Name_______________________________ Date_______________ Class______ #______

Chapter 6 The Israelites

Lesson 6.1 Beginnings

Beginnings
a. Judaism is both an ancient and modern religion.
i. An ancient society in southwest Asia known, as the Israelites were different from other
cultures of the day. They worshipped only one God, a practice called monotheism
b. Israelites believed that God sent prophets, or messengers to share God’s word
i. Prophets wanted the Israelites to understand God expects goodness from his people
c. Prophets believed that every individual could connect personally to God through prayer,
religious study, and good and just acts.
I. The Hebrew Bible
a. The Israelites recorded their beliefs and history. These writing would later become the Hebrew
Bible, or the Tanakh.
b. Judaism played an important part in the development of both Christianity and Islam, two other
monotheistic religions.
i. Christians call the Hebrew Bible the Old Testament
II. Abraham
a. Around 1200 B.C., Egypt’s empire ended and a new group of people, called Israelites entered
the region
i. According to the Hebrew Bible, Abraham and his family migrated from Mesopotamia to
Canaan, along the Mediterranean Sea. His family is thought to be ancestors of the ancient
Israelites.
1. The area that was Canaan is now occupied by Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan
b. The Hebrew Bible gives an account of the story of Abrahams family and the story of the
Israelites
i. According to the Hebrew Bible, God told Abraham to move to Canaan, which would
belong to him and his descendants forever. The land is often called the Promised Land
because of God’s promise to Abraham
III. Isaac and Jacob
a. After his death, Abraham’s son Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob headed the family
i. Jacob would be given the name Israel by an angel, and his descendants would later be
called Israelites
1. Jacob’s 12 sons became the leaders of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
b. Jacob’s family left Canaan and migrated to Egypt.
i. As the Israelite population increased in Egypt, the Egyptian Pharaoh feared the Israelites
would rebel. To prevent this, the Egyptians reduced the Israelites to slavery
IV. Moses and the Exodus
a. The Israelites prayed to be set free from slavery under the Egyptians
b. According to the Hebrew Bible, an Israelite named Moses was tending to his sheep when God
appeared in the form of a burning bush. God told Moses to go to the Pharaoh and tell him to let
the Israelites go
c. When the Pharaoh refused Moses’s demand, the Hebrew Bible says God sent 10 plagues to
Egypt
i. These plagues convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but after doing so, he sent his
Army to pursue them
d. According to the Hebrew Bible, when the Israelites reached the Red Sea, God parted the waters
to allow the Israelites to pass
1
 i. When the Egyptian army tried to follow, the waters flooded back and drowned them
e. The departure of the Israelites from Egypt is known as the Exodus, and Jews celebrate a holy
day called Passover to remember this

V. The Covenant
a. On their way from Egypt, the Israelites received a covenant with God, where he promised to
return the Israelites safely to Canaan if they followed his laws
i. Moses received the laws from God, called the Torah, which made up the first part of the
Hebrew Bible
b. One important part of the Torah was the Ten Commandments:
i. Do not worship other Gods
ii. Do not worship Idols
iii. Do not Misuse God’s name
iv. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
v. Honor your father and mother
vi. Do not murder
vii. Be faithful in marriage
viii. Do not steal
ix. Do not lie
x. Do not want anything that belongs to someone else
c. The ten commandments helped shape moral principles of other nations, as well as promoted
social justice and community

