Hebrews Abram n n Abram was born

Hebrews

Abram n n Abram was born in Ur around 2000 BCE, located in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley region. From Ur, Abram and his family moved to Haran

Call from God n At the age of 75, he received his calling from God: "The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. " (Genesis 12: 1 -3)

HEBREWS n n n Abram obediently left for Canaan (today Israel) with his wife Sarah During that time The Lord appeared to him and told him that, "To your offspring I will give this land. " (Genesis 12: 7). His descendents became known as Hebrews.

Migration of Abraham

Video

n n n Abraham and the Hebrews were the first monotheists Monotheism : belief in one god http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=u. J 4 H 3 Qgk-Kw

n n Abraham’s monotheism became the foundation of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Abraham’s Covenant (sacred promise) with God: Go to Canaan (promised land) with your people and I will make you the father of a great nation

Moses n n n By c. 1250 BCE, many Hebrews have settled in Egypt as slaves Adopted son of Egyptian pharaoh after his wife finds him floating down the Nile in a basket Grows up and realizes that he is adopted and is actually the son of Hebrew slaves God tells Moses to ask his brother, the new Pharoh, to let his people go Brother says no!

Plagues n God sends a series of 10 plagues to Egypt • Plague: terrible disaster affecting many people and thought to be a punishment sent from God • Examples: bugs called locusts eat all the crops, Nile turn to blood, etc. n n n Finally, God sends a plague that will kill the firstborn son of each family in Egypt God tells the Hebrews to paint a red cross on their houses so that the plague will “passover” them Pharoh’s son is killed and he agrees let the Hebrews go!

Moses & the Red Sea n n Moses starts to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt but the Pharaoh changes his mind Just as they reach the Red Sea the Pharaoh and his army catch up with them Moses places his staff into the river and parts the Red Sea so the Hebrews can cross; recoded as a miracle in the Old testament The Pharoh’s army is killed when they try to cross the Red Sea

Exodus n This story is called the Exodus, meaning “departure”

Moses in Sinai n n Moses and the Hebrews go to the Sinai Peninsula and wander in the desert for 40 years Eventually Moses is told by God to stop at Mt. Sinai There he received the 10 commandments from God He convinces his Hebrew people to follow this God and starts the Jewish faith

Moses n Led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt to the “promised land”(Israel) n Delivered the Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments n State both religious and moral behavior in that they require that believers both worship God and live justly with one another

Beliefs of Judaism The Religion of the Hebrews (Jews) One God n Torah n Ten Commandments n

After Moses n n Hebrews settle in Canaan (modern day Israel) Hebrews divide into 12 Tribes

n n King David becomes famous for defeating the giant Goliath David united the tribes of Israel

n n His son Solomon build a temple in Jerusalem After Solomon’s death the kingdom divides into two

Jerusalem Holy City of the Jews n n King David established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Today Jerusalem is a holy city to Muslims and Christians as well as Jews.

Jerusalem and the Temple Holy Temple in Jerusalem was built by King Solomon in 957 BCE Replaced the portable sanctuary built in the Sinai Desert by the people travelling with Moses

The site of the original temple is now occupied by a Muslim Mosque (Dome of the Rock). n Ownership of these and other holy sites has been a source of bickering between Muslims and Jews for centuries. n

Babylonian Captivity n n In 586 BCE the Neo -Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and burned down the temple He sent thousands of Jews to leave Israel and live in Babylon

While in Babylon n n Groups of Jews met together on the holy day, or Sabbath, to discuss religion These meetings were held at synagogues, or Jewish houses of worship

Cyrus and the Persians n n In 538 BCE, the Persian Empire in modern day Iran took over the Neo. Babylonian Empire in Mesopotamia The Persian emperor, Cyrus the Great, allowed the Jews to move back to Israel

Jews Rebuild the Second Temple n When they return to Jerusalem, the Jews set to work on a new temple

The Torah n n Persians controlled the government in Israel so the Jews looked to their religious leaders for guidance Religious leaders wrote down the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible during this time also known has the Christian Old Testament Wrote on scrolls Called the Torah

Exile Jews were driven from their homeland by the Romans in AD 132. The state of Israel ceased to exist for 1800 years. n Exile: this mean time that someone is forced to spend in a foreign land n

Western Wall n n In 70 AD the Romans destroyed the ancient Temple of Jerusalem. The West Wall of the Temple Mount is all that remains today. Jews consider this wall their most sacred shrine (holy site). They come from all over the world to pray at this shrine.

Diaspora n Scattering of the Jews • Jews migrated all around the Mediterranean Sea

PHOENICIANS n Great seafaring traders who founded wealthy city-states in the Fertile Crescent along the Mediterranean coast (present-day Lebanon). Phoenicia

set up colonies (lands controlled by a distant nation) n Carthage became the most powerful colony n

Phoenician Accomplishments n First Alphabet (phonetic symbols stand for sounds) • 22 letter alphabet (vs. 550 cuneiform characters)

Great shipbuilders and seafarers n Spread civilization and the alphabet through trade. n Use of coins as well as the alphabet made trade much easier. n

The Phoenecians

NUBIA • Also called Kush Located on the upper (southern) Nile n Present-day n

Kush and Egypt (Lower Nile) Kush (Upper Nile) n Ideas and goods flowed along the Nile between Kush and Egypt

n Egypt dominated Kush for 1000 years Gifts for the King from a country called Nubia

Kush conquered Egypt and established its own dynasty: (line of hereditary, meaning from one family, rulers who rule a region) on the Egyptian throne n

n Contributions of Kush Meroitic script (writing)

Kush

n Steep sided pyramids and palaces

n Gold, copper, and iron working.

n Golden Age of Meroe After the Assyrians conquered Egypt, Kush continued to prosper in the booming trade between Africa, Arabia and India

Faded away around 400 AD Nubian Queen Ahmes Nefertari of Egypt around 1550 B. C