1. Early Israelites

2. The Land of Canaan Most ancient cultures worshipped many deities The Israelites, one of many peoples living in Canaan, followed monotheism, the belief in one all-powerful God They believed that God’s commands were revealed by prophets The teachings of the Israelites exist today as the religion of Judaism Judaism shares beliefs with two other monotheistic religions—Christianity and Islam

3. The Bible The Bible is one of the main sources of ancient history in the Fertile Crescent The Bible traces the origins of the early Israelites to Abraham, a herder and trader who lived in the Mesopotamian city of Ur. Around 1900 BC, Abraham and his family left Ur to settle in Canaan. They did so on the command of Yahweh, or God The Israelites believed that God made a covenant, or agreement, with Abraham to bless him and his descendants if they would remain faithful to him

4. Exodus Abraham’s grandson Jacob had 12 sons. Each son led a separate tribe, or family group. These groups became the 12 tribes of Israel. The Israelites migrated to Egypt to escape famine. They lived in Egypt for several generations until they were enslaved by the Egyptians. In the 1200’s BC, the Israelite prophet Moses led his people out of Egypt in an exodus, or departure, into the Sinai Desert During the journey across the desert God renewed the covenant he made with Abraham. Moses and the Israelites agreed to worship only one God and to obey his laws, particularly the 10 Commandments In return for their loyalty, God promised the Israelites a safe return to the land of Canaan

5. Why is the 10 Commandments considered the basis for civil law in many nations? The first 4 commandments establish the relationship between God and the Israelites? 1 God, no idols, keep the Sabbath holy, do not swear falsely by the name of God Commandments 5-10 establish the relationship between the people by setting limits on human behavior and establishing social values

6. Honor your father and mother Do not murder Do not commit adultery Do not steal Do not bear false witness against your neighbor Do not covet anything that your neighbor has These values are expressed in the traditions and law codes of many nations including the United States

7. Settling the Land Moses died before reaching Canaan Joshua, his successor, led the Israelites into Jordan The fought the Philistines and the Canaanites who occupied the land The 12 tribes lacked unity. Leaders known as “judges” ruled each tribe One judge, Deborah, was successful in winning a battle against the Canaanites Around 1020 BC the 12 tribes united under one king named Saul. Saul’s popularity declined when he was unable to defeat the Philistines

8. David became king in 1012 BC He established Jerusalem as the capital and expanded the kingdoms borders During David’s reign the Israelites enjoyed prosperity David’s son Solomon succeeded him in 961 BC Solomon founded new cities and built a magnificent temple to God in Jerusalem After Solomon died, the 10 northern tribes broke from the 2 southern tribes The northern tribes continued to call their kingdom Israel. The southern tribes called their kingdom Judah The word Jew comes from the name Judah

10. Abraham’s Geneaology ABRAHAM SARAH HAGAR Isaac Esau Jacob 12 Tribes of Israel Ishmael 12 Arabian Tribes

11. Abraham’s Journey from Ur Canaan  The “Promised Land”

12. Abraham’s Journeys

13. Ancient Palestine

14. Land of Goshen, Egypt

15. Moses “Prince of Egypt” “Shepherd of His People”

16. The Exodus

17. Moses and the 10 Commandmets A new “covenant” with Yahweh

18. King David’s Empire

19. Solomon’s Kingdom Solomon’s Kingdom

20. Recreation of Ancient Jerusalem

21. King Solomon’s Temple Floor Plan The First Temple

22. Inside the Temple Tabernacle The Arc of the Covenant

23. Kingdoms of Judah & Israel Kingdoms of Judah & Israel

24. Exile The 2 kingdoms were too weak to resist invasion by neighboring peoples In 722 BC, the Assyrians of Mesopotamia conquered Israel The people of the 10 northern tribes scattered throughout the Assyrian empire In 586 BC, the Chaldeans, another Mesopotamian people, conquered Judah and destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem They carried some of the Israelites off to exile in the Chaldean capital of Babylon

25. Israelites in Captivity

26. The Synagogue A series of prophets arose among the Israelites, who were now called Jews Some prophets blamed the exile on the Jews forgetting their duties to God While in Babylon, the Jews did not have a temple. Small groups of Jews began to meet on the Sabbath, the holy day of rest, for prayer and study These gatherings gave rise to synagogues

27. Return/Scattered In 539 BC, the Persians conquered the Chaldeans The Persian king allowed the Jews to return to Judah and rebuild the Temple. In the 400’s BC, Jewish holy writings were organized into the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible Although a Jewish community arose in Jerusalem, many Jews stayed in Babylon and some moved to other areas of the Middle East. Ever since this time, communities of Jews have existed outside their homeland in what is known as the Diaspora, a Greek word meaning “scattered”

28. Yahweh’s “Covenant” With His People The Torah  The first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible.  The most sacred text in the Jewish religious tradition.  The first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible.  The most sacred text in the Jewish religious tradition.

29. Legacy The Jews troubled history made them very aware of their past They saw events as having a purpose directed by God In addition to the Torah, the Jewish Scriptures included the writings of the prophets The scriptures state that people work in partnership with God, striving to achieve a perfect world. This link makes people accountable for what happens in the world As Jews moved beyond Canaan, they took their religious writings with them

30. The Temple Mount, Jerusalem Today Solomon’s Temple Wall: The “Wailing” Wall