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Section 1 The First Israelites Section 2 The Kingdom of Israel Section 3 The Growth of Judaism

Wednesday, October 5, 2011


Today I will learn about the Israelites who believed in one God who set down moral laws for his people. They recorded their history in the Hebrew bible. I will learn how they had to fight the Canaanites to return to their promised land.

Location

Israelites
Came from Mesopotamia & settled in Canaan Language = Hebrew Descended from Abraham

Judaism
Monotheism = belief in one god Israelites faith became known as Judaism (Jews). Their written history is the Hebrew Bible which is the Old Testament

Abraham
God tells Abraham to leave Mesopotamia & go to Canaan & to worship 1 god. Those that followed him to Canaan became known as Israelites.

Abraham
Abraham had a grandson named Jacob. Jacob was called Israel (the one who struggles with God). Jacob had 12 sons. 12 sons each led a tribe which became known as the 12 Tribes of Israel.

Drought
The Israelites lived in Canaan for 100 years until a long drought began Crops withered & livestock died To survive, some Israelites went to Egypt

Each civilization we have talked about has relied on a river for so many things to survive. Imagine you are an Israelite during the drought. What would life be like with the lack of water? What would you choose for your family: to leave your homeland & go to Egypt or to stay in Canaan and try to survive?

Moral Dilemma

Zoom forward in time


To the U.S in the 1930s Remember learning about this in 5th grade? Where did these people go?

Zoom to 2011 in the Horn of Africa


UNICEF Website Satellite Animation of the worsening drought Make a mind map of the things you cant have without water Discussion: To help or not to help?

Drought seems awfulwhat did some Israelites do?


Drought in Canaan
Israelites had to move to Egypt
Pharaohs made them slaves to build the pyramids


The pharaoh was afraid of an Israelite rebellion, so he ordered all Israelite baby boys to be thrown in the Nile River to drown. One mother wanted to save her baby, Moses, so she hid him in a basket & hid it on the riverbank.

Moses
Found & adopted by the pharaohs daughterthats ironic. Tended sheep ~1290 B.C.E says God gave him a message Moses said god told him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt

Exodus Israelites escape from slavery


God sent 10 plagues to trouble Egypt to convince the pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery
He let them go, but changed his mind & sent his army after them. Parting of the Red Sea explained scientifically. Everyone be openminded, no matter what your personal beliefs! Jews remember this event by celebrating Passover

Traveled through the Sinai Desert Moses went to the top of Mt. Sinai where he received the laws from God. Torah = the laws given to Moses In the Torah, God promised to return the Israelites to Canaan if they followed his laws.

The Torah

Covenant = agreement

10 Commandments
Part of the Torah Helped shape the basic moral laws of many nations If the commandments were written on clay tablets, what region were they in?

The Journey Continues


Took the Israelites over 40 years to reach Canaan

Whaaaaat? It should have only taken 11 days!


Historians provide multiple reasons for this: They were led around the wilderness to avoid war in Philistine lands. Another reason is that God was morally cleansing them in a waymultiple references to how much they Israelites complained and were ungrateful. They wandered until some practices (idolatry) died out with an entire generation.

Moses died before they got there Joshua took over for Moses

Ummthere are other people in Canaan


When the Israelites arrived, they found the Canaanites living in Canaan. Joshua led them into battle to Jericho They fought 4 wars until the land was taken from the Canaanites & divided up among the 12 tribes.

Moral Dilemma: How do you feel about the Israelites taking the land from the Canaanites?

Judges
In charge of the Israelites Usually a military leader 2 Judges (Barak, military leader & Deborah, a prophetess) defeated the people living in the hilly region in Canaan. The Canaanites were moved to the flat coastal areas.

Phoenicians
A group of Canaanites who lived in cities along the Mediterranean Sea Skilled sailors & traders

Phoenician Alphabet
Alphabet that stood for soundsthanks, Phoenicians! Why does trade lead to the development of a written language?

The Kingdom of Israel


King David created an empire Made his slaves pay him tribute & everyone pay him heavy taxes King Solomon took over for his father when he died High taxes, made people work in mines People were not happy = a rebellion

The 12 Tribes Divide


Kingdom of Israel = 10 tribes Kingdom of Judah = 2 tribes

Scared of the Assyrians & Chaldeans

Diaspora
722 B.C.E Assyrians conquered Israel & scattered the 10 tribes across their empire The word Diaspora means scattered

Lets Think about it


Why would a powerful empire like the Assyrians do this to the Jews? Imagine the people in your life, your friends & family, the people who share the same heritage as you being separatedyour temples being destroyed, and then you are moved to an unfamiliar placeMs. Gascon thinks it sounds just terrible

Exile
Around 586 B.C.E the Chaldeans took over and moved 1000s of Jews to Babylon.
Exile = when someone is forced to leave their home; the time the Jews were in Babylon

Jewish Temple
Built in 957 B.C.E Destroyed by an Egyptian pharaoh, then by the King of Judah, then by an Assyrian king, then totally destroyed by Babylonians in 586 B.C.E

2nd temple built in 538 B.C.Etook 23 years to build


Destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E

Jerusalem today
Temple Mount the most important religious site in Judaism

Western Wall what remains of the 1st & 2nd Temples

Judaism
Sabbath weekly day of worship & rest Synagogues Jewish houses of worship Hanukkah holiday remembering when the Jews got rid of all Greek deities & rededicated it to the worship of God Yarmulkes head covering Kosher food prepared to Jewish dietary laws (must be killed in a special way; inspected, salted, & soaked) Rabbis Jewish leaders who taught the Torah

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