ORIGINS OF JUDAISM
CHAPTER 6, SECTION 1
MAIN IDEAS
• 1. “The Jews” early history began in Canaan
and ended when the Romans forced most
of them out of Israel.
• 2. Jewish beliefs in God, justice, and law
anchor their society.
• 3. Jewish sacred texts describe the laws and
principles of Judaism.
• 4. Traditions and holy days celebrate the
history and religion of the Jewish people.
KEY TERMS AND PLACES
• Judaism= the Hebrews’ religion
• Canaan= where Abraham settled on
the Mediterranean Sea
• Exodus= a journey of the Hebrews out
of Egypt, let by Moses
• Monotheism= the belief in one and
only on god
• Torah= the most sacred text of Judaism
• Rabbis= religious teachers of Judaism
EARLY HISTORY
• Sometime between 2000 and 1500 BC, the
Hebrews (HEE-brooz)appeared in Southwest
Asia.
• Their religion was Judaism.
• People wrote down accounts of what
happened. This eventually became the
Hebrew Bible.
BEGINNINGS IN CANAAN
• The Bible traces the Hebrews back to a
man named Abraham.
• The Bible says that God told Abraham
to lead his family into Canaan.
• Many of his descendants lived there
for many years.
CANAAN AND EGYPT
BEGINNINGS IN EGYPT
• However, later, some Hebrews
moved to Egypt where they grew
in number.
• The pharaoh was unhappy about
this and made the Hebrews
become slaves.
THE EXODUS:
THE EXODUS
• A leader named Moses helped the Hebrews
get their freedom.
• Moses led the people out of Egypt. This
journey is called the Exodus.
THE EXODUS: CONTINUED
• The Bible says that
Moses was given two
stone tablets on
Mount Sinai.
• On the stones was
written a code of
moral laws called “The
Ten Commandments.”
INVASIONS
• Once the Hebrews reached Canaan, or
Israel, they eventually split into two
kingdoms, Israel and Judah.
• Invaders conquered Israel and Judah and
sent the Jews out of Jerusalem as slaves.
• When the invaders were conquered, some
Jews returned home and some went other
places.
• This scattering of Jews outside of Israel is
called the Diaspora (dy-As-pruh).
JEWISH BELIEFS
• The Jewish people believe that there is one
and only one God (Monotheism).
• They believe in justice and righteousness.
• Justice means kindness and fairness.
• Righteousness means doing what Is proper.
• Jewish people take their religious and moral
laws very seriously (these are the Ten
Commandments). They also follow “Mosaic
Law”.
SYNAGOGUE
JEWISH TEXTS
• Judaism has several sacred texts.
• The Torah, the first part of the Hebrew
Bible, is the most sacred.
• The Talmud is a set of laws,
commentaries, stories, and folklore.
• Jewish rabbis, or religious teachers,
have studied these texts for centuries.
TRADITIONS AND HOLY DAYS
• Hanukkah and Passover are celebrations of
historical events.
• The two most sacred Jewish holidays are
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
• Rosh Hashanah celebrates the start of the
new year.
• On Yom Kippur, Jews ask God to forgive
their sins. This is the holiest day of the year for
the Jews.