Hebrew Sciptures Final


Key Concepts



  • Blood- source of life



  • Covenant- Pledge, Mosaic Law



  • Promised Land- Israel, Holy Land, Palestine, Canaan



  • Exodus and the Divine Deliverance- Central theme of the Hebrew Scriptures



  • Polytheism vs Monotheism- One God vs. many gods



  • Sacred Time- Mt. Sinai



  • Sacred Place- Jerusalem



  • Sacred History- Historical books



  • Nomad- wandering people without a permanent home



  • Ten Commandments- building blocks of every community



  • Life- greatest gift given to humanity



  • Holocaust- burnt offering



  • B.C.E. and C.E.- Before Common Era, Common Era

Important Locations 



  • Mt. Sinai- Sacred Time



  • Jerusalem- Capital City, City of David



  • Holy of Holies- Holiest room in the Temple with the Ark of the Covenant



  • Mountains- Symbolic of eternal and holy

Key Figures

  • Abraham, Isaac, Jacob- Patriarchs of Judaism



  • Ishmael and Isaac- Abraham’s sons, Ishmel = Arab Patriarch, Isaac = Jewish Patriarch



  • Moses- Religious leader of Hebrews, receives 10 commandments



  • David (King)- Greatest king in Jewish history, around 1000 BCE



  • Saul (King)- 1st king of Israel, Tribal leader



  • Samuel- Last judge before kings, former prophet, picks Saul and David



  • Ruth and Boaz- Great grandparents of Kind David



  • Solomon- David’s son, built the Temple, cause for the split of Israel



  • Amos- Fights against injustice



  • Hosea- Spoke about faith, based on his own marriage as a symbolic gesture as Israel’s commitment to God or lack thereof



  • Jesus (descendant of David)- Anticipated king to follow after David

The Hebrew Scriptures

  • Genesis- Myths, creation stories, Patriarchs



  • Exodus- Exile and deliverance



  • Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy- The Torah in order



  • Historical Books- Sacred history, about the monarchy, all religious history



  • Wisdom Books- All about the meaning and purpose of life, advice on living



  • Prophetic Books- Lead people back to the Torah, guide on moral and spiritual behavior, judgment, call of God on the people

    • Former Prophets- Come before kings and Samuel



  • Major Prophets- Larger books of prophets, Isaiah 



  • Minor Prophets- Smaller books of prophets, Hosea, Amos



  • Classical Prophets- Blunt and corrected moral behavior, Nathaniel



  • Professional Prophets- Emotional and other techniques to influence the audience, Ezekiel 



  • False Prophets- Prophesied for money



  • Psalms- Prayer sung with a string instrument, most credit is given to King David



  • The Torah- First 5 books of the Bible, Law of Moses, Pentateuch in Christianity



Key Religious Practices and Symbols

  • Sabbath- Friday evening to Saturday evening, prayer, rest, and study



  • Yarmulke- Skullcap, sign of humility and respect to God



  • Mezuzah- Doorpost decoration, holds the Shema prayer



  • Prayer Shawl- Worn for prayer while reading Torah, 613 knots = Laws of Jerusalem



  • Kosher- Dietary Laws, means “pure and fit”



  • Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek- The languages the Bible was written in



  • Identity, Direction, Fulfillment (questions during crises)- Retell, relive, and recite their stories to gain these




Historical and Theological Themes

  • God’s Relationship with His People:

    • God loving and almighty 

    • God is not removed and cares deeply for people 

    • Life is a gift and is filled with God’s presence

    • We are all here to tend to the earth and each other

    • Our lives either strengthens or shatters the covenant with God

Key Jewish Beliefs and Practices



  • 613 Laws- First 10 = 10 commandments



  • Kosher Laws- Dietary laws, “pure and fit”



  • Messiah- Military leader although they are annointed



  • Patriarch- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob



  • Yahweh- Too sacred to speak aloud or write




Key Stories and Their Messages

  • The Fall (Sin stories):

    • Cain and Abel (humanity called to overcome egoism)

Adam and Eve (free will and mastery over actions)- Adam = earth, substance, Eve = life, breath

Other Important Numbers



  • #Three and Seven (symbolic numbers)- perfection



  • #40 (symbolic number)- Generation or unspecified amount of time

Historical Context

  • 587 BCE: Babylonian Attack and Exile



  • The Jewish Temple/Synagogue- Can always gather in groups no matter where they are