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Chapter Two – Summary

The most notable figure in the Babylonian empire was the man who established it, Hammurabi. His reign was long and successful. Perhaps his greatest achievement, at least in terms of historical significance, was a code of laws which has come to be known as Hammurabi’s code. This code was thorough and far-reaching in scope. Though Hammurabi’s kingdom fell soon after his death, his influence is evident in every society since that has sought to establish a stable set of secular legal standards for living. About the same time that Hammurabi’s kingdom was thriving, Egypt’s Middle Kingdom enjoyed its peak. During a time of relative stability, the Middle Kingdom is remarkable for its literary productivity. In addition, we have been able to learn much about this time period in Egyptian history by studying the private tombs built for those wealthy enough to afford them. The Middle Kingdom fell as the Hyksos invaded and ruled Egypt or a little over one hundred years. Egypt regained its glory, and reached its peak under the rule of Amenhotep III, during the period knows as the New Kingdom. Amenhotep IV established the cult of Aten, a significant and influential circle of religious individuals. After a period of moderate instability, during which the new capital of Amarna was dismantled, Ramses restored Egypt to its previous glory. Much of what we know about Ancient Egyptian civilization is a result of the prolific accomplishments of the pharaohs of this era. However, soon after Ramses’ rise, the end of the Middle Kingdom was already in sight. After sacking Babylon, the Hittites battled Egypt to a draw, though the Hittites had established themselves as a self-sufficient community of people. The Hittite empire folded, along with the Egyptian empire, when the Sea Peoples attacked from the north. The Assyrian empire was built upon and maintained through warfare. Their innovations in military science changed the way armies were formed and battles were fought. Thought the Assyrian empire was strong while it thrived, it ultimately fell as the Chaldeans and Medes joined to sack Nineveh. No ancient empire has had greater influence than the Hebrews, or Israelites. Their worship of a Creator God sets them apart from many of the polytheistic societies, and their belief in their status as god’s chosen people shaped their lives.

Review Questions

1. The Babylonian Empire was mostly established by:

a. Ur-Nammu

b. Sargon

c. Hammurabi

d. Abram

2. Hammurabi’s code is significant because:

a. It established a set of statues for lawyers to use when arguing cases

b. It provided judges with examples of the kinds of decisions the king wished them to make

c. It established the death penalty for a variety of crimes

d. It replaced a longstanding set of universally applied laws that has slowly grown irrelevant

3. Which of the following issues does not seem to have been covered by Hammurabi’s code?

a. Dietary code

b. Property and family laws

c. Marriage

d. Slavery

4. Which city did the pharaohs of the middle and New Kingdoms prefer as their capital?

a. Cairo

b. Memphis

c. Ur

d. Thebes

5. We have learned the most about Egypt during the Middle Kingdom by studying:

a. Records of business transactions

b. Tombs

c. Monuments

d. Temples

6. The Middle Kingdom came to an end as a result of an invasion by the:

a. Amorites

b. Kassites

c. Hyksos

d. Amalekites

7. One of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs, who built an impressive temple named Deir el-Bahri, was a woman named:

a. Thutmose

b. Senenmut

c. Hatshepsut

d. Cleopatra

8. The New Kingdom reached its pinnacle during the reign of:

a. Thutmoses III

b. Amenhotep III

c. Hatshepsut

d. Cleopatra

9. In order to safeguard the absolute authority of Egypt’s king, Amenhotep IV:

a. Abolished the worship of gods other than the pharaoh

b. Demanded an oath of loyalty from all citizens

c. Punished disloyalty harshly, sometimes with death

d. Announced that Egyptians would only worship Aten

10. Akhenaten, Amenhotep IV’s new name, meant:

a. Worthy of worship

b. Beloved of the Sun

c. Aten’s Chosen One

d. Horizon

11. Ramses:

a. Restored the glory of the New Kingdom

b. Undermined much of what the pharaoh’s before him had accomplished

c. Left Egypt open and vulnerable to invasion

d. Died without an heir

12. About half of Egypt’s extant monuments were constructed during the reign of:

a. Tutankhamun

b. Ramses

c. Seti

d. Ramses II

13. Which statement best describes the status of women in Egypt during the Middle Kingdom?

a. Women had only a few legal rights

b. Men and women of similar social class had identical rights

c. Women could purchase and sell property only with a man’s permission

d. Men governed every aspect of the lives of women

14. Though the Indo-European mother tongue no longer exists, its origin was most likely located:

a. North of the Black Sea

b. In lower Egypt

c. South of the Mesopotamian Valley

d. In upper Egypt

15. In 1595 B.C.E. Babylon was sacked by:

a. Egyptians

b. The Midianites

c. The Hittites

d. The Persians

16. The contest between the Hittites and the Egyptians culminated in a battle that Ramses II fought as a place called”

a. Hattusas

b. Qadesh

c. Nimrud

d. Nineveh

17. All of the following statements accurately characterize the Hittites EXCEPT:

a. They adapted cuneiform to write their language

b. They were a peaceful people

c. They lived in isolated, self-sufficient villages and established few cities

d. Their government was plagued by coups, assassinations, and disputed successions

18. The Hittite empire fell:

a. As a result of the clash with Egypt

b. When plague swept the Mediterranean region

c. With the arrival of the Greeks

d. When the Sea Peoples invaded

19. Sargon II founded:

a. The last and greatest of the Assyrian dynasties

b. The last dynasty of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom

c. The New Kingdom of Egypt

d. The greatest dynasty of the Mitannian empire

20. During the first century B.C.E., the Nubians:

a. Formed a lasting treaty with the Egyptians

b. Were driven away by the Egyptians

c. Invaded and formed a reunited Egypt

d. Attacked and were routed by the Egyptians

21. The most significant contributions of the Assyrian empire were:

a. In art and literature

b. Monuments and architecture

c. Developments in agriculture

d. In the field of military science

22. In battle, the Assyrians were known for their:

a. Ethical and humane treatment of prisoners and hostages

b. A cruelty and mercilessness

c. Tentative and conservative tactics

d. Bravery and devotion to loyalty

23. Which of the following BEST describes the system status of women in Assyrian society:

a. Women were cruelly subjugated

b. Women were equal to men under the law

c. Though some restrictions were placed upon women, for the most part they were treated equitable

d. Women were revered and even sometimes worshiped

24. The Hebrew deity is best described as:

a. One of multiple deities governing every aspect of life

b. A creative spirit living in all things

c. A self-existent creator

d. A human elevated to the status of a god

25. The Israelites considered themselves to be:

a. The Children of the Sun

b. The Protectors of the Universe

c. The Chosen People

d. The Children of Goshen

26. Abraham is considered by the Israelites to be:

a. The Son of God

b. The Chosen One

c. The Father of Israel

d. God in human form

27. The West’s first notable seafarers were:

a. The Phoenicians

b. The Israelites

c. The Assyrians

d. Canaanites

28. Israel’s first king was:

a. Abraham

b. David

c. Solomon

d. Saul

29. Because of its crucial position as a turning point for civilization, the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. E. have been called:

a. The Pivotal epoch

b. The Axis Age

c. The Fulcrum Point

d. The Primary Period

30. Which of the following is NOT a major religious leader who appeared during the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E.?

a. Buddha

b. Confucius

c. Mohammed

d. Zoroaster