Download Michelangelo`s The Sacrifice of Isaac

By the end of this lesson, you should be able
to:
>Identify key leaders of the Jewish
religion
> Understand key terminology of the
Jewish faith
Judaism
In this chapter you will learn about the land of
Canaan, the rise of Judaism as a religion and the
major figures who made an impact in the Jewish
religion.
Abraham and Canaan
The father of the Hebrew people is known as
Abraham. Known as Abram, he was born in Ur in
Mesopotamia. Ur worshipped many gods, and Abram
believed that there was one God, making Judaism
different than any other religion in the ancient world.
The Torah, the Jewish holy writing or
the Old Testament, says that God made
a covenant, or agreement, with Abram
to leave his country for Canaan. Then,
at 99 years old, God promised to
protect Abram’s descendants if they
were devoted to God. God also had
Abram change his name to Abraham to
mark this agreement.
Abraham’s Sacrifice
According to the
Torah, God tested
Abraham’s faith and
obedience. In this era,
animal sacrifice was
common. God asked
Abraham to sacrifice
his son, Isaac. On a
hilltop, Abraham was
stopped by an angel
sent by God. Abraham
had proved his
obedience, and God let
the Hebrew people
flourish.
Michelangelo’s The Sacrifice of Isaac shows
Abraham’s obedience and devotion to God.
Moses Video
Moses: Leader of the Hebrews
The greatest Hebrew prophet was Moses. According to the
Torah, the Hebrews were being enslaved in Egypt. God chose
Moses to lead the Hebrews out of slavery and free the
Hebrew people.
God sent Moses to the pharaoh and
asked for freedom. The pharaoh refused,
and Moses warned of ten plagues, or
disasters, to punish Egypt. After the
plagues, the pharaoh released the
Hebrews. He soon changed his mind and
chased the Hebrew people. The Hebrews
crossed the Red Sea to safety, and Moses
led the Exodus, or the Hebrew departure
from Egypt.
The Ten Commandments
The Torah states that after the
Exodus, the Hebrews
wandered the wilderness for
40 years. During that time,
God gave Moses the Ten
Commandments, or the laws
for the foundation of Judaism.
Moses received the
commandments on Mt. Sinai.
While he was there to pray,
God sent the laws for all Jews
to obey. If they obeyed, God
promised to protect them.
David: Israel’s King
After the Exodus, the Hebrews returned
to Canaan. According to the Torah, a
young David rose to power as king after
defeating the Philistine warrior Goliath.
David’s courage and faith were rewarded
by God as he became the king of the
Hebrews.
David established Jerusalem as the
capital of Israel. David built Israel into a
powerful kingdom with an army and a
government. He also made Jerusalem the
most holy city by bringing the Ark of the
Covenant, the chest holding the Ten
Commandments, to the city.
King
Solomon
After David’s death, his
son Solomon became
king. Solomon wanted to
build a temple to house
the Ark of the Covenant.
According to the Torah, Solomon’s temple would make
his name famous throughout the world. The temple
became a huge undertaking for the Hebrews. Solomon
forced the Hebrews to help build the temple. He also
taxed his people heavily to complete the project. His
methods angered many Hebrews. Near his death, some
Hebrews split into a Northern kingdom called Israel.
Struggles of the Jews
Because of religious differences
during the era, the Jewish people
became the religious rebels of their
time. Most empires had a polytheistic
belief. In this belief, people worship
more than one god. The Egyptians and
other Mesopotamian peoples had this
belief.
Jews, however, had a monotheistic belief. In this belief,
people worship one god. Jewish people see God as an allpowerful and all-knowing God who stands for morality. They
also have a personal relationship with God through prayer.
Because of these beliefs, Jews scattered to live in places where
they could practice their religion. This is known as the diaspora.