Chapter 6 Notes “The Israelites” Katherine Santana 2/14/23 06

Lesson 1- The Beginnings

- You have heard of the religion of Judaism. You may not know, however, that it is both an
ancient and modern religion. Many ancient societies worshipped many deities, or gods.
The worship of more than one God is called polytheism.
- The Israelites believed that God sent prophets, or messengers, to share God's word with
the people
- They argued that God is powerful but also just and good. The prophets wanted the
Israelites to understand that God expects goodness from his people.
- The prophets also believed that every individual could connect personally to God through
prayer, religious study, and good and just acts. The belief in one all-powerful, just, and
personal God is called monotheism
The Hebrew Bible
- The Israelites recorded their beliefs and history. These writings became known as the
Hebrew Bible or Tanakh
- The followers of Judaism are today known as Jews.
- Judaism played an important part in the development of two other major monotheistic
religions— Christianity and Islam
- Christians call the Hebrew Bible the Old Testament. Christianity grew directly out of
Judaism. Islam also accepted many of Judaism's beliefs and practices. Through the
Hebrew Bible, Judaism influenced the values, ethics, and principles of many other
societies.
Abraham
- According to Jewish Belief, God told Abraham to travel to Canaan
- All Israelites descend from Abraham
- round 1200 B.C. momentous changes took place in the Mediterranean region. Egypt's
empire ended, and new peoples, including the Israelites, entered the region.
- The land is often called the Promised Land because of God's promise to Abraham.
-
Isaac and Jacob
- Issaac headed the family after his father Abraham died.
- An angel gave Jacob a new name of Israel meaning “one who struggles with God”-
according to the Hebrew Bible
- Jacob’s 12 son became leaders of the twelve tribes; they were the ancestors of the twelve
tribes of Israel
- After living in Canaan Jacob’s family left- they moved to Egypt and lived there
 - The Paroah became uneasy because of the Israelites living there fearing they would take
over, so Egypt made the Israelites slaves
Moses and the Exodus
- Moses is a prophet who was told by God to help fear the Israelites from slavery- he asked
the Pharoah to release them, and he declined
- God sent 10 plagues upon Egypt including the locusts which devoured their fields of crop
and causing outbreaks of diseases
- God parted the Rd Sea to let their people pass and closed it once the Pharaoh’s army tried
to pass thru drowning them
- The Exodus was known as the departure of their slavery in Egypt- The Jewish
community celebraters this with Passover.
The Covenant
- One of the most important parts of the Torah is the ten commandments
- It is the teaching and helps shape the morals of many- ex. U.S.
- They received an agreement with God- that god promises to return the Israelites safely to
Canaan
- The Israelites believed in only one form of God
The Land of Canaan
- Moses died before the Israelites reached the promise land
- Others and settled there already- the Philistines and the Canaanites; they worshiped many
gods
Who were the Canaanites?
- They were skilled sailors and traders
- They expanded trade
- spread ideas across the Mediterranean
- They built settlements
- Their most important contribution was crating the alphabet
Philistines
- They kept their own language and religion but accepted many practices from their
neighbors
- They migrated from present day Greece
Military Conquest
- Canaan was the Israelites’ promise land
- Joshua led them into the many battles to conquer Canaan
 - For six days the Israelites marched around the city walls while the priest blew their
trumpets.
- On the 7th day the walls of Jerico collapsed the Israelites conquering the city
- Any tribe they conquered was separated between the 12 tribes
-
Life in Canaan
- To help drain the dry season they would store water underground to irrigate the crops
- They lived-in two-story house made of mudbrick or stone
- During the day they were in the first story but at night the donkeys and goats slept there,
and the people slept upstairs
The Tabernacle
- A tent like structure Israelites used to worship God
- The Ark of the Covenant held the tablets of the ten commandments
- The Ark was a sign of God’s presence and during battle it ensured victory.

Lesson 2- The Israelite Kingdom

Early Kings
- Israelites called for a king to unite the twelve tribes to go against the Philistines
- The Israelites had already settled in Cannan

Saul: The First King

- Saul was chosen by a judge of the name Samuel
- He disobeyed God’s commands
- He was anointed by holy oil
- the Israelites won many battles with Saul and Saul gained much fame but lost it easily bit
lost it because of him disobeying God

King David
- He was famous for his victory against goliath
- He untied the twelve tribes
- He defeated the philistines
 - Established the capital city- Jerusalem
- Saul was impressed with David’s skills, so he placed with in charge of his army
- Praises were created for David because of his many wins
- Saul tried to kill David over jealousy, but David escaped
- David became king after Saul’s death
- The Israelites enjoyed prosperous times under David’s rule
- Farmers were able to build terrace field to prevent water from washing out soil
King Solomon
- He created the first temple called The First Temple
- The first temple had the Ark of covenant
- Brought an extended period of peace to the region
- He is known for his wisdom
- Despite many achievements the Israelites turned on him because of the high paying taxes
and the building projects
- After his earth, the Israelites entered a period of trouble in history

