Download Today’s Aim: Who was Hammurabi and why is a written code

Today’s Aim:
How did the writings in the
Torah shape Judaism?
The Hebrew Bible is the Jewish
people’s record of their history and
their religion, which is called
Judaism. Its writings are sacred to
more than 17 million Jews today.
Overview
• The first book of the Bible tells of a family that
lived in Mesopotamia, from the city-state of Ur.
In this city the Sumerian people worshiped the
Sumerian moon goddess.
• The Bible tells about a man named Abraham
who made a covenant with God for him and his
ancestors to worship only one God and to set
out for the land of Canaan. This covenant is
considered by the Jewish people to be the
beginning of their history.
Discussion Questions
• Define polytheism and explain how
religion shaped the lives of the
people in the Fertile Crescent.
• How were the Israelites (Abraham’s
descendents)different from the rest
of the people in the Fertile
Crescent?
Going to Egypt…
• As time passed, the Bible says, Abraham’s
children and grandchildren prospered as
shepherds in Canaan. Then came a time
of poor crops and terrible hunger.
• The people of Israel went to Egypt where
food can be found. Initially, they were
welcomed into Egypt, but later forced into
slavery.
Set my people free..
•Moses led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt.
•After crossing the red Sea, they wandered in
the desert for 40 years before arriving to The
Promised Land, Canaan.
•Moses received the 10 Commandments from
God at Mt. Sinai.
•The Torah, or the Five Books of Moses tells
the history of the Jews and the laws they
need to follow.
From Freedom to Exile….
•Over many years, various enemies forced the
Jews to leave or be exiled from Canaan. The
Diaspora is the term referring to the Jews
living outside Canaan. Greek for “scattered”.
Torah=Hebrew Bible=Old Testament
Canaan=Judea=Judah=Israel