The Land of Canaan

a. According to the Bible, Moses died before the Israelites reached Canaan and were led by a new
leader named Joshua
b. Upon arriving in Canaan, other people lived there, the Canaanites, and Philistines who had
different ways of life and practiced Polytheism
I. Who were the Canaanites?
a. Nomadic tribes probably settled here as early as 3000 B.C. At first mostly would have been
herders before settling in villages for farming and eventually trade
b. One group living in Canaan was the Phoenicians.
i. Phoenicians lived in cities along the Mediterranean Sea.
ii. Phoenicians were skilled sailors and plotted sea voyages to trade in Greece, Spain, and
Western Africa
iii. Items traded by Phoenicians were cedar logs, glass, jewelry, and their most precious
commodity, cloth colored using purple dye
1. Their dye was extracted from shellfish along the Phoenician coast
iv. As they traded, Phoenicians founded settlements, one of which was called Carthage,
which would become one of the most powerful cities in the western Mediterranean.
v. One of the biggest contributions by the Phoenicians was an alphabet which had letters
that could be used to spell out words
II. Philistines
a. Another group in Canaan, called the Philistines migrated from Greece around 1200 B.C.
i. Their skill in making iron weapons helped create one of the strongest armies in Canaan.
ii. Philistines kept their own language and religion, but accepted many other practices from
people in Canaan
III. Military Conquest
a. The Israelites believed it was Gods will that they claim Canaan, and Joshua led them in a series
of battles to conquer Canaan.
2
 b. In one famous battled mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the battle of Jericho, the Israelites
marched around the walls of Jericho for six days. On the seventh day, Joshua told them to “shout
for the lord” –at doing so, the walls of Jericho collapsed and the Israelites claimed the city
c. Any land seized by the Israelites was divided by the Twelve Tribes
d. After Joshua’s death, military and political leaders called judges ruled the tribes
i. One judge was a woman named Deborah who was admired for her wisdom and bravery
ii. Deborah, along with one of her generals and their army, destroyed the Canaanite forces
IV. Life in Canaan
a. The Israelites won control of the hilly region of central Canaan and settled there.
i. Most Israelites farmed and herded animals
ii. Crops were olive, flax, barley and grapes
b. Homes were two story made of mud-brick with clay floors
i. During the day, families cooked and did household chores in the lower level. At night,
the lower level is where animals slept, while the family slept on the top level
V. The Tabernacle
a. Israelite tribes worshipped God in a tent-like structure called a tabernacle
i. This tent was taken down and moved from place to place. In Canaan, Israelites erected
the tent in a place called Shiloh.
b. The Hebrew Bible says the tabernacle housed the Ark of the Covenant
i. The ark was a gold-covered wooden chest which held stone slabs which the Israelites
believed were the Ten Commandments

Lesson 6.2 The Israelite Kingdom

Early Kings
a. By 1100 B.C., the Israelites had one powerful enemy – the Philistines.
b. Many Israelites called for a king to unite the Twelve Tribes and lead them in battle against the
Philistines
I. Saul: The First King
a. According to the Hebrew Bible: The Israelites asked the judge Samuel to choose a King
i. Samuel warned against this, saying a new King would tax and enslave them
b. Samuel chose a man named Saul to be King, and under his leadership, the Israelites won many
battled and Saul became very popular.
c. However, Saul disobeyed some of Gods commands, and God told Samuel to choose a new king

II. King David

a. After Saul, Samuel chose David to be king of the Israelites.
i. Before becoming King, David was already popular because of his battled with Goliath, a
giant Philistine warrior.
b. King Saul placed David in charge of his army, but as David became successful and gained
popularity with the people, King Saul became jealous and tried to kill David, but David was able to
escape
c. When King Saul died in battle against the Philistines, David returned and took the throne
d. Under King David, the Tribes were united, and the Philistines were defeated.
e. David built a capital city for Israel in Jerusalem
f. King David was also a musician and is believed to have written many of the sacred songs in the
Hebrew Bible’s book of Psalms. (Ex: Psalm 23)
g. Israelites prospered under David’s rule
i. They cultivated tough, dry land by building terraces on steep hillsides
h. After David’s death, the Israelites honored him as their greatest King
3
 i. David’s son Solomon took over the thrown after David’s death.
ii. David brought a long period of peace to the Israelites
iii. He built the first temple in Jerusalem, was known for his wisdom, and is believed to have
written proverbs, or wise sayings, which were recorded in the bible
i. Despite Solomon’s accomplishments, Israelites did not like paying the high taxes demanded by
Solomon, and after his death, disagreements split their kingdom
III. Two Kingdoms
a. After Solomon’s death, ten Northern tribes rebelled and formed a separate kingdom, Israel with
their capitol in Samaria
b. The two southern tribes founded the smaller kingdom of Judah with their capitol in Jerusalem
c. During this time, other empires formed around Israel and Judah, such as the Assyrians and
Chaldeans
i. The other empires wanted to control the trade routes running through the Israelite Kingdoms
IV. The Fall of Israel
a. The Assyrians spread fear throughout the region; forcing conquered people to pay tribute and
burning the towns of people who refused
b. In 772 B.C., when the kingdom of Israel refused to pay tribute, the Assyrians invaded and conquered
Samaria
c. They forced many Israelites to resettle in Assyria, and then brought people form other parts of their
empire to live in Israel
i. The settlers mixed with the Israelites still living there, and a mingled culture developed.
These people became known as Samaritans
d. While Samaritans adopted principles of the Israelites religion, they also adopted many religious
practices the Israelites did not accept
i. Todays Judaism developed mainly from the religious preserved in the kingdom of Judah