Two Kingdoms
- Israel has the 10 Northern tribes
- Israel's capital was named Samaria
- Israel’s conquering empire was the Assyrian empire
- Judah had the 2 southern tribes
- Judah’s capital city was Jerusalem
- Judah’s conquering Empire was the Chaldean Empire

The Fall of Israel

- The fall of Irael was caused by the Assyrians Empire
- The Assyrians trade to force them to pay tribute if they did not pay, they would burn
homes carried all valuable goods
- They would force the people to leave and settle in new settlements

The fall of Judah

- The fall of Judah was caused by the Chaldean Empire
- They forced them to live in Babylon
- Known as the Babylonian exile
What was the Prophet’s message?
- They offered words of hope in times of despair
- The prophets explained that the people were not obeying God
- “But let justice roll on like a river, righteous like a never-failing stream!”
- All should work for a society where all people are treated fairly
- Prophets also stressed the importance of leading a moral life and helping others to
connect with God

Lesson 3- The development of Judaism

Return to Judah
- While some Jews accepted their exile in Babylon, others hoped to return home to Judah.
- Jews no longer had a place to worship, so groups of them met at synagogues
- They worshipped on Sabbath which lasted from Friday sundown to Saturday nightfall

Rebuilding Judah
- When the Persians defeated the Chaldeans, the Persian king allowed the Jews to return
home around 538 B.C (Before Christ).
- They rebuilt Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple the Chaldeans destroyed – this temple
became known as the second temple
- The Persians chose officials to rule the country and collected taxes from people
- Jews could not have their own government or king they depended on religious leaders
(temples priest and scribes)
- Priest had a deep understanding of Jewish faith and religion
- Scribes taught at schools and lectured in synagogues
- Jews wrote the five books of the Torah on parchment and sewed them together to make
scrolls

What is the Hebrew Bible

- The three parts of the Hebrew Bible—the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings—
explain the laws and rules of the Israelites
- The Hebrew Bible presents the rules and laws of the Israelites it also reflects the culture
of the people
- Genesis is the first book of the Torah it tells how God created the earth in six days and
rested on the seventh day and how God punishes for wicked behavior
- Noah and the story of the flood and the ark
 - Genesis also explains why people all over the world speak different languages- it tells
how citizens of Babel tried to build a tower to heaven and God disapproved and made
people speak different languages so they could not work together to finish the tower
- The last part of the bible describes the Jews beliefs
- The book of Daniel explains that Jews also believed that evil and suffering would be
eventually replaced by goodness
- Daniel refused to worship the Babylonian Gods even being the trusted advisor of a
Babylonian King- he was then thrown into the lion's den as punishment, but God
protected him
- The story reminds Jews that God will rescue them

Jewish Daily Life

- The Hebrew Bible also records essential elements of Jewish culture, such as art,
literature, and proverbs.
- The Torah supplied teachings these teachings instructed how people should eat, dress and
live
- They required Jews to help with the poor, deal honestly with neighbors, and apply laws
firmly
- Laws emphasized worth and responsibility and self-discipline
- The laws reminded them of their loyalty to God

The Jewish Family

- The laws of the Torah influenced the roles and duties of family life for the early Jews.
- Jewish family stressed education especially for young men- they learned to read the
Torah
- Reading the Torah was central to Jewish life
- When sons were old enough father taught them to worship God and to learn a trade
- Daughters were taught at home to be wives, mothers, and housekeepers

Dietary Laws
- The Torah also affected the foods that early Jews ate and the clothes that they wore.
- They could only eat meat of certain animals and they had to be prepared a certain way-
specific foods were eaten during religious meals
- Seder is a meal eaten during Passover
- Passover is the celebration of exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt
- Laws about food are known as kashrut which means “that which is proper”
 - Jews believed they were showing obedience to God when restricting food
- Food prepared along these laws are called kosher
- Jews cannot eat meat, dairy, and shellfish

Lesson 4- The Jews in the Mediterranean World

The Arrival of Greek Rule

- In 331 B.C., Alexander the Great of Greece defeated the Persians. Under Alexander’s
rule, many Jews remained in Judah, while others settled in other parts of the Greek
empire.

How Did Jewish Ideas Spread?

