Deck 2: Iron Age Civilizations,1200-500 B.C.E.

Question 1

The general direction of the spread of civilization during the Iron Age was

A) west.
B) east.
C) north.
D) south.
E) in all directions.

Answer 1

west.

Question 2

The Phoenicians probably mastered their maritime skills by adopting them from whom?

A) the Assyrians
B) the Sea Peoples
C) the Egyptians
D) the Sumerians
E) the Hittites

Answer 2

the Sea Peoples

Question 3

Cities in the Iron Age were

A) located in river valleys.
B) formed in large groups for protection from invaders.
C) smaller and fortified.
D) politically autonomous.
E) struggling to deal with a massive increase in population caused by constant warfare.

Answer 3

smaller and fortified.

Question 4

One of the most significant developments of the Phoenicians was

A) lateen sails.
B) democracy.
C) the alphabet.
D) cast iron technology.
E) monotheism.

Question 5

The city in Phoenicia that exported papyrus was

A) Byblos.
B) Tyre.
C) Damascus.
D) Jaffa.
E) Carthage.

Question 6

Common artisanal goods produced in the Iron Age included

A) gold jewelry.
B) pottery and textiles.
C) weaponry from bronze.
D) chariots.
E) glass ingots.

Question 7

The earliest people to work with iron were probably the

A) Assyrians.
B) Hittites.
C) Hyksos.
D) Egyptians.
E) Nubians.

Question 8

One of the main reasons why the Hebrews' religion was so constant was because

A) they wrote it down in scripture.
B) they had a dedicated cult of oral recitation.
C) it became widespread and popular.
D) it fully integrated religion and government into a theocracy.
E) None of these.

Question 9

The Philistines were primarily

A) soldiers.
B) merchants.
C) artisans.
D) farmers.
E) fishermen.

Question 10

What made the Hebrew religion unique at the time was the emphasis on

A) polytheism.
B) monotheism.
C) henotheism.
D) atheism.
E) None of these.

Question 11

One of the unique products that the Phoenicians traded was

A) coffee from Africa.
B) lobsters from Crete.
C) hemp rope from Persia.
D) cotton from India.
E) purple dye from Tyre.

Question 12

The exception to objects made from cast iron instead of bronze in the Iron Age was usually

A) plows.
B) weapons.
C) jewelry.
D) household implements.
E) horse collars.

Question 13

The Hebrew entrance of Canaan

A) was led by Joshua.
B) is controversial with respect to the exact date.
C) resulted in Hebrews massacring Canaanite populations to protect their religious practices.
D) is an example of the movement of peoples at the end of the Bronze Age.
E) is all of these.

Question 14

The first five books of the Hebrew scripture are called

A) Torah.
B) Tanakh.
C) Avestas.
D) Upanashids.
E) Dead Sea Scrolls.

Question 15

The most common language spoken by people of the eastern Mediterranean after 1200 B.C.E.was

A) Semitic.
B) Aramaic.
C) Coptic.
D) Urdu.
E) Greek.

Question 16

The major emphasis of economies in the Iron Age was on

A) agriculture.
B) pastoralism.
C) self-sufficiency.
D) trade and manufacturing.
E) conquest and seizure.

Question 17

The first inventors of coins in the Near East were the

A) Phoenicians.
B) Akkadians.
C) Assyrians.
D) Lydians.
E) Greeks.

Question 18

Which of the following was NOT a characteristic of the Iron Age?

A) a shift of the centers of civilization out of River Valleys.
B) a focus on smaller, fortified cities.
C) artisanal concentration on luxury goods for the wealthy.
D) a transition of the economy onto manufacturing and trade.
E) culture represented by the Phoenicians.

Question 19

The symbolic demonstration of a covenant between God and his chosen people was

A) human sacrifice.
B) circumcision.
C) ritual celebration of fire.
D) keeping a holy day for fasting and prayer.
E) vegetarianism.

Question 20

All of the following Mesopotamian cultural elements were retained by the Hebrews except

A) an epic about a hero found cast adrift as an infant.
B) a legend about a flood.
C) laws including the concept of "an eye for an eye."
D) a base 60 mathematical system.
E) descriptions of ziggurats.

Question 21

The first Hebrew Temple,built under King Solomon,was located in which city?

A) Rome
B) Shiloh
C) Jerusalem
D) Tyre
E) Byblos

Question 22

The newly commercialized Egypt was characterized by which of the following developments in the Nile Delta?

