| A | B |
|---|
| fertile crescent | A region in western Asia, it is a crescent shape (looks like a quarter moon) |
| Mesopotamia | Region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, 'Land Between Two Rivers' |
| plateau | An area of elevated flat land |
| drought | Long periods of dry weather |
| cuneiform | The system of writing using wedge shaped symbols; invented in Sumer |
| city-state | A self governing city that also governs surrounding villages |
| ziggurat | A large building with a temple on its peak |
| polytheism | A belief in many gods and goddesses |
| Sargon | King of the city-state Kush |
| Hammurabi | King of Babylon; gained control over Sumer by damming the Euphrates |
| code of law | A written set of laws that apply to everyone under a government |
| wheel | Archeologists believe ancient Mesopotamians invented the first wheel |
| Judaism | Religion of the Jewish people |
| Abraham | Founder of Judaism; led his family from Ur to Canaan |
| Moses | He received the Ten Commandments from god on Mt. Sinai |
| Torah | The first five books of the Bible |
| monotheism | The belief in only one god |
| Ten Commandments | Laws or commands that are the core of the Jewish religion |
| sabbath | A weekly day of rest, prayer, and study |
| Jerusalem | Captial city of Israel |
| Diaspora | The scattering of Jews to many parts of the world |