V. The Fall of Judah

a. While the people of Judah survived the Assyrian conquests, in 597 B.C., the Chaldeans, under King
Nebuchadnezzar forced thousand to leave Jerusalem and live in Babylon, the Chaldean capitol
b. Nebuchadnezzar chose a new king, Judean to rule Judah
c. Judean plotted to set Judah free.
i. Jeremiah, a prophet, warned Judean that God did not want Judah to rebel, but Judean did not
listen
1. The Chaldeans retook Jerusalem in 586 B.C., then leveled Jerusalem to the ground,
destroyed their temple, and forced Judah’s people to move to Babylon
2. This time became known as the Babylonian Exile. When people are forced to leave
their home or country, this is an exile
VI. What was the Prophet’s Message?
a. Prophets urged people to change their ways to make the world a better place, and they also offered
words of hope in times of despair.
b. Prophet’s also made the goal of a just society the primary part of their teachings. Martin Luther
King quoted the prophet Amos’ words in his “I Have A Dream Speech” when he said “But let
justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

Lesson 6.3 The Development of Judaism

Return to Judah
a. The families of Judah who were exiled to Babylon would become known as the Jews during that time.
We call their religion Judaism.

4
 b. Jews in Babylon met in synagogues, or Jewish houses to worship on the Sabbath, which lasted from
sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday
I. Rebuilding Judah
a. In 538 B.C., the Persians defeated the Chaldeans and let the Jews return to Judah.
i. Some of the Jews remained in Babylon, but those who returned to Judah rebuilt Jerusalem
and built a new place of worship called the second temple
b. The Persians did not allow the Jews to have a King, so the Jews relied on religious leaders –temple
priests and scribes- to guide their society
c. Many scribes were religious scholars who has a deep understanding of the Jewish faith
i. Led by a scribe names Ezra, the Jews wrote the five books of the Torah on pieces of
parchment sewn together to make long scrolls.
1. These writing later made up the Hebrew Bible
II. What is in the Hebrew Bible?
a. Three parts make up the Hebrew Bible; the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings
i. The Hebrew Bible is made up of 24 books, and presents the laws, guidelines, and history of
the Hebrew people
b. Genesis –presents the Israelite view of human beings, how God created Earth, and how He punished
human beings for being wicked
i. God told Noah there was going to be a flood and to build an ark. His family, as well as two
of every type of animal boarded the ark and were the only survivors. Afterwards God said he
would never destroy the earth with a flood again
c. Genesis explains why people speak different languages with the story of Babel. The people of Babel
tried to reach heaven by building a tower. God disapproved, and made them speak different
languages so they could not communicate, and then spread them out over the earth.
d. The book of Daniel describes the hope given to Jews. Daniel was a trusted advisor to the Babylonian
King, but as A Jew, refused to worship Babylonian Gods. The Chaldeans threw Daniel into a lions
den, as a punishment, but God rescued Daniel from the beasts
Jewish Daily Life
a. The Torah provided laws and guidelines for daily living

T - ___Teaching________ responsibility, individual worth and self-discipline.

O - One _God__ (Loyalty to __God__)
R – Required __Eating_____ (Food that is prepared according to Jewish dietary laws is
called _Kosher__. Animals must be killed in a certain way and the meat must be
inspected, salted, and soaked in water. Foods that are not prepared in this way are
considered to be unclean.)
A - Apply _Law__ fairly.
H – Helping the poor and being _Honest__ with your neighbors .
I. The Jewish Family
a. The Torah identified roles for family life
i. If the father died, his sons took his place to lead the family
ii. Fathers taught sons a trade, as well as to worship God
iii. Boys learned to read the Torah
iv. Daughters were educated at home by their mothers
1. Learned about running household, laws about food, religious holidays
v. Daughters also learned about ancient women of Israel, one being Ruth and her mother-in-
law Naomi

5
 b. Naomi’s husband and two son’s died. Ruth was married to one of her son’s, and in order to help
Naomi, she chose to leave her homeland to live with her
i. Ruth’s story was supposed to be an example of courage and devotion for other girls to
follow
II. Dietary Laws
a. Jewish laws tell Jews what they can eat. Today, foods prepared according to Jewish dietary laws are
called Kosher.
i. Animals used for Kosher meat must be killed in a certain way; with the meat inspected,
salted and soaked in water
ii. Dietary laws prohibit Jews from eating meat and dairy products together.
iii. Jews cannot eat shellfish such as crab and shrimp
b. Jewish people eat specific foods with religious significance during holidays
i. During Passover, hardboiled eggs, vinegar, salt water, and matzoh (flat bread) are served. In
addition, the youngest child asks a series of questions, which older children and adults recite
the answers as a way of honoring and reflecting on their history

