Western Asia 47 QUESTIONS I. Describe the earlier civilization of the Tigris-Euphrates valley. Compare cuneiform writing with Egyptian hieroglyphics. Why do almost all races use the decimal system? What was the Sumerian system of counting, and in what ways does it survive today? Describe the Fertile Crescent. Why do you think it played so important a part in the history of Western Asia ? How do the Semites get their name ? What well-known peoples belong to the Semitic race? Describe the Semitic occupation of Babylonia. Why do historians know so much more about ancient Egypt than about Babylonia? What do we mean by an empire? Give some modern examples. Why is a strong army more necessary for an empire than a democracy ? Give the extent of the Assyrian Empire. Describe the Assyrian civilization. Find some ref- erences to Nineveh in the Bible. Why was the city of Babylon so cele- brated under the Chaldean rulers? What does the Bible say about Nebuchadnezzar? What discoveries were made by the Chaldean as- trologers? What have we in modern times which should remind us of Babylonia? Can you find out why the French and Germans have named the days of the week as they have and what is the origin of our names for them ? II. Who were the Aryans (see Ancient Times')? Tell what you know of the origin and migrations of the Indo-European peoples. Give an example of a word which has changed as the tribes of Indo- Europeans dispersed. What peoples today belong to this -group ? Tell what you know of the religion of Zoroaster. Do its teachings bear any resemblance to Christianity? Describe the development of the Persian Empire. How was their government arranged by Darius? What additional power did Persia develop which helped her in her conquests ? III. Give a brief account of the political history of the Hebrews. What is the origin of the first five books of the Bible? How did the Hebrew nation come to be a religious organization? What work was done on the Hebrew Scriptures in the "poet-exilic" period? What important industries today owe their origin to the Orient? What arts were begun in the Orient? What were some of the limitations of the ancient world? How did the ideas of government differ from ours today? In what way did the theory of the gods interfere with the progress of science?
