| A | B |
|---|
| Oasis | fertile area of of desert that has enough water to support plant and animal life |
| Maghereb | Region name for northern Africa |
| Messiah | a savior chosen by God, Jews believe he has not yet come, Christians believe he is Jesus |
| Parable | short story with a meaning behind it |
| Martyr | people who are willing to die or suffer for their faith |
| Hajj | Pilgrimage to Mecca |
| 5 Pillars of Islam | Most important beliefs of Islam |
| Koran | Holy book of Islam |
| Torah | Holy book of Judaism |
| Rabbi | Leader of Jewish faith |
| Anti-semitism | Hatred toward Jews |
| Desalination | Turning salt water into fresh water |
| Intifada | Massive uprising by Palestinians against the Israelis |
| Sunday | Holy day for Christians |
| Saturday | Holy day for Jews |
| Friday | Holy day for Muslims |
| Mosque | Holy place for Muslims |
| Synagouge | Holy place for Jews |
| Church | Holy place for Christians |
| Northern Tier | Stretches from Turkey to Iran |
| Arabian Peninsula | Contains lots of oil and the country of Saudi Arabia |
| Fertile Crescent | Arc-shaped region along the Tigris and Euphrates |
| Nile Valley | Fertile along the Nile River, but desert outside of it |
| Refugee | Someone displaced from their home, living temporarly somewhere else |
| Diaspora | Spreading out of people, where they settle away from their homelands |
| Sunni and Shi'ite | Sects of Islam |
| PLO | Palestinian Liberation Organizaiton |
| Palestine | Muslims claim as their land (modern day Israel) |
| Israel | Country in the Middle East with a majority Jewish population |
| OPEC | A group of oil companies that control a lot of the world's oil supply |
