The Hebrews

The Hebrews

• Hebrews – Jews, Israelites
• Hebrews were the founders of Judaism
• The Hebrews are monotheistic
• Monotheism - Belief in one God
• Believe in one god (Yahweh) who is the creator of the world and everything in it
• The sun, wind, etc, are not gods, but God’s creation
• Judaism influenced the religions of Christianity, Islam.

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The Torah (The Old Testament)

• The Torah is the most sacred text in Judaism.
• Used to understand the history of the Jewish people and the development of Judaism
• The first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible :
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy

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Judaism Today

• Approximately 15 million followers of Judaism (0.2% of world population)
• 75% live in Israel and the U.S.
• Symbols of Judaism: Star of David, menorah, yarmulke
• Jewish Persecution (cruel and unfair treatment) - has been a major part of Jewish history
• Roman Empire
• Muslims
• Nazism
• Russia and the Soviet Union
• Palestinians

Abraham: Father of the Hebrews

• Abraham - “Father of the Hebrews”
• Born in Mesopotamia around 2000 BC
• Introduced the central belief that there is only one God
• According to the Torah, Judaism began when God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation

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Abraham

• Was told by God to move his family from Mesopotamia (Ur) to “the promised land” Canaan.
• Covenant = a contract, or binding agreement
• He was promised by God that he would father a great nation
• His descendants became known as the Jewish people
• God would protect and bless Abraham & his descendants as long as he worshipped and followed God’s rules

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Abraham’s Journeys

Abraham…cont

• By 1250 BCE, a large group of Abraham’s descendants were living in Egypt.
• The Torah says that the Hebrews “increased in number and became very powerful”.
• The pharaoh of Egypt made the Hebrews slaves to stop them from taking over Egypt.
• Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 400 years

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Moses

• Moses - considered the greatest leader of the Hebrews
• The Egyptian pharaoh felt threatened by the number of Hebrews and ordered all male Hebrew babies to be killed
• Moses’ mother hid him in a basket in the reeds along the banks of the Nile River
• Baby Moses was found by an Egyptian princess who raised him as royalty – The pharaoh’s grandson
• His brother, Ramses II – the next pharaoh of Egypt

Moses – The Hebrew

• Moses killed an Egyptian guard who beat a Hebrew slave
• Settled in Midian, married Zipporah
• Encountered the Burning Bush on Mount Horeb
• God commanded him to free the Israelites
• Moses initially resisted but accepted the mission

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Moses…cont

• God ordered Moses to help the Hebrew people by leading them out of Egypt
• Moses demanded that the pharaoh free his people
• If Ramses refused then Egypt would suffer

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The Ten Plagues

1. Water turned to blood
2. Frogs
3. Lice
4. Flies
5. Diseased livestock
6. Boils
7. Hail and fire
8. Locusts – Ate the Crops
9. Darkness
10. Death of the firstborn (Passover established)
1. After the plagues, the pharaoh gave in and let the Hebrews go.

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Moses…cont

• After the Hebrews left, the pharaoh changed his mind and followed them to the Red Sea with his army.
• Moses parted the waters of the Red Sea
• The Hebrews were able to make it safely to the other side.
• The Egyptians tried to follow, but were caught by the falling waters; the soldiers drowned.
• The Torah refers to this time period as, Exodus, which means “departure”.

The Ten Commandments

• Moses and Hebrews searched for the “Promised Land”
• They wandered in the desert for 40 years
• God gave Moses the laws that became the foundation of Judaism; the Ten Commandments
• The Hebrews reached Canaan and settled there in small communities, as the Israelites.

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The Formation of Israel

• David becomes King of Israel
• Around 1000 BCE the Hebrews were at war with a rival tribe, the Philistines.
• King David defeat of the Philistines and other enemies
• Gave the new kingdom its own army, courts, and government officials
• Established Jerusalem as a holy city
• Jerusalem and its temple became powerful symbols to the Hebrews

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David - Video

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCP2zWaJlGc&ab_channel=BibleProject

The Formation of Israel… cont

• King Solomon became king after the death of King David
• Forced his people to work on the construction of a temple.
• Taxed his people heavily to buy gold, wood, copper, and other materials
• Solomon made allies with nearby kingdoms, including Egypt.
• Trade made Israel very rich.

