Judaism

a. Cannan was the ancient home of the Hebrews

b. Hebrews were later called Jews

c. The Hebrews history, legends, and moral laws have had a major influence on Western culture.

d. Part of their history is shared with Christianity and Islam.

a. Ancient Palestine’s location made it a crossroads of the ancient world.

b. Palestine: Region at the eastern-end of the Mediterranean Sea.

c. The Hebrews settled in Canaan which was located in Palestine.

d. According to the Bible, Canaan was the land of God had promised to the Hebrews.

e. Most of what we know of early Hebrew history is found in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible know as the Torah.

f. The Torah is the most sacred writings to the Hebrews and make up part of the Old Testament for the Christians.

g. In the Torah, God chose Abraham to be the “father” of the Hebrew people.

h. Abraham was a shepherd who lived in Ur; God commanded him to move his people to Canaan around 1800 B.C.

i. Around 1650 B.C. the descendants of Abraham moved to Egypt.

j.The Hebrews were monotheistic and worshiped god Yahweh.

k. Covenant: Promise made by Abraham and his people to obey Yahweh in return Yahweh had promised to protect Abraham and his descendants.

a. The Bible says the Hebrews migrated to Egypt due to drought and famine.

b. At first, they were accepted but later forced into slavery.

C. Moses

I. At the time of Moses’ birth, the Pharaoh felt threatened by the Hebrews and commanded that all first born males be killed.

II. Moses’ mother laid him in the reeds of the Nile to save him.

III. An Egyptian princess found him and raised him in luxury.

IV. He didn’t forget Hebrew birth, but no one knew including the Pharaoh.

V. Eventually Moses’ secret would get out, and he became a slave.

VI. By the command of God, he was told to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt.

VII. This became known as the Exodus “Let my people go.”

VIII. As the Hebrews traveled across the Sinai Peninsula, Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai to pray.

IX. The Bible says he spoke to God and was given the Ten Commandments.

X. These Ten Commandments and other teachings became the basis of religious law of Judaism as well as Christianity.

a. Canaan was harsh with desert, rocky, wilderness, and the hot valley of the Jordan River.

b. The tribe of Judah was the last remaining of the Hebrews and were soon called the Jews with their religion Judaism.

c. The Hebrews united under one kingdom of Israel.

d. Israel as an official country would not be formed until 1948.

e. Solomon became the most powerful of Hebrews kings and built a trading empire.