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Chapter 6, Lesson 1
Israelite Beginnings
Beginnings
► Judaism
religion.
is both an ancient and modern
 Means it is still practiced today.
► Most
ancient religions worshipped many
deities (gods).
 This was known as polytheism.
►A
group of people in Southwest Asia known
as Israelites.
 Unlike other cultures of this time, they only
worshipped one god (monotheism is the belief
of one god.)
Beginnings
Israelites believed that God sent prophets
(messengers) to share God’s word with the people
and included:
 God created and ruled the world.
 God was powerful but also very good.
 God expects goodness from his people.
► Prophets believed that people could connect
personally to God through prayer, religious study,
and good and just acts.
► The
 The practice of monotheism (belief in only one god)
made Judaism unique among ancient religions.
The Hebrew Bible
► Israelites
recorded their beliefs and history.
 This book was known as the Hebrew Bible or
Tanakh.
► Through this book, the beliefs and faith os the
Israelites became the religion of Judaism.
 The followers are known as Jews.
► Although their population was small, their
influence was large.
 Influenced two other major religions
(Christianity and Islam.)
► Christians call the Hebrew Bible the Old
Testament.
The Hebrew Bible
► Christianity
grew out of Judaism
► Islam also accepted many Judaism’s beliefs
and practices.
 Judaism influenced the values, ethics, and
principles of many other societies.
Abraham
► Great
changes came to the Mediterranean Region
in around 1200 B.C.
 Egypt’s empire ended.
 New people, including the Israelites entered the
region.
► The Israelites relied on herding and trading to
survive.
 According to the Hebrew Bible, Abraham and
his family moved into Canaan (KAY-nuhn) [Now
Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan] from
Mesopotamia.
Abraham
► According
to Jewish belief, Abraham and his
family were the ancestors of the ancient
Israelites. The Hebrew Bible:
 informs us of Abraham’s family and the early
history of the Israelites.
 Says God told him Canaan would belong to his
descendants forever.
 Says he and his wife, Sarah, and his family,
accepted the promise and went to live in
Canaan.
► This
land is usually known as the Promise
Land because it was God’s promise to him.
Isaac and Jacob
► After
Abraham died, his son Isaac and later
his grandson Jacob would lead the family.
 Jacob would eventually be given a new name
(Israel, meaning “one who struggles with God”)
by an angel.
► As
states in the Hebrew Bible, Jacob’s 12
sons became leader of tribes (separate
family groups.)
 These were the ancestors of the Twelve Tribes
of Israel.
Isaac and Jacob
► Jacob’s
family would eventually have to
leave Canaan due to a famine.
 They migrated to Egypt and lived their for many
generations.
► As
the Israelite population increased, the
Egyptian pharaoh grew uneasy.
 Felt that one day the Israelites would rebel and
to prevent this enslaved the Israelites.
Moses and the Exodus
► The
Israelites were forced to do hard labor
and would pray to God to be set free.
 According to the Hebrew Bible, Moses would be
a prophet to be their deliverer (from slavery).
 He saw a bush in flames where he was
informed by God to inform the pharaoh to
release the Israelites.
► He
met with the pharaoh and demanded the
release of the Israelites.
 When the pharaoh refused, the Hebrew Bible
says that God sent 10 plagues upon Egypt.
Moses and Exodus
► These
plagues were events that caused problems
for Egypt.
 Locusts (grasshopper that often migrate in
large numbers) devouring fields.
 Outbreaks of diseases also occurred.
► This finally convinced the pharaoh to release the
Israelites.
 The pharaoh would send his army to pursue
them.
► When the Israelites reached the Red Sea, they
had no way to get across.
 The Hebrew Bible says states that God parted the sea
to let his people cross to the other side.
Moses and Exodus
► When
the armies tried to follow across the
Red Sea, the waters flooded back and
drowned them.
► The departure out of slavery from Egypt is
known as Exodus.
 Today, Jews celebrate a holy day called
Passover to remember their freedom from
slavery.
The Covenant
► According
to the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites
received a covenant (agreement) with God.
 God promised to deliver them to Canaan safely
if they followed his laws.
► Moses climbed Mount Sinai as God’s chosen
leader, where he received laws from God known
as the Torah and would become the first part of
the Hebrew Bible.
 It made clear what God considered right and
wrong
 One important part of the Torah was the Ten
Commandments.
The Covenant
► Loyalty
to God is the central idea of the Ten
Commandments. It included:
 Gods name must never be misused.
 They were not allowed to worship other gods or
images.
► These would become the basis for both Christianity
and Islam.
► The Ten Commandments later helped shape the
moral principles of many nations.
 For instance, killing and stealing are originally
listed in the Ten Commandments.
 It contributed to the democratic belief that laws
should apply equally to all.
The Land of Canaan
► The
Hebrew Bible states that Moses died
before the Israelite reached the land God
had promised them.
 Joshua was the new leader to continue leading
them to Canaan.
► When
they arrived they found other people
living their.
 The people were Canaanites and a bit later, the
Philistines and they worshipped many gods and
goddesses and had a different ways of life.
Who Were the Canaanites?
► Nomadic
tribes probably settled in Canaan as early
as 3000 B.C.
 At first, most people were herders and traveled
with their flocks of sheep and other animals
from pasture to pasture.
 They would later settle into villages, farmed the
land, and learned to trade.
► One Canaanite group was the Phoenicians.
 Lived in cities along the Mediterranean Sea in
northern Canaan and were skilled sailors and
talented traders.
Who Were the Canaanites?
► They
used the sun and stars to navigate in
the sea.
 Traded goods with across the Mediterranean
Sea to Greece, Spain, and even western Africa
and may even have made it to the British Isles.
► They
soon controlled the Mediterranean
shipping and trade.
 Exchanged cedar logs, glass, and jewelry for tin
and other precious metals.
 One Phoenician product was purple dyed cloth.
 The dye was extracted from shellfish along the
Phoenician coast.
Who Were the Canaanites?
► They
set up settlements along the Mediterranean
as a result of trading.
 Carthage, (located on the coast of North Africa)
would become the most powerful city in the
Western Mediterranean.
► As a result of these settlements, Phoenician ideas
and goods spread to other peoples.
 One of the Phoenicians important contributions
was an alphabet (group of letters that stand
for sounds.) and could be used to spell words in
their language.
 The alphabet made writing simpler and helped
people keep better records.
Philistines
► The
Philistines migrated to Canaan from
near present-day Greece.
 Were known as the “Sea People” who invaded
the Mediterranean area about 1200 B.C.
 Set up five walled towns along the
Mediterranean coast.
 Skilled in making iron tools and weapons, which
helped make them the strongest army in
Canaan.
► They
kept their own language and religion.
 They did accept many ideas and practices from
their neighbors in Canaan.
Military Conquest
The Israelites faced a challenge establishing Canaan
as their new homeland.
 Still believed this land was promised to them by
God.
 Joshua led them in a series of battles to conquer
Canaan.
► The Hebrew Bible tells of the battle at the City of
Jericho.
 Joshua instructed the Israelites to march around
the walls of the city for six days, as the Priests blew
their trumpets.
 On the seventh day, he commanded them to shout
at the sound of a trumpet and the wall collapsed.
►
Military Conquest
The Israelites were able to conquer the city.
► Joshua led the Israelites in other battles.
 Any land seized was divided among the 12 tribes.
► After Joshua’s death, political and military leaders
known as judges ruled the tribes.
 They settled disputes and led troops into battle.
► The Hebrew Bible speaks of Deborah, a female judge
who was admired for her wisdom and bravery.
 Instructed the commander Barak to attack the army
of the Canaanite king Jabin.
 She went to the battlefield as an advisor and with
her help, Barak and 10,000 Israelites destroyed the
Canaanite forces.
►
Life in Canaan
► After
many battles, the Israelites were now
in control of the hilly region of central
Canaan and settled their.
 Most farmed and herded animals.
► The
land was rocky and dry, with little
water.
 During rainy seasons, farmers collected
rainwater which was stored in small caves or
even underground.
 The water was used to irrigate crops like olives,
flax, barley, and grapes.
Life in Canaan
► Israelites
lived in homes with two levels.
 Homes were made of mudbrick or stone
plastered in mud and white-washed.
 Floors were made of clay.
 During the day people cooked and did
household chores on the first floor.
 At night it would be where the animals slept
while the people slept upstairs.
The Tabernacle
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Israelite tribes
worshipped God in a large tent-like structure called the
tabernacle.
 Believed it housed God’s presence.
 It was taken down and put away as the Israelites
moved from place to place.
 In Canaan, the tabernacle was put up at a religious
center called Shiloh.
► The Hebrew Bible says the tabernacle housed a sacred
object called the Ark of the Covenant.
 It was a gold-covered chest, held tablets, or stone
slabs.
 Israelites believed the Ten commandments were written
on these tablets and believed that it was a sign of God’s
presence and having it in battle would ensure victory.
►