Kingdom of Israel Divided

• Solomon’s methods angered many Hebrews
• After Solomon’s death, revolts broke out over who should be king.
• Near his death c. 931 BCE the northern tribes of the Hebrews broke away and formed the kingdom of Israel
• The remaining tribes formed the southern kingdom of Judah ruled by Solomon’s descendants

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Lost Tribes of Israel

• This split Israel into two kingdoms, called Israel and Judah. The people of Judah became known as the Jews.
• Israel was conquered by Assyrians in 722 BCE
• Judah was eventually destroyed by Babylon in 586 BCE and the Jews were enslaved
• In 538 BCE - The Persians conquered the territory and allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

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Capture of Jerusalem & Babylonian Exile

• King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege (surrounded & cut off supplies) to the city of Jerusalem
• By 586 BCE, Hebrews had run out of food and & Babylonians broke through city walls & captured the city
• Nebuchadnezzar burned down Solomon’s Temple & all the houses of the city
• Babylonian Exile = Hebrews living in Judah were captured by the Babylonians and forced to migrate to Babylon

Lost Tribes of Israel… cont

• Diaspora (di·a·spr·uh) meaning “dispersal” which refers to Jewish population living outside of Israel
• In 332 BCE, Jewish people in fell under Hellenization (Greek culture) as Alexander the Great conquered Persia, Egypt and India
• 164 BCE, group of Jews called the Maccabees revolted against Greek rule, took control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple to God (Hanukkah)

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Lost Tribes of Israel… cont

• 64 BCE, Jerusalem fell to Romans and the Kingdom of Judah became one of the provinces of the Roman Empire (Judea). The people living there were called Judeans, and it is from this word that we get the word Jew
• In 66 CE the people of Judea revolted against Rome. This uprising was crushed and the temple was destroyed for a second time in 70 CE

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Modern day Israel

• Was created in 1948 as a Jewish homeland
• Has repeatedly come under attack from Palestinians and other Arab countries upset over their displacement for the creation of Israel

Judaism Still Practiced Today

Judaism Today

• Approximately 15 million followers of Judaism (0.2% of world population)
• 75% live in Israel and the U.S.
• Symbols of Judaism: Star of David, menorah, yarmulke
• Jewish Persecution (cruel and unfair treatment) - has been a major part of Jewish history
• Roman Empire
• Muslims
• Nazism
• Russia and the Soviet Union
• Palestinians

Famous Jewish People

Hebrew Beliefs

Traditions

• Think of a tradition that is shared and preserved in your family. It might be a favorite recipe, a story, an activity, or a special custom.

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• Share with a neighbor

Sacred Texts

• The Torah is the foundational text of Judaism and is part of a larger text known as the Tanakh
• The Torah is also the first 5 books of the Old Testament (Christian Bible)
• Other texts include:
• Talmud - Talmud contains the history of the Jewish religion, as well as their laws and beliefs.
• Mishnah - is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions

Other Beliefs and Practices

• Worship at a Synagogue - house of worship or a church

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Yamaka

• Covering the head is a sign of respect and fear of God.
• It is also felt that this separates God and human, by wearing a hat you are recognizing that God is above all mankind.

Kosher

• “Kosher” is a term used to describe foods that comply with dietary guidelines set by traditional Jewish law.
• No pork and no shellfish
• Fish - The fish must have fins and scales. The scales must be easily removable without damaging the skin.
• Food must be butchered and prepared by a Rabbi or properly salted
• No mixing of foods – No dairy with meat.

Kosher Video

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYk0KeYhqYQ

Holy Days

• Rosh Hashanah—marks the start of the Jewish New Year and beings a 10 day period of atonement leading up to Yom Kippur

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• Yom Kippur—is the day of atonement and the holiest day in Judaism

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• Hanukah—Known as the “Festival of Lights” marks the re-dedication of the Temple

Mazal Tov

• Means good luck or congratulations
• Particularly used for significant life events (ie. Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, birthdays, etc.)

Amen

• Literally “So be it”
• Means I agree/affirm
• After a blessing it is customary for those who have heard the blessing to say Amen

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Shalom

• Means hello/goodbye/peace
• Comes from root word shalem which means whole/complete
• Peace comes when there is wholeness, completeness, unity.
• Pease is the eternal Jewish prayer—world peace, peace between people, inner peace, harmony.

Menorah

• Seven (or nine) branched candleholder
• One of the oldest Jewish symbols—one of the ritual objects described in the Torah
• Today the nine branched menorah is used in celebration of Chanukah
• The seven branched menorah is the authentic ancient symbol (one for each of the 6 days of creation and 1 for sabbath)

What is Hanukkah?

• Jewish Festival of Lights and it remembers the rededication of the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, in Israel
• This happened in the 160s BCE/BC (before Jesus was born)
• Hanukkah lasts for eight days and starts on the eve of the Kislev 25, the month in the Jewish calendar that occurs at about the same time as December.

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Hanukkah - Video

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVt4aMMxnQ4