Margaret Leal and Maddy Klement
Day B, Period 3
World History
September 14, 2012

The ancient
Hebrews and
their religion,
Judaism, have
been a major
influence on
Western
civilization.
 Judaism-a monotheistic religion originating with the Israelites, tracing its origins to
Abraham, and having its spiritual and ethical principles embodied chiefly in the
Hebrew Scriptures and the Talmud.
 Torah-the first five books of the Hebrew Bible; the most sacred texts of the Jewish faith.
 Abraham-according to the Bible, the originator of the Jewish line of descent; according
to the Qu’ran, the ancestor of the Arabs; he held a deep devotion to and a great trust in
the will of God.
 Covenant-a binding agreement.
 Patriarch –an ancestral “father” of Judaism.
 Moses-(1500s-1400s BC) Hebrew prophet and lawgiver; according to the Bible, he led
the Hebrew people out of Egypt and back to Canaan in the Exodus. According to the
Bible, it was during this journey that he received the Ten Commandments from God.
 Exodus-the escape of the Hebrews from Egypt.
 Diaspora-the dispersal of the Jews from their homeland in Palestine during the 2,600
years that followed the destruction of the Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BC by
the Chaldeans.
 Monotheism-the belief in one god.
What are the major events in the history of the early
Hebrews?
 Abraham makes a covenant with God
 Made slaves in Egypt
 Exodus- left a life of slavery
 Mount Siani – receive Ten Commandments
 Move to Canaan
How did the Kingdom of Israel develop, and who
were some of its key leaders ?
 Came from the Israelites that were led to Canaan by
Moses
 Kings: Saul, David, Solomon
 Saul: chosen for military leadership, won against
Philistines, not as well liked.
 David: becomes 2nd king, well liked by the people,
strong military leader and king, was a poet and
musician.
 Solomon: gained much power and wealth, and very
wise.
What are the basic teachings and sacred texts of
Judaism?
 The Torah, the most sacred texts.
 Made of 5 books
 There are additional texts that make up the Hebrew
Bible.
 They belief in one God, monotheistic
 Belief of justice (kindness and fairness) and
righteousness (doing what is right and proper).
 Obedience to the law- Ten Commandments
 Conflict of new King- ten tribes in the north is Israel
and two tribes in the south, was the Kingdom of Judah.
 Became know as the Jews
 722 B.C. Israel fell to the Asyrians
 Judah fell to the Chaldeans in 586 B.C.
 Persians were the last people to conquer the land from
the Chaldeans.
 They allowed the Jews to come back to Jerusalem
 Rebuilt Solomon’s Temple- the 2nd Temple