Transcript Ch. 3/1 “The First Israelites”

Ch. 3/1 “The First Israelites”
• Around 1000 BC, a people called the Israelites
built a kingdom in Canaan which lies along the
Mediterranean Sea in Southwest Asia.
• Their population was small but the religion
they practiced would one day impact most of
the world.
• Their religion was unique because they
practiced Monotheism, the belief in one god.
Judaism
• The Israelite religion is today called Judaism
and its followers are called Jews.
• It is important because it influenced the
development of Christianity and Islam, and
also helped to shape the beliefs and practices
of societies in Europe and America.
Hebrew Bible
• The Israelites spoke a language called Hebrew
and they wrote down their history and stories
about their beliefs in the Hebrew Bible.
• Their values and religion later spread to
Europe.
Abraham
• They were herders and traders.
• During the 1800’s BC, they left Mesopotamia
and settled in Canaan.
• They descended from a man named Abraham.
• The Bible says that God told Abraham and his
followers to leave Mesopotamia and go to
Canaan where they were to worship this one
god.
Abraham and Isaac
Twelve Tribes of Israel
• In return, God promised that the land of
Canaan would belong to him and his
descendants.
• Abraham’s grandson Jacob raised 12 sons in
Canaan.
• Jacob’s family was divided into tribes which
later became known as the 12 Tribes of Israel.
• They lived in Canaan for another 100 years
until a drought drove them into Egypt.
Israelites In Egypt
• At first the Israelites were given a place of
honor by the Hyksos who ruled Egypt.
• Once the Hyksos were driven out of Egypt the
Israelites became slaves building temples and
cities for the pharaohs.
• As the Israelite population grew the pharaoh
feared that they would soon outnumber
Egyptians in the north.
• To prevent a rebellion he ordered all baby
boys born to the Israelites be thrown into the
Nile River.
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Mount Sinai
• On their way back to Canaan, the Israelites
had to travel through the Sinai desert.
• The Bible says that Moses went to the top of
Mt. Sinai where he received laws from God
known as the Torah.
• It described an agreement between God and
man in which he promised to return them to
Canaan if they followed his laws.
The Ten Commandments
• The ten most important laws were written on
two stone tablets and known as the Ten
Commandments.
• They explained how people should worship
God and how they should interact with each
other.
• The Ten Commandments helped shape the
basic moral laws of many nations (Do not
murder, steal, or tell lies about others).
The Rule of Law
• The Ten Commandments also helped develop
a belief in the “rule of law.”
• This idea that laws should apply to everyone
equally.
Joshua
• Moses led the Israelites for 40 years through
the desert but he died before they reached
Canaan.
• Joshua took over and brought them to
Canaan, but when they arrived there were
people called the Canaanites already living
there.
• Joshua led the Israelites in battle at the city of
Jericho and overran the city.
The Walls of Jericho
Judges
• After Joshua died, the Israelites looked to
judges for leadership.
• They were usually military leaders who
commanded one or more of the tribes.
• One was a woman named Deborah who
advised and helped lead the Israelites in battle
against a Canaanite king.
• Over time, the Israelites won control of
Canaan and built walled cities to protect
themselves.
Deborah advised Barak to fight the
Canaanite King Jabin
Phoenicians
• One group of Canaanites called the
Phoenicians heavily influenced the Israelites.
• They were expert traders and sailors and they
carried goods and ideas across the
Mediterranean world.
• One of their most important ideas was an
alphabet, or group of letters that stood for
sounds and it made writing simpler.
• They brought the idea to the Israelites,
Greeks, and later the Romans.