A) trading wheat and papyrus in exchange for silver
B) exporting their extensive knowledge of human physiology to other successor states
C) enslaving the Hyksos invaders
D) making weapons from iron instead of bronze
E) embracing monotheism

Question 23

Cyrus the Great did much to advance the Persian Empire through

A) massive destruction of all opposition.
B) utilizing representative government under a strict authoritarian state.
C) liberating all people previously enslaved under the Chaldeans to destroy his enemies.
D) relatively peaceful assimilation.
E) establishing a uniform set of weights and measures to help the economy grow.

Question 24

Which area did Assyria not conquer in expanding its empire?

A) Israel
B) Babylonia
C) Egypt
D) Medes
E) Greece

Question 25

The destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem was accomplished by

A) Halofernes.
B) Cyrus the Great.
C) Nebuchadnezzar.
D) Ashurbanipal.
E) Hammurabi.

Question 26

The first Iron Age empire was built in which region?

A) Israel
B) Phoenicia
C) Assyria
D) Egypt
E) None of these

Question 27

The death of King Solomon led to

A) a split into two different Hebrew kingdoms, Judah and Israel.
B) a complete collapse of Hebrew society.
C) overthrow by the Egyptians.
D) a period known as the Dark Ages.
E) destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Question 28

The city of Nineveh,under the reign of Assurbanipal,was notable for

A) building extensive ziggurats to glorify the king.
B) being a central repository for the imperial cavalry.
C) housing extensive libraries of cuneiform tablets.
D) having 150 tons of iron bars on hand for weapons manufacture.
E) the most elaborate religious temples to their harvest god, Zardoz.

Question 29

One reason for Cyrus' success in conquering Mesopotamia was that he

A) restored Marduk as the Babylonian national god.
B) ended slavery
C) publicly executed Nebuchadnezzar
D) rebuilt Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem
E) ended the siege of Babylon

Question 30

What was one of the Nebuchadnezzar's accomplishments in fortifying Babylon?

A) He built the Ishtar gate.
B) He created a system of irrigation ensuring continuous fresh water to the city
C) He built ziggurats for central planning.
D) He established a quota of maximum numbers of people who could enter the city at any time.
E) He erected twelve walls around the city, each headed with a symbol of the zodiac.

Question 31

Which is the most likely reason for the collapse of the Assyrian Empire?

A) Resentment of conquered peoples who formed rebellions.
B) The high cost of maintaining a vast standing army.
C) Decreased agricultural production by drafting farmers into military service.
D) Difficulty in effectively managing a far-flung empire.
E) All of these.

Question 32

The strongest of the Assyrian successor states was the

A) New Babylonians/Chaldeans.
B) Medians.
C) Egyptians.
D) Armenians.
E) Lydians.

Question 33

Assyrians maintained control of their empire by

A) peaceful coexistence.
B) terror and brutality.
C) government representatives known as satraps.
D) ruthless assimilation.
E) None of these.

Question 34

The Assyrian King responsible for the conquest of Jerusalem and Judah was

A) Tilget-Pilesar.
B) Sennacherib.
C) Sargon II.
D) Nebuchadnezzar.
E) Ashurbanipal.

Question 35

Early Assyrians settled around which river?

A) Tigris
B) Euphrates
C) Nile
D) Jordan
E) Rubicon

Question 36

Perhaps one of the oldest compositions in Hebrew scripture is

A) Psalms.
B) the Trials of Job.
C) the Song of Deborah.
D) the Ten Commandments.
E) the chapter on the Exodus by Moses.

Question 37

While the original covenant of monotheism was made between God and Abraham,the renewed,finalized covenant was symbolized by

A) Moses leading the Hebrews out of bondage in Egypt.
B) Joshua entering Canaan.
C) Deborah's victory over Sisera
D) Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac.
E) Moses delivering the Ten Commandments.

Question 38

The main reason that so much is known of Iron Age Assyria is that

A) the Assyrian Empire conquered all known literate territory at the time.
B) other civilizations formed a united opposition and detailed their experiences.
C) the Assyrians engaged in significant foreign policy and were methodical about compiling treaties.
D) Assyrian rulers maintained records of their accomplishments.
E) Herodotus wrote about it in his Histories.

Question 39

Which of the following was not a means of Assyria's superior military forces?

A) utilizing cavalry instead of chariots
B) utilizing swords instead of lances
C) incorporating engineers into siege warfare
D) applying advanced catapult technology assimilated from the Chaldeans
E) undermining fortified cities by "sapping" or digging tunnels under walls

Question 40

The most significant characteristic of the Assyrians was their

A) military skill.
B) diverse social organization.
C) religious tolerance toward others.
D) progressive farming technique.
E) literary advancement.