- After Alexander’s death, his empire was divided into separate kingdoms. The kingdom
that covered much of Southwest Asia was ruled by the Seleucids. Seleucid kings ruled
Judah from 200 B.C.
- Under Alexander, Judah stayed the center of Judaism. Thousands had been exiled to
Babylon in 586 B.C. When in 538 B.C. the conquering Persians gave them permission to
return to Judah, many chose to stay in Babylon or go to other Mediterranean lands
instead.
- These groups living outside the Jewish homeland became known as the Diaspora.
- The Jews of the Diaspora remained loyal to Judaism. At the same time, many learned the
Greek language and adopted features of Greek culture.
- A group of Jewish scholars in Egypt copied the Hebrew Bible into Greek. This Greek
version, called the Septuagint, helped people who were not Jews to read and understand
the Hebrew Bible. As a result, Jewish ideas spread throughout the Mediterranean world.

The Revolt of Maccabeus

- The Seleucid king Antiochus IV required the Jews to worship Greek gods and goddesses.
As a result, a Jewish priest named Judas Maccabeus led a revolt against the Seleucids in
167 B.C. and eventually regained control of the Temple in Jerusalem.
- In 176 B.C., Antiochus IV came to power as the Seleucid king. As ruler of Judah,
Antiochus required the Jews to worship the many Greek gods and goddesses. Many Jews,
however, refused to abandon their religion.
 - They then rededicated the temple to the worship of God. Each year, Jews recall the
cleansing of the Temple when they celebrate the festival of Hanukkah

Roman Rule in Judea

- By 100 B.C., the Romans controlled much of the eastern Mediterranean lands. The name
Roman came from Rome, their capital. Rome was found far to the west in what is known
today as Italy.
- Led by powerful generals, the Romans expanded their empire. In 63 B.C., Roman forces
conquered Judah and renamed it Judaea
- In 63 B.C., Roman forces captured Judah. Over time, separate groups appeared among
the Jews. These groups held differing beliefs and different views about how to respond to
Roman rule.
- The Second Temple in Jerusalem, rebuilt during Herod's reign, served as the center of
Jewish worship.

Jewish Groups
- The Zealots led a revolt in A.D (Anno Domini). 66. The Romans eventually recaptured
Jerusalem and defeated a second rebellion in A.D. 132. The Romans then instituted
stricter controls. They renamed Judaea and called it Palestine.
- After Herod's death, Roman officials ruled Judaea. At that time, disagreement grew about
how Judaism should be practiced. Jews also had different views on how to deal with the
Romans.
- One group of Jews was known as the Pharisees. The Pharisees gained the support of the
common people. They taught in the synagogues and applied the teachings of the Torah to
daily life. Through their teachings,
- the Pharisees helped to make Judaism a religion of the home and family. The Pharisees
wanted Judaea free of Roman rule. Many of them served as priests and scribes in the
Temple.
- The Sadducees accepted the laws of the Torah. They were more concerned, however,
with applying the laws to temple ceremonies. They also did not agree with many of the
Pharisees' teachings.
- For example, the Sadducees emphasized the written law but rejected oral law. The
Sadducees favored cooperation with the Romans. They wanted to keep peace and order in
Judaea.

Jewish-Roman Wars
 - In A.D. 66, the Zealots revolted. They overpowered the small Roman army in Jerusalem.
Four years later, Roman forces retook the city. They killed thousands of Jews and forced
many others to leave. The Romans also destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
- In A.D. 132, a military leader named Simon ben Kosiba, known as Bar Kochba, led the
Jews in the battle for freedom. However, three years later, Roman forces crushed the
revolt. They killed Bar Kochba and many other Jewish leaders during the fighting.
- They overpowered the small Roman army in Jerusalem. Four years later, the Romans
imposed stricter controls and did not allow Jews to live in or even visit Jerusalem. The
Romans renamed Judaea and called it Palestine. This name refers to the Philistines,
whom the Israelites had conquered centuries before.

The Rabbis
- Under Roman rule, rabbis helped the Jews survive and preserve their religion and
culture.
- Despite losing their struggle for independence, the Jews regrouped with the help of their
rabbis, or religious leaders. Instead, the synagogues and rabbis gained importance. The
rabbis taught and explained the Torah. They supplied moral guidance—accepted notions
of right and wrong—to the people.
- One of the most famous rabbis was Yohan Ben Zaccai he lived in Judaea when Jerusalem
fell to the Romans in A.D. 70. He persuaded the Romans to spare the Jewish city of
Yavneh. There, he founded a school to continue teaching the Torah.
- Ben Zaccai helped the Judaic spirit survive the destruction of the temple and the loss of
Jerusalem. He placed significant importance on the study of the Torah. He also stressed
acts of loving kindness and community service. Because of ben Zaccai's efforts, the
school at Yavneh became a center of Torah studies and a model for other schools. Other
rabbis founded Torah schools in places as far away as Babylon and Egypt.