SAT II World History : SAT Subject Test in World History

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #2 : Islam

The Qur'an, written by Muhammad, was produced in what century?

Possible Answers:

7th century CE

10th century CE

4th century CE

8th century CE

5th century CE

Correct answer:

7th century CE

Explanation:

The Qur'an was written in the span of several years - from 609 to 632 (7th century) - by the Prophet Muhammad. It remains today as one of the most influential documents ever produced in human history.

Example Question #3 : Islam

Sunni and Shi’ite are two prominent sects of which religion?

Possible Answers:

Taoism

Islam

Sikhism

Confucianism

Judaism

Correct answer:

Islam

Explanation:

Sunni and Shi’ite are the two most prominent sects of the Islamic faith. They have been divided since almost the very beginning of their religion and the original disagreement between the two sects has to do with the continuation of the caliphate under the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali (for the record the Shia believed Ali should rule, most of the rest did not). In modern times the distinction is particularly important because it has led to sectarian conflict in several Middle Eastern countries - particularly countries like Iran and Iraq where the Shia are in the majority or countries like Syria which have a history of oppression by the majority Sunni.

Example Question #1 : Judaism

Which of these major religions was the first to arise? 

Possible Answers:

Confucianism

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

Sikhism

Correct answer:

Judaism

Explanation:

Judaism was the first of these religions to arise; it is the first of the Abrahamic monotheistic religions. It was followed, in the west, by Christianity, and then Islam.

Example Question #1 : Judaism

The term "diaspora" refers to __________.

Possible Answers:

The enslavement of the Jewish people by the Pharaohs of Egypt

The holy writings of Jewish prophets found in the Torah

The dispersal of Jewish people from their ideal homeland

The funeral traditions of ancient Jewish culture

The relationship between Jewish people and the "gentiles"

Correct answer:

The dispersal of Jewish people from their ideal homeland

Explanation:

The term "Jewish diaspora" is used to refer to the forced dispersal of the Jewish people around Europe, the Middle East, and other locations around the world. The Jewish people have a long history of suffering and existing as a minority in empires, many of which were unfriendly or malevolent towards the Jews. At various times in Jewish history, the people have migrated to parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas to escape persecution. This global collection of the Jewish population is referred to as the "diaspora."

Example Question #2 : Judaism

Who was the first Jewish king to unite all the tribes of Israel under one centralized government?

Possible Answers:

Solomon

Saul

David

Jacob

Moses

Correct answer:

Saul

Explanation:

The first Jewish king to unite the tribes of Israel under one centralized government was Saul, in approximately 1000 CE. He was succeeded by David, who was in turn followed by Solomon.

Example Question #2 : Judaism

The Jewish sacred book is called __________.

Possible Answers:

the Four Noble Truths

the Torah

the Bible

the Qu'ran

the Hadith

Correct answer:

the Torah

Explanation:

The Jewish sacred book is called the Torah; The Christian sacred book is called the Bible; The Islamic sacred book is called the Qu'ran. The Hadith is a collection of lessons and morals in the Islamic faith, and the Four Noble Truths are tenets of Buddhist philosophy. 

Example Question #3 : Judaism

According to Jewish tradition, where did Moses receive the Ten Commandments from God? 

Possible Answers:

Alexandria

Mount of Beatitudes

Jerusalem

Galilee

Mount Sinai

Correct answer:

Mount Sinai

Explanation:

According to Jewish religious tradition, Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt and into the desert in search of the Holy Land. During their forty-year walk through the desert, God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses when Moses was praying on Mount Sinai in modern-day eastern Egypt. 

Example Question #4 : Judaism

Which of these best describes the term "talmud"? 

Possible Answers:

The belief that the Jewish Messiah will one day come to Earth to provide salvation for his people

The distrusting, negative, and often violent relationship that has frequently existed between Jewish and non-Jewish people

The forced dispersal of the Jewish population around Europe, and later, the world

The Jewish book of God

A collection of Jewish lessons and laws passed down over generations

Correct answer:

A collection of Jewish lessons and laws passed down over generations

Explanation:

The Talmud is a Judaic text that contains lessons, laws, and rabbinical traditions passed down over generations as a guide to living a Jewish life. The term "diaspora" is used to refer to the forced spread of the Jewish population around the world.

Example Question #21 : Overarching Themes And Philosophies

The roots of Hindu religion were largely developed around 1400 BCE in the 

Possible Answers:

Indochina.

Arabian Peninsula.

Ganges River Valley.

Indus River Valley.

Himalayan Mountain Range.

Correct answer:

Indus River Valley.

Explanation:

The oldest religious documents in the world are the Rig Veda, the earliest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. These were composed somewhere between 2000 BCE and 1000 BCE in the Indus River Valley, in modern day Pakistan. The Vedic culture would come to dominate the northern Indian subcontinent by 1400 BCE, spreading the religion that would evolve into present forms of Hinduism.

Example Question #22 : Overarching Themes And Philosophies

The Mahabharata is an epic story about an ancient war that is a seminal text in

Possible Answers:

Confucianism.

Hinduism.

Islam.

Buddhism.

Jainism.

Correct answer:

Hinduism.

Explanation:

The Mahabharata is an epic poem that chronicles the Kurukshetra War between the Kaurava and Pandava princes. As well as being a history, the text contains many philosophical passages, including the Bhagavad Gita. These devotional texts make the Mahabharata an extremely important text for Hinduism.

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