Question 41

Discuss the creation of a Hebrew civilization in the absence of traditional civilizing features and permanent settlements.

Question 42

The majority of the Persian army were made from

A) Eunuchs who guarded the palace.
B) the Immortals who were the king's personal body guard.
C) captured prisoners of war who were forced to convert to Zoroastrianism.
D) remnants of the overthrown Assyrian military.
E) recruits specialized from diverse geographic regions in the empire.

Question 43

Compare the development of law among the Hebrew population with that of other Near Eastern civilizations.

Question 44

Explain the importance of the Phoenicians in the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East during the Iron Age.

Question 45

The Persian state religion promoted by Zoroaster relied on written texts called the

A) Torah.
B) Zend Avesta.
C) Kethuvim.
D) Prophecies.
E) Sacred Scrolls of Aton.

Question 46

In addition to the religious aspects,what was unusual about the formation of civilization among the Hebrews?

Question 47

How did Cyrus' reign come to an end?

A) He died of old age.
B) He passed the throne to his son, Cambyses.
C) He was killed conquering Athens.
D) He died in battle with Queen Tomyris.
E) He fell on his sword while getting off his horse.

Question 48

What differences do you see between Bronze and Iron Age civilizations? Compare and contrast these civilizations.

Question 49

Compare and contrast the differences and similarities between Mesopotamian and early Hebrew civilizations.

Question 50

Analyze the three primary forms of religion found in the Iron Age,and explain their influence on their respective civilizations in terms of law,government,and culture.

Question 51

Who were "The Seven"?

A) The primary religious deities in Zoroastrianism.
B) A council of military advisors to the Persian King.
C) The collective of Satraps who ruled as vassals of the King.
D) Seven noble families who would choose the successor king in Persia.
E) Seven Eunuch judges who oversaw Darius's legal system.

Question 52

Analyze why iron was so significant to this new age by examining how and where it was used.

Question 53

Who are the only people the Persian kings did not defeat and conquer?

A) Chaldeans
B) Medians
C) Lydians
D) Scythians
E) All of these

Question 54

The most prosperous people in the Persian Empire were

A) landowners who were rewarded by the king for military service.
B) artisans who contributed to the local economy.
C) warriors who were recruited for the Immortals.
D) scholars who translated literature.
E) priests in Zoroastrian Temples.

Question 55

How does the creation of coinage by the Lydian civilization represent a universal change to civilizations?

Question 56

Why were the Persians better tolerated than the Assyrians?

A) They allowed religious freedom.
B) They did not have any taxes.
C) They did not require people to serve in the military.
D) They ruled by treaty rather than mandate.
E) None of these.

Question 57

Zoroastrianism was based in a dualistic world that promised

A) an afterlife for everyone who could cross the River Styx.
B) separation of the dead into the good and bad, with the good rewarded.
C) rebirth into a new life cycle based on karma.
D) punishment for nonbelievers in eternal dust and torment.
E) paradise for those of noble birth.

Question 58

Which of the following is a significant weakness of the Persian Empire?

A) Its lack of a uniform culture in a diverse population.
B) The autonomy granted to the satraps.
C) The demobilization of the enormous military of the Assyrians.
D) The lack of scientific development in the empire.
E) An unstable economy because of lack of artisanal development.

Question 59

To run his empire,Darius implemented

A) a 1,600-mile Royal Road.
B) a standardized Aramaic language.
C) a uniform comprehensive law code.
D) a common cuneiform alphabet with forty-two symbols.
E) All of these.

Question 60

Compare the techniques of the Assyrians and the Persians in building and maintaining an empire.

Question 61

As a tactic of controlling conquered populations,the Assyrians used deportation of mass numbers of people.

Question 62

Phoenician warships were primarily powered by sails.

Question 63

The strongest support for conservative monotheism was in Judah.

Question 64

The strongest of the successor states to the Assyrian Empire was the newly commercial state of Egypt.

Question 65

Their political unity made the Israelites a formidable opposition to the Philistines.

Question 66

Compare the role of women in Hebrew tradition,using Deborah,Esther and Judith as examples.What makes these perspectives unusual?

Question 67

Assyrian kings placed a great deal of importance on maintaining records of their conquests.

Question 68

Persian kings saw themselves as divine.

Question 69

Prophets derived leadership status by their ability to converse with God.

Question 70

Because the Arameans had a monopoly on overland trade,their language replaced Akkadian as the most common language in the Near East.

Question 71

Jews in Babylon after the end of the Babylonian Captivity were discriminated against and harassed by Persians.