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