first to sail around the Cape of Good Hope - Africa. |
| Mutiny | Overthrow of ship's captain. |
| smallpox | Disease wipes out Native American populations. |
| America | "New World" |
| Ferdinand Magellan | Sails for Spain. First to sail around the world. |
| Columbus | Lost Italian who lands in the New World and thinks he's in China. |
| Land Bridge | This is how the first Americans got here. |
| Maya | Early Native American civilization on the Yucatan peninsula. Astonomers and timekeepers. |
| December 21, 2012 | Mayan day of doom! |
| Inca | Built a 2,500 mile long empire in the Andes mountains. |
| terrace farming | Cutting steps into mountains for farming. |
| llamas | Related to the camel and the work animal of the Andes. |
| Road system | Suspension bridges, roads and way stations through the Andes. |
| quipas | Ropes and knots for keeping record of goods for trade. |
| Machu Picchu | Incan religious center accidently discovered in 1911. |
| Aztecs | Warlike people who conquer an empire in Mexico. |
| Flowery Death | Honor of being sacrificed to the gods. |
| obsidian swords | Black, volcanic rock. Extremely sharp but brittle. |
| tribute | Forcing a nation to pay great sums to prevent invasion. |
| Tenochtitlan | Great capital city of the Aztecs 300,000 strong. |
| Hernando Cortez | Spanish conquistador who landed in Mexico in 1519 A.D. Has an army of 500 men, 16 horses and 14 cannon. |
| El Dorado | legendary 7 cities of gold in the Americas. |
| Conquistadors | conquerors. Given the right by Spain to hunt for and keep 1/5 of all treasure found. |
| Montezuma | Aztec emperor! |
| Quetzalcoatl | white skinned god who once ruled over the Aztecs. Sailed east and vowed to return someday. |
| Pizarro | Conquistador who conquers the Incas with 350 men. Tons of Gold. |
