Hebrew Sciptures Final

Blood

Source of life.

Covenant

A pledge, often associated with Mosaic Law.

Promised Land

Refers to Israel, Holy Land, Palestine, and Canaan.

Exodus and the Divine Deliverance

Central theme of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Polytheism vs Monotheism

The belief in many gods vs the belief in one God.

Sacred Time

Refers to Mt. Sinai.

Sacred Place

Refers to Jerusalem.

Sacred History

Historical books of the scriptures.

Nomad

Wandering people without a permanent home.

Ten Commandments

The foundational principles for ethical conduct in communities.

Life

Considered the greatest gift given to humanity.

Holocaust

Refers to burnt offerings.

B.C.E. and C.E.

Before Common Era and Common Era.

Mt. Sinai

Symbolizes Sacred Time.

Jerusalem

Capital city also known as the City of David.

Holy of Holies

The holiest room in the Temple containing the Ark of the Covenant.

Mountains

Symbolic of eternity and holiness.

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob

Patriarchs of Judaism.

Ishmael and Isaac

Abraham’s sons, where Ishmael represents the Arab Patriarch and Isaac the Jewish Patriarch.

Moses

Religious leader of the Hebrews who received the Ten Commandments.

David (King)

Regarded as the greatest king in Jewish history, around 1000 BCE.

Saul (King)

The first king of Israel and a tribal leader.

Samuel

The last judge before kings and a prophet who chose Saul and David.

Ruth and Boaz

Great-grandparents of King David.

Solomon

David’s son who built the Temple and was a cause for the split of Israel.

Amos

A prophet who fought against injustice.

Hosea

A prophet who drew from his marriage to illustrate Israel’s relationship with God.

Jesus (descendant of David)

Anticipated king expected to follow King David.

Genesis

Contains myths, creation stories, and the narrative of the patriarchs.

Exodus

Focuses on exile and deliverance.

The Torah

Comprises the first five books of the Bible; also known as the Law of Moses.

Wisdom Books

Examine the meaning and purpose of life and provide practical advice.

Prophetic Books

Call people back to the Torah and offer moral guidance.

Former Prophets

Prophets who lived before the establishment of kings.

Major Prophets

Larger texts of prophetic literature, such as Isaiah.

Minor Prophets

Refers to shorter prophetic books like Hosea and Amos.

Psalms

Songs of prayer traditionally attributed to King David.

Sabbath

A period of prayer, rest, and study from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

Yarmulke

A skullcap worn as a sign of humility and respect towards God.

Mezuzah

A doorpost decoration that holds the Shema prayer.

Prayer Shawl

Worn for prayer while reading the Torah, symbolizing various laws.

Kosher

Refers to dietary laws meaning 'pure and fit'.

613 Laws

Includes the Ten Commandments as the first ten.

Messiah

Expected as a military leader who is anointed.

Yahweh

A name for God too sacred to be spoken aloud.

The Fall

Stories illustrating sin, including Cain and Abel, and Adam and Eve.

Symbolic number Three and Seven

Represent perfection.

Symbolic number 40

Indicates a generation or unspecified period of time.

587 BCE

The year of the Babylonian attack and exile.

The Jewish Temple/Synagogue

Places for communal gathering regardless of location.