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Israel
the first of a series of Jewish kingdoms and states established rule over the
region; these Jewish kingdoms and states ruled intermittently for the following
one thousand years.
Throughout history many different civilizations have conquered and ruled over
the Land of Israel. The land of Israel would fall under Assyrian, Babylonian,
Persian, Greek, Roman, Sassanian, Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman rule. In
1947 Israel became an independent country.
Hebrew Rule
Other groups around the Hebrews were polytheists, people who believe in
more than one God. The Hebrews, however, were monotheists. They believed
in one God. This God was perfect, all-knowing, all powerful, and eternal.
Earlier, people had generally thought that what the gods wanted from human
beings was the performance of rituals and sacrifices in their honor. The
Hebrews believed that it was God’s wish for people to live moral lives. The
religion of the Hebrews was called Judaism.
Much of what we know about the early history of the Hebrews, later called the
Jews, is contained in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, the Torah. In the
Torah, God chose Abraham to be the “father” or ancestor, of the Hebrew
people. God commanded Abraham to move his people to Canaan, an area on
the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea (modern day Israel). This occurred
around 1800 B.C.
Ancient History
The Land of Israel has been sacred to the Jewish people for four thousand
years, ever since the time of the biblical patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob). According to the Bible, it was promised to the Jews as their homeland,
and the sites holiest to Judaism are located there, first and foremost the site of
the First and Second Temples of Jerusalem. Around the 11th century BCE,
Jewish Law
Like the Greeks, Romans, and other ancient peoples, the Jews had a written
code of laws. The Bible states that God gave this code to their leader Moses
in the form of the Ten Commandments and other laws. This event occurred
sometime between 1300 and 1200 B.C. Unlike the laws of other peoples, the
Hebrews’ code focused more on morality and ethics and less on politics. The
code included rules of social and religious behavior, to which even the rulers
were subject.
The Story of Moses and the 10 Commandments
(A Children’s Version)
The Israelites had been traveling in the desert for about 3 months when they came to
Mount Sinai. Moses got unpacked and decided to walk up the mountain to talk to
God. Remember that this wasn't very easy for Moses, he was already over 80 years
old.
God knew that Moses was coming so He spoke to Moses and told him to tell the
Israelites to get ready. Moses came down to tell the people to have a bath and to
clean all their clothes. By doing this the people were getting prepared to hear
important words from God.
On the third morning after Moses had talked to God, the Israelites where busy
making their breakfast when all of a sudden there was a large rumble and a flash of
light over the mountain. Anyone who was still sleeping was startled and woke up
suddenly. Everyone went out to look and just over the mountain there was lightning
and thunder, and a very thick cloud hung over the mountain so you couldn't see the
top. Even the mountain shook and the sound of trumpets could be heard getting
louder and louder.
Spread of Christianity
So Moses went up the mountain to hear from God once again. This time God told
Moses, "Go down to the people and tell them not to follow you up the mountain, the
mountain is a special place because I am here." So Moses warned the people not to
touch or go to close to the mountain.
After that Moses went back up the mountain. But this time he stayed there for a long
time (40 days and 40 nights), God sure had a lot to tell him. God wanted to instruct
the people on how to live. This is when God gave Moses the 10 Commandments.
As Rome expanded, its power spread throughout the Mediterranean. It took
control of Judea (Israel) around 63 B.C. By 6 B.C., the Romans rules Judea
directly as part of their empire.
According to the New Testament, Jesus of Nazareth was born between 6 to 4
B.C. He was both a Jew and a Roman subject. He began his public ministry at
the age of 30. His preaching contained many ideas from Jewish traditions.
The Ten Commandments
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I am the Lord your God … You shall have no other gods besides me
You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image…
You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God.
Remember Sabbath day and keep it holy.
Honor your father and your mother…
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet … anything that is your neighbor’s.
About A.D. 29, Jesus visited Jerusalem. Because some referred to him as the
“king of the Jews,” the Roman governor considered him a political threat.
Jesus was put to death by crucifixion. Jesus’ followers believed he was the
Messiah, or savior. Jesus came to be referred to as Jesus Christ. Christos is a
Greek word meaning “messiah” or “savior.” The word Christianity, the name of
the religion founded by Jesus, was derived from the name Christ.
In the first century after Jesus’ death, his followers began to teach this new
religion based on his message. Christianity slowly spread across the Roman
Empire. In the beginning the Roman Empire was hostile to the beliefs of
Judaism and Christianity. Eventually, in 380 AD, Christianity became the
officially religion of the Roman Empire.