6th Grade Ancient Israel Study Guide
People we met:
1. Abraham
a. Settled in Canaan
b. Introduced the concept of monotheism (God told him “to go and raise a great
nation”)
c. Began the monotheistic tradition of the Hebrew faith
2. Moses
a. Mother put him in a basket and placed him in the Nile  pharaoh’s daughter
found him
b. Became an advisor to the pharaoh
c. Demanded freedom for the Israelites and led them out of Egypt  into the Sinai
Desert
d. The Ten Commandments
3. Joshua: was a great patriarch of Judaism- guided the Israelites to invade Canaan
4. Antiochus: took over rule of Judah in 168 B.C. –pushed the Jews to follow only Greek
ways
5. Alexander the Great: defeated the Persians in 331 B.C. and introduced Greek language,
religion, and customs to Judah
6. Saul: a warrior-farmer who was chosen to be King by the Israelites. He disappointed
God’s commands and was replaced by David
7. David
a. Brave soldier who defeated the Philistine giant, Goliath
b. Chosen by the prophet Samuel to be king (became king after Saul and Jonathan
were killed in battle)
c. Moved the capital to Jerusalem
8. Goliath: the Philistine giant killed by David
9. Solomon
a. Son of David
b. Extensive building in Jerusalem (building of a great temple)
c. Heavily taxed the people and made them work in mines
d. Known for writing proverbs
10. Nebuchadnezzar: King of the Chaldeans who captured Jerusalem and forced the Jews to
leave
11. Judas Maccabeus: a priest who led the army (the Maccabees) and drove the Greeks out
of Judah
12. King Herod: King of Judaea appointed by the Romans
Terms we learned:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Monotheism: the belief in one god
Tribe: a group of related families
Covenant: agreement with God
Torah: Laws from God
Hebrew: language of the Jews
10 Commandments: Similar to Hammurabi’s Code—set of laws but no punishments
defined and believed to have come from God
7. Prophet: messenger of God
8. Tribute: tax paid by a conquered nation to the nation that conquered them
9. Psalms: sacred songs
10. Proverbs: a short wise saying usually offering advice
11. Exile: to be kicked out of your country
12. Scrolls: long documents made from pieces of parchment sewn together
13. Synagogue: Jewish house of worship
14. Sabbath: sundown Friday to sundown Saturday (day of worship and rest)
15. Diaspora: refers to the scattering of communities of Jews outside their homeland after
the Babylonian captivity
16. Messiah: a deliverer sent by God
17. Dead Sea Scrolls: ancient scrolls found near the dead sea that helped historians
understand more about Judaism during Roman times
18. Kosher: prepared according to Jewish dietary law
19. Exodus: the departure of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt
20. Rabbis: religious leaders – official leader of a Jewish congregation
21. Great Temple: temple King Solomon built in Jerusalem
22. Macabees: army of Judas Maccabees
Also:
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Review timeline on pgs. 138-139
How many tribes made up the Ancient Israelites: 12
What happened to those tribes over time? Over time some tribes settled in Egypt (due
to drought and famine) and where they were subjected to pharaoh rule and slavery.
The holiday of Passover celebrates God’s passing over of the Jews during the final
plague in Egypt that enabled the Jews to return to the Promised Land.
The holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the Maccabees’ victory, and reclaiming of the
temple in Jerusalem.
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Pharisees
Believed in upholding
Jewish law-oral and
written, and were
supported by the
common people
Taught in synagogues
and applied teachings
of the Torah to daily
life
Told people to resist
Roman control
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Sadducees
Believed in written
law, not oral law
They did not appeal to
the common people
but appealed to the
wealthy
Wanted cooperation
with the Romans
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Essenes
Priests who broke
away from the Temple
in Jerusalem
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Followed only the
written law of the
Torah
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Spent their lives
praying and waiting
for God to deliver the
Jews from Roman rule.
Know where these
places are located 
Essay:
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Choose 3 events you learned about the Ancient Israelites that you think were the most
important in the chapter
Write a headline for each event that might have appeared in a newspaper of that time.
Write 3-5 sentences for each explaining why it is an important event.