| A | B |
| cataract | waterfall |
| delta | marshland at the mouth of a river |
| vizier | pharaoh's chief minister |
| dynasty | ruling family |
| hieroglyphics | Egyptian writing system |
| mummification | preservation of the dead |
| demotic | simpler writing system of Egypt |
| papyrus | plant used as writing material |
| ziggurat | pyramid-temples of Sumer |
| hierarchy | social class system |
| cuneiform | wedged shaped writing of Sumer |
| civil law | rules of private business |
| satrap | Persian governor |
| satrapy | Persian province |
| barter | trade goods for goods |
| colony | area ruled by a distant government |
| monotheistic | belief in one God |
| covenant | pact between two parties |
| prophet | spiritual leader |
| ethics | moral standards for behavior |
| diaspora | Jews are sent out of Israel |