Influence of Judaism
Five Characteristics of Civilization – page 21
Advanced cities
Center of trade for a larger
area
Examples – Atlanta, NY,
Seattle
Specialized workers
Workers skilled in specific
kinds of work
Examples – jewelers,
architects, plumbers
Complex institutions
Long-lasting pattern of
organization in a
community
Examples – US Senate,
Roman Catholic Church,
New York Stock Exchange
Record keeping
Written records of a
community
Examples – receipts,
student grades, laws
Advanced technology
Innovations that allow
communities to solve
problems
Examples – iPads,
automobiles, computers
• Christianity born of Judaism – major religion of
the West
• Ten Commandments become the basis for many
law and moral codes
• Monotheism
1
Persian Government – page 101
2
Athenian and U.S. Democracy – page 134
• Satraps governed provinces
Athens
– States and governors
Citizens = 18 years old
males born to citizen
parents
• Use of Royal Road to communicate quickly
throughout the empire
– Highway system
– Electronic communication
United States
Citizens have political
power
Citizens = born in US or
naturalized
Three branch government
Representatives elected to
legislate
Laws voted/proposed
directly by assembly
Legislative passes laws
Leaders chosen by lot
Executive carries out laws
Executive branch = council
of 500
Judicial conducts trials with
paid jurors
12 member juries
Various juries
3
Both
No attorneys or appeals;
one day trials
Executive branch headed
by president who appoints
officials
Attorneys and appeal
process
4
Roman Republic and the U.S. – page 157
• Elected consuls → elected president
• Alexander’s conquests
– Chief executive, commander-in-chief of army
– Brings East and West into direct cultural contact
– Fusion of languages into koine Greek – universal
language that allowed N.T. to be read broadly
• Senate/assemblies → senate/house of reps
– Legislative and advisory responsibilities
• Praetors → judicial system (supreme court)
• Pax Romana
– Hear civil and criminal trials and appeals
– Christianity spreads along Roman roads
– Time of peace allowed missionaries to travel and
preach their message
– Roman rule = everyone knows Latin/Greek = common
language for sharing the gospel
• Twelve Tables → U.S. Constitution
• Citizenship
– All adult male landowners → native-born or naturalized
adults
• Blended government – checks and balances
5
World Religions – page 296
Hinduism
Buddhism
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
• Brahma,
Vishnu, Shiva
• No one
person
• Sacred texts,
including
Vedas and
Puranas
• Reincarnation,
moksha =
freedom from
earthly
desires which
comes from a
lifetime of
worship,
knowledge,
and virtue
• no personal
deity
• Buddha
• Multiple
sacred texts
• Reincarnation,
Nirvana,
Noble
Eightfold Path
• Yahweh
• Abraham
• Hebrew Bible,
including
Torah
• Monotheism,
loving God
who holds
people
accountable
for sins, live
by the
teachings of
the Torah,
covenant
•
•
•
•
(not yet covered)
God
Jesus Christ
Bible
Monotheism,
loving God,
Jesus was son
of God who
died to save
humanity
from sin,
resurrection
makes eternal
life possible
Spread of Christianity – pages 146 and 169-170
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