1.  Standard 6.41 Lesson: Describe the monotheistic religion of the Israelites. This includes: -the belief in one God (monotheism) -the Ten Commandments -the emphasis on individual worth and personal responsibility -the belief that all people must adhere to the same -moral obligations whether ruler or ruled -The Torah and the Hebrew Bible as part of history of early Israel

2. Monotheism The belief in only one G_d. Jewish people believe that one should not say the name of G_d. Abraham made a covenant with G_d. This was an agreement. The Torah said that God and Abraham had a covenant that stated that the land of Canaan would belong to Abraham’s children and their descendants. It was called the Promised Land. beliefs of one God who set down laws that taught about what was right and what was wrong.

3. The Ten Commandments

4. Emphasis on individual worth and personal responsibility Observe the Law - follow the teachings from God. Obey the laws in the Hebrew Bible. Treat others well and follow the Ten Commandments. Keep the Sabbath day holy. This commandment began with the Jews. The Jewish sabbath begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening. Love others. The Jewish Bible teaches that Jews are to love others as they love themselves. Ethical Monotheism - there is only one God. Jews believe that all people are created in God’s image. Study and Pray. Studying the Hebrew Bible leads to wisdom and prayer leads to communication with God and being a better and more faithful Jew.

5. The belief that all people must adhere to the same moral obligations, whether ruler or ruled The Jewish faith held that since a large majority of its followers were peasants, rulers must not withhold certain rights from their less fortunate counterparts. The rules applied to all that were faithful. The Torah has many other laws than just the Ten Commandments. Many of the laws are rules for living, but some are rules for religious ceremonies, how to have a fair and just society, how to help people in your community who are in need and how to have a healthy civilization.

6. The Torah and the Hebrew Bible as part of the history of early Israel Very little other written information about historical events survives to this day from this early time period, therefore the Old Testament is critical to understanding the culture and beliefs of this time period. The Hebrew Bible is divided into three sections. The Torah-The first five books of the Hebrew Bible is known as the Torah. The Torah begins with the creation of the world and the first people. After the Torah, the next section is called the Prophets. Like its name, this section of the Hebrew Bible tells of the Jewish prophets. A prophet is a person who is a messenger from God. The last part was the Writings which contains the books of Psalms, Proverbs and the Song of Solomon.