Which Roman Emperor is known for making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire?
a) Nero
b) Constantine the Great
c) Theodosius I
d) Hadrian
Around 600 AD, a new monotheistic religion began called Islam:
The faith was founded by the prophet Muhammad
His followers, called Muslims, spread Islam throughout the Middle East, Africa, Asia, & Europe
Today, Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion with more than 1 billion followers throughout the world
The Arabian Peninsula is a desert region with little fertile soil or farming
Most Arabs lived in desert tribes which were centered around families & were ruled by clans
Arabia was not united under a single gov’t, but Arabs did have a common language (Arabic)
Most Arabs were polytheistic
Arabia was the intersection of 3 continents (Africa, Asia, & Europe) so it was an important region for trade & had lots of cultural diffusion
One of the wealthiest trade cities in Arabia was Mecca
Mecca was also a religious city; The Ka’aba was a cube that held statues of hundreds of gods
Arabs made pilgrimages to Mecca to visit the Ka’aba
Arabia was the intersection of which three continents?
a) Asia, Europe, Africa
b) Asia, Europe, Australia
c) Europe, Africa, Australia
d) Asia, Africa, North America
What was the original purpose of the Kaaba before the rise of Islam?
a) A marketplace
b) A residential palace
c) A polytheistic shrine housing idols
d) A library for ancient texts
Muhammad’s early life:
He was born in Mecca in 570 into a poor clan, was orphaned at a young age, & was raised by his grandparents
As an adult, Muhammad became an honest & successful merchant
He married a wealthy widow & started a family
In which city was Muhammad born?
a) Medina
b) Mecca
c) Jerusalem
d) Baghdad
One of the wealthiest trade cities in Arabia was _______________ (Medina, Mecca, Jerusalem)