Migration and Kingdom of the Hebrews

1. The Phoenicians lived in a region at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea that was is now known as Palestine. • It became the home of the Hebrews and they referred it to it as Canaan.

2. Ancient Palestine’s location made it a cultural crossroads of the ancient world. • To the east, there was Assyria and Babylonia • To the west, there was Egypt. • The Hebrews settled Canaan, it was between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea

3. Let’s find out how the Hebrews migrated to Canaan!

4. Most of what we know about the Hebrews, we know from the first five books in the Hebrew Bible • The Torah • The Old Testament In the Torah, God chose Abraham to be the father of the Hebrew people.

5. Origins of Hebrews in Canaan: • God’s words to Abraham expressed a promise of land. • Abraham was a shepherd living in the city of Ur. • The book of Genesis tells its readers that God commanded Abraham to move his people to Canaan.

6. Around 1800 B.C., Abraham, his family, and his herds made their way to Canaan. • Abraham and his family moved from Mesopotamia to Canaan to Egypt and back to Canaan • All the while, their God Yahweh watched over them.

7. Unlike other religions at that time, the Hebrews worshipped one God. • Monotheism • The Hebrews proclaimed the Yahweh was the one and only God. • In their eyes, Yahweh had power over all people. • To the Hebrews, God was not a physical being.

8. According to the Bible, Yahweh looked after the Hebrews because they obeyed and listened to the orders he gave Abraham. • No sacrifices • No gifts • No ritual ceremonies *The covenant: Mutual promise between God and Abraham

9. The Hebrews migrated to Egypt because a drought in Canaan threatened a massive famine. • At first, the Hebrews were given places of honor in the Egyptian Kingdom. • Later, however, they were forced into slavery.

10. The Hebrews fled Egypt between 1300-1200 B.C. • The event is known as the Exodus • It’s celebrated every year during the festival of Passover • The Torah says the man who led the escape was a man named Moses.

11. Moses was the adopted son of an Egyptian princess, but he did not forget his Hebrew roots. • When God commanded Moses to move the Hebrews out of Egypt, he followed his command. • A new covenant was born.

12. During their escape from Egypt, Moses and the Hebrews stopped on Sinai mountain. • Moses climbed the mountain to talk to God. • When he came down, he had two stone tablets • The Ten Commandments

13. The Ten Commandments became the basis for the civil and religious laws of Judaism • The Hebrew people believed that these new laws created a new covenant between God and the Hebrew people. • God promised to protect the Hebrew people • The Hebrews promised to follow the ten Commandments.

14. The Torah reads that the Hebrews wandered the Sinai Desert for forty years • After the death of Moses, the Hebrew people returned to Canaan  where Abraham lived. • The Hebrews evolved from a nomadic society to a settled civilization.

15. The Hebrews in Canaan were twelve sparsely separated tribes. • Occasionally the tribes would band together and fight against the Philistines • Another civilization in Canaan • Eventually there was one large tribe left  Came to be known as The Jews • Their religion was transformed into Judaism

16. Solomon • 1020 to 922 B.C., the Hebrews united under three kings. • Saul • David • Solomon *The new Kingdom was called Israel. David Saul

17. Saul was the first of the three Kings • Became popular after he drove the Philistines from the central hills of Palestine ……………………………………………………………………… • David was the son-in-law of Saul • Extremely popular because he united the Jewish tribes • Established Jerusalem as the capital city

18. About 962 B.C., David was succeeded by Solomon. • Solomon was the mightiest of the Hebrew Kings • Established a trading empire with the Phoenicians • Built a great temple in Jerusalem which housed the Ