The document summarizes the origins and early history of the Israelites. It describes how they began as a small nomadic group in Mesopotamia but went on to have a huge influence through their belief in monotheism, which became the basis for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Key events discussed include Abraham receiving God's promise of land, the Israelites settling in Canaan but later migrating to Egypt due to famine, Moses leading them out of slavery in Egypt, receiving the Ten Commandments from God, conquering Canaan under King David, and the kingdoms eventually being destroyed and the Jews exiled to Babylon.
The document summarizes the origins and early history of the Israelites. It describes how they began as a small nomadic group in Mesopotamia but went on to have a huge influence through their belief in monotheism, which became the basis for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Key events discussed include Abraham receiving God's promise of land, the Israelites settling in Canaan but later migrating to Egypt due to famine, Moses leading them out of slavery in Egypt, receiving the Ten Commandments from God, conquering Canaan under King David, and the kingdoms eventually being destroyed and the Jews exiled to Babylon.
The document summarizes the origins and early history of the Israelites. It describes how they began as a small nomadic group in Mesopotamia but went on to have a huge influence through their belief in monotheism, which became the basis for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Key events discussed include Abraham receiving God's promise of land, the Israelites settling in Canaan but later migrating to Egypt due to famine, Moses leading them out of slavery in Egypt, receiving the Ten Commandments from God, conquering Canaan under King David, and the kingdoms eventually being destroyed and the Jews exiled to Babylon.
World Civilizations Open High School of Utah A small group with a HUGE influence • The first Israelites, were a small group of nomads that lived in Mesopotamia.
• Although they were a small group, their belief in one
god became the basis of the three main modern monotheistic religions---Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
• Their beliefs and struggles are at the heart of many of
the conflicts in the world today. The First Israelites • The history of the Israelites is written down in their language, the Hebrew language and found in the Bible.
• Around 1500 BCE, the
group settled in the fertile area north of Egypt, called Goshen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Goshen Abraham • Abraham is the patriarch (the oldest male ancestor of a group) of the people of Israel.
• According to their history, Abraham worshipped the
one true god, Yahweh.
• In return for his faithfulness to Yahweh, Abraham was
promised that his descendants would inherit their own land and be the special people of Yahweh.
• According to Hebrew history, the Israelites went to
live in this promised land. Canaan • Where is Canaan? Today Canaan is the region occupied by Lebanon, Israel and Jordan.
• According to the Bible, at
the time that the Israelites arrived, the Canaanites were living in this promised land. The Israelites had to fight for possession of the land against two groups, the Canaanites and the Philistines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canaan Where did the name Israel come from? • According to the Hebrew Bible, Abraham had a grandson, named Jacob who inherited the covenant. Jacob was also called “Israel,” which means “one who struggles with God.”
• Jacob had 12 sons, who
each became the commons.wikimedia.org
beginning of the 12 tribes
of the Israeli people. Migration to Egypt
• The people of Israel lived in Canaan about 100 years,
but had to migrate due to a famine. Some went to Egypt. Here is where takes place the famous story of Moses.
• The Israelites, according to their history, were made
slaves in Egypt to work on the pyramids. Moses In order to prevent a rebellion from fomenting by the Israelis, Hebrew history teaches that the ruler of Egypt had all male infants thrown into the Nile River One child was put in a basket and then found and kept by the ruler’s daughter. That child grew up to be Moses, who led the people of Israel out of captivity and back to Canaan. http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures/Moses%20to%20the%20Judges/target0.html The Ten Commandments • On their way back to the promised land, the Israelis traveled through the Sinai Desert.
• At Mount Sinai, Hebrew History teaches
that Moses received the laws, called The Ten Commandments.
• These laws explained right and wrong
behaviors and became the basis of the Torah---the first part of the Hebrew Bible.
• Two important principles originated in the
Ten Commandments: 1) The idea that people should only worship one god and Painting of Moses with the Ten 2) the idea of the “rule of law” (everyone Commandments-- is equal before the law). Rembrandt 1659 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses Wars with Canaanites • The Hebrews fought many wars with the inhabitants of Canaan (who also thought the land belonged to them). This is a painting by a Jean Fouquet (1452-1460) The Taking of Jericho
Although historians are not certain of
• They settled in the central the accuracy of the story, one region of Canaan and built important traditional narrative tells great walled cities. The land the story of the taking of the city of was divided up among the Jericho by the Israelites. According to the Bible the first war over Canaan 12 tribes. was the Battle of Jericho. The Hebrew Bible reports that the city fell after the leader Joshua led his troops around http://expositions.bnf.fr/fouquet/grand/f057.htm the city walls blowing trumpets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Jericho The Philistines • At first the Hebrews were led by judges. Judges were usually military leaders that led a tribe.
• The most powerful group in the
region was the Philistines, who had strong fortified cities and iron weapons. Philistines were led by a king.
• In 1020 BCE, the Israelites asked
one of their judges to choose a king. They thought a king would unify the tribes and lead them in battle against the Philistines. David and Solomon • Under their second king, King David, the Israelis won an empire and drove out the Philistines.
• David’s son, Solomon, was
known for his wisdom. He also built an elaborate temple in the capital of Jerusalem, which became the spiritual center of the religion of the Israelites. http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/onlinecollection/object_collection.php? Solomon Dedicates the Temple at Jerusalem objectid=26550&artistlist=1&an=James by Jacques Joseph Tissot (1836-1902) A Divided Nation • After Solomon, the people of Israel divided into two kingdoms.
• The northern kingdom was
made up of 10 of the tribes and called the Kingdom of Israel. Its capital was Samaria.
• The southern kingdom was
called the Kingdom of Judah. Its capital was Jerusalem. The people in the Kingdom of Judah were called “Jews.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Levant_01.PNG The Destruction of the First Temple • Like all the groups in Mesopotamia, the fate of the Israelis was swept up in the tide of conquering empires.
• Both kingdoms eventually fell and in 586 BCE, the
Jews were taken by the Chaldeans to Babylon. The temple of Solomon was destroyed.
• Many of the Jews were killed but many were allowed
to remain. These Jews along with their descendants and other Jews who would resettle over the next 500 years, rebuilt the Nation of Israel and also a Second Temple upon the Temple Mount. ROME
In 70 A.D. (nearly 2000 years ago),
the Roman Empire conquered the nation of Israel and destroyed the SECOND Jewish Temple. With this destruction of the temple, many Jews were killed and others fled to other places to escape persecution.
The scattering of the Jews to other
places is called diaspora.
But thousands of Jews also stayed
with the hope of rebuilding their nation. JERUSALEM, HOLY CITY It is difficult to describe the deep and profound significance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people.
Jews all over the world turn in prayer to the city.
The Jewish groom, at his wedding breaks a glass in
remembrance of the destruction of the destruction of the Temple.
The Passover ends with these words "Next Year in
Jerusalem.”
As we will learn later, all three of the world’s monotheistic
religions have deep spiritual ties to places in Jerusalem, making it, arguably, the most important religious center in the world.
Menasseh ben Israel's Mission to Oliver Cromwell: Being a reprint of the pamphlets published by Menasseh ben Israel to promote the re-admission of the Jews to England, 1649-1656