Lesson 6.4 The Jews in the Mediterranean World

The arrival of Greek Rule

a. The Jews of Judah remained under Persian rule for nearly 200 years
b. In 331 B.C., Alexander the Great, a King from Macedonia who had conquered Greece, defeated the
Persians
a. Alexander brought Greek language and culture to Judah, and allowed Jews to remain in
Judah
I. How did Jewish Ideas Spread?
a. Judah remained the center of Judaism under Alexander, however many Jews were spread out over other
lands in the Mediterranean.
a. These groups of Jews living outside Judah became known as the Diaspora, meaning “scattered”
b. Jews of the Diaspora remained loyal to Judaism and practiced their religion while adapting to
other cultures
i. A group of scholars living in Egypt copied the Torah into Greek, and this version called
the Septuagint, helped spread Jewish ideas across the Mediterranean world
II. The Revolt of Maccabeus
a. After Alexander’s death, his kingdom was divided into several kingdoms
b. One kingdom covering southeast Asia was ruled over by a family known as the Seleucids
i. By 200. B.C., Judah was under the Seleucid Kings control
c. In 176 B.C., Antiochus came to power as the Seleucid king and required Jews to worship many
Greek gods and goddesses
i. Many Jews refused to abandon their religion and in 167 B.C., Judas Maccabeus, a Jewish
priest, fled to the hills and formed a rebel army called the Maccabees
d. After many battled, the Maccabees succeeded in capturing the Temple, ridding it of all the
Greek statues of gods, and rededicating the temple to the worship of God.
i. Jews celebrate this cleansing of the Temple each year with the festival of Hanukkah

Roman Rule in Judea

a. By 100 B.C., Romans controlled much of the Eastern Mediterranean. Located in present day Italy,
Rome sought to expand
a. In 63 B.C., Roman forces conquered Judah and renamed it Judaea
b. At first during Roman rule, a Jewish ruler was chosen, named Herod

6
 a. During his reign, he built many cities and forts. The Second Temple was rebuilt and remained
the center of worship
I. Jewish Groups
a. After Herod’s death, Roman officials ruled Judea, and different groups of Jews had different views
on how to deal with the Romans
b. One group, the Pharisees, gained support of the people. They taught people to apply religion to their
daily lives
i. They stressed obeying written and oral laws as a way to get people to obey the Ten
Commandments
ii. The Pharisees wanted the Jews to be free from Roman rule, but did not want to fight the
Romans. Instead they encouraged people to practice the Torah’s teachings with greater
devotion
c. Another group, called the Sadducees was made up of noble families, many serving as nobles and
priests in temples
i. They favored written law and rejected oral law, were more concerned with applying the laws
of the Torah to religious ceremonies, rather than everyday life
ii. The Sadducees also favored cooperation with Romans in order to keep peace in Judea
d. A third group called the Essenes were made of priests who broke away from Judea to live at
Qumran, an area in the desert near the Red Sea
i. These priests followed only the laws of the Torah and spent their lives praying and waiting
for God to deliver the Jews from Roman rule
ii. Centuries later, in A.D., 1947, ancient scrolls were found in caves at Qumran, most likely
written by the Essenes, these scrolls became known as the Dead Sea Scrolls
iii. These scrolls were important because they told historians several things about Judaism
during the Roman times
1. Some scrolls told a story of a group of Jews in exile who saw themselves as lone
beings surrounded by enemies
2. Some described beliefs, holy days, and practices of Jewish groups
3. The variety of the scrolls make historian believe they were part of a library, hidden
perhaps for protection during Roman conflicts
iv. A fourth group, called the Zealots lived in Judea and fought for their freedom during A.D.,
60s, when Jewish hatred of Roman rule reached its peak
1. Most Jews retained hope and faith in their religion that God would deliver them, but
the Zealots prepared to act
II. Jewish-Roman Wars
a. The Zealots revolted in A.D. 66 and overtook the small Roman Army in Jerusalem. However, the
Romans returned four years later and retook the city, killing thousands of Jews and destroying the
Second Temple
i. Today, the Western Wall of the Temple complex still stands in Jerusalem, and many come
to this wall to pray
b. In A.D. 132, a military leader named Simon ben Kosiba, known as Bar Kochba led the Jews in
another battle for freedom
i. After three years, the Romans crushed this revolt, and passed stricter rules and controls over
the Jews
1. Romans did not allow Jews to live in or visit Jerusalem, and they renamed Judea,
calling it Palestine, referring to the Philistines, whom the Israelites had conquered
centuries before
III. The Rabbis
a. The Jews regrouped with the help of their rabbis, or religious leaders.

7
b. Since Jews no longer had a Temple, synagogues became important, and rabbis taught and explained
the Torah
c. One of the most famous rabbis was Yohanan ben Zaccai. He persuaded the Romans to spare the city
of Yavneh, where he founded a school to continue teaching the Torah
i. This school would become a model for other schools, and a center of Torah studies
d. Rabbis preserved the basic beliefs of Judaism
i. Eventually, rabbis gathered their oral discussions about Jewish law and recorded them in a
book that would be called the Talmud, meaning instruction
1. The Talmud became the basis for Jewish law throughout ages, and remains the
ultimate authority of Jewish law to this day