The First Israelites Sec 1

Chapter 3 Lesson 1

How might religion influence culture?
o Religious beliefs might affect laws and behavior, including directing
people how to dress or act.

Terms
o Monotheism
• The belief in one God
o Tribe
• Separate family groups
o Torah
• Laws received from God;
first 5 books of the Old
Testament
o Covenant
• An agreement with God
o Alphabet
• Group of letters that stand
for sounds
People
o Abraham
o Jacob
o Moses
o Deborah
o Phoenician
Places
o Canaan
o Mt. Sinai

Small group of people who were monotheistic
Settled in Canaan in 1200
o Land on eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea
Known today as Judaism
o Followers of Judaism are called Jews
o Influenced Christianity and Islam
Spoke Hebrew
Wrote down their history in what is called Hebrew Bible
o Old Testament in Christian Bible

Earliest were herders and traders
Came from Mesopotamia and settled in Canaan
o Modern day countries: Lebanon, Israel and Jordan
Israelites believe they are descendants of Abraham
o God told Abraham and his followers to leave Mesopotamia and
move to Canaan
o God asked Abraham to worship the one true God
• Canaan would belong to Abraham and his descendants

Jacob, grandson of Abraham
o Renamed Israel
• “one who struggles with God”
• Name was given to Jacob’s descendants: Israelites
o Raised 12 sons in Canaan
• Family divided into tribes
• 12 tribes of Israel
Israelites lived in Canaan for 100 years
o Long drought forced them to move to Egypt

Egyptians enslave Israelites
To prevent rebellion, Hebrew baby boys thrown in Nile
o One mother hid her baby in a basket on riverbank
• Found by Pharaoh’s daughter: Moses

Moses:
o Raised in Pharaoh’s
house
o Banished from Egypt for
killing an Egyptian
o Became a sheep herder
o 1290 B.C., while tending
sheep saw burning bush
and heard God’s voice
• God told Moses to lead
the Israelites out of Egypt
To get Pharaoh to let the
Israelites go, God sent
10 plagues
o Water to blood
o Frogs
o Gnats or Lice
o Flies
o Diseased Livestock
o Boils
o Thunder and Hail
o Locusts
o Darkness
o Death of Firstborn

Escape from Egypt
o The last plague, God sent
the Angel of Death to kill the
firstborn of the Egyptians
• Israelites marked their doors
with lamb’s blood
• The angel passed over
those houses: Passover
• Pharaoh agreed to let the
Israelites leave
• Passover
o While they were leaving,
pharaoh changed his mind
and sent his army
• Moses parted Red Sea with
God’ help
• Sea flowed back drowning
Egyptian soldiers

Israelites were able to escape Egypt and began their long
journey back to Canaan
During their journey, they spent many years on the Sinai
peninsula traveling through the desert
o Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai
• Received 10 Commandments:
• God’s Law: Torah
• Covenant between God and Israelites
• Follow and love God and God will return them to Canaan

Torah: God’s Law
o Explained right from wrong
o Helped shape basic moral laws for many nations
o 10 Commandments told people not to:
• Steal
• Murder
• Tell lies
• Avoid jealousy
• Honor their parents
o Developed a belief that laws should apply to everyone equally

1. I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods
before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not cover your neighbor’s goods.

What is monotheism?
o
It is the belief in one God.
Which religions practice monotheism?
o
o
o
Judaism
Christianity/Catholicism
Islam
Which laws of the Israelites explained what God considered to be
right and wrong?
o
The Torah
What has helped shape the moral laws of many nations?
o
The Ten Commandments
On the eastern shore of which sea is the region of Canaan?
o
The Mediterranean Sea

It took around 40 years for the Israelites to reach Canaan
o Because Moses sinned against God, he was not allowed to enter
Canaan.
o He died across the Jordan River before the Israelites entered
Canaan
• Joshua became the new leader
When they arrived outside Canaan, it was inhabited by other
people
o Canaanites

Israelites believed it was God’s will that they conquer the
Canaanites
o Went into battle with the Canaanites
Battle of Jericho
o Joshua led the troops to the city of Jericho
o Troops marched around the city for 6 days; 7 priests blew trumpets
o 7 th Day: Troops marched, priests blew their trumpets and walls
collapsed
• Israelites conquer the city
Walls of Jericho
Joshua leads 3 more wars
o Land is divided amongst 12 tribes

Judges
o Took leadership roles after Joshua died
o Military leader
o Commanded 1 or 2 tribes, rarely all 12
o Bible tells of: Barak, Gideon, Samuel, Eli, Samson
• Deborah, woman
• Told Barak to attack the army of King Jabin
• Showed up at the battle
• Barak and 10,000 Israelites soldiers destroyed King Jabin 1125 B.C.
Over time, Israelites won more battles and controlled central
Canaan
To protect themselves, Israelites:
o
o
Built walled towns
Developed an alphabet and calendar based on Canaanite ideas

Phoenicians: Canaanites
o
o
o
Lived in cities along the Mediterranean Sea
Skilled sailors and traders
• Carried goods across Mediterranean to:
• Greece
• Spain
• Western Africa
Through trade spread ideas and goods
• Especially their Alphabet
Phoenician Alphabet
o
Group of letters that stood for sounds
• Used to spell out words in their language
• Writing became simpler
• Passed on to Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans
Hebrew/Phoenician Alphabet

Who led the Israelites into Canaan, and what city did they
conquer under his leadership?
o Joshua led the Israelites, and they conquered the city of Jericho.
What was the name of the leaders who commanded 1 or 2
tribes of the Israelites?
o Judges
Who was an influential female judge?
o Deborah
Why is the religion of Israel unique in the ancient world?
o The Israelites had only 1 God.
What is the Torah, and how did the Israelites obtain it?
o The laws (Ten Commandments) God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai.