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The Hebrews and Judaism
The Early Hebrews
Abraham and Moses Lead the People

Sometime around 2000 and
1500BC, ancestors of the
ancient Israelites, the Hebrews
appear in southwest Asia.
Though simple herders, they
will develop a culture that will
be a major influence on later
civilizations.
Abraham and Moses

Most of what we know comes from
archeologists and from written
accounts from Hebrew scribes. They
describe the history of the Jews and
the laws of Judaism. These writings
will form the Hebrew Bible – much
the same as Christians Old
Testament.
The Beginnings in Canaan and Egypt

The Hebrew Bible traces their
history back to Abraham.
Abraham was told by God to
leave his home and go on a long
journey to a new land where his
ancestors would form a great
nation.
Canaan and Egypt

Abraham settled in the land by
the Mediterranean. Some of his
descendants lived in Canaan for
many years. Later, they would
move to Egypt – possibly due to
famine or some other disaster.
Canaan and Egypt

The Israelites lived well in Egypt
and their population grew. The
growth worried the Pharaoh.
He thought they would become
strong and a threat to his rule.
To combat this, he made them
slaves.
The Exodus

Moses will appear in Israel in 1200
BC. We are familiar with the story of
Moses who was born a slave but
raised as an Egyptian. Later he
would, through God’s will and
plagues, convince the Pharaoh to free
them. This to the Israelites, proved
they were loved and protected by
God.
The Exodus

The Exodus was a major event in
Hebrew history and others recognize
this as well. It has served as hope to
enslaved people around the world
throughout history – Harriet Tubman
comes to mind – and Moses as the
model of faithfulness.
Ten Commandments

For years, they would wander
through the desert. During this time,
Moses would go up Mt. Sinai and
receive the 10 Commandments on
two stone tablets. The 10
commandments would form the
framework for how the Israelites
should live their lives.
The Return to Canaan

Eventually, the Israelites reach
the land of Canaan, but Moses
can not enter. They must fight
the people that were there to
take control. After they
conquered the land, the
Israelites would begin to build
their society.
Return to Canaan

In Canaan, the Israelites lived in small, scattered communities with no central
government. Each community selected judges to lead, enforce laws and settle
disputes. As time goes on, there would be need for stronger leaders.
Kings Unite the Israelites

In the mid 1000’s BC, the Philistines
would invade the Israelites. Israelites
banded together under one king,
Saul, to lead them in battle. He was
adequate as a military leader, but not
popular or effective as a ruler who
never gained the support of tribal or
religious leaders.
King David

David would follow Saul as king. He
was a shepherd as a boy, but would
go on to fight and slay the giant
Philistine, Goliath. This would gain
favor with the king. David was
admired for his military ability and
skills of a poet, writing many of the
Psalms.
King David

David lived in the desert for many years gathering support that would make him
king when Saul died. David was well loved by the people and the full support of
the leaders. He defeated the Philistines and fought and defeated many others in
war. He established the capital in Jerusalem.
King Solomon

Solomon, son of David, took the
throne on 965 BC. He expanded the
kingdom and made allies of Egypt
and Phoenicia. Trade with allies
made Israel rich and with the riches,
Solomon would build a great temple
which would be the center of their
religious life and symbol of the faith.
Invaders Conquer and Rule

After Solomon’s death, revolts broke
out as to who would rule. Israel
would split into two kingdoms –
Israel and Judah. The people of Judah
would become known as Jews. Both
kingdoms would last a couple of
centuries. In 722 BC, Israel would fall
to the Assyrians and years later Judah
was defeated by the Chaldeans.
Dispersal of the Jews

The Chaldeans captured
Jerusalem and destroyed the
temple in 565 BC. They
marched the Jews to Babylon to
work as slaves. This became
known as the time Babylonian
Captivity and lasted 50 years.
Diaspora

In 530 BC., the Persians conquered the Chaldeans and sent the Jews home. Some
did not go, but went to other areas of the Persian Empire. Scholars call the
dispersal of the Jews outside of Israel or Judah and the Diaspora. The rest of the
Jews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. They remained under Persian
rule until 330 BC.
Independence and Conquest

Tired of foreign rule, the
Maccabees will lead a
successful revolt in 160 BC. For
about 100 years, the Jews
would rule their own kingdom.
The Romans would conquer the
region in 63 BC.
Roman Rule

Jewish leaders did add to the temple during Roman rule, however, life was rough
with heavy taxes and conquerors that had no respect for Jewish religion or
traditions. Some rulers tried to force the Jews to worship Roman Emperors and
appointed high priests as leaders of the temple – this would lead the Jews to rebel.
Women in Israelite Society

As in most of the societies we have
studied, women were second to men
in society. Men made the decisions
and fathers chose a girls husband,
although they could not be forced
into marriage. Males were the heirs
in inheritance and were expected to
provide for all in the family.
Women in Israelite Society

Some Jewish women did contribute
greatly to society. Military and
political leaders like Queen Esther
and the Judge Deborah saved and
protected the people. Others were
spiritual leaders like Miriam, sister of
Moses. Some would serve as the
example of how a Jewish woman
should behave, such as Ruth.
And So …

Exit: How did dispersal of the Jews impact world history?

Stay tuned next time for Jewish Beliefs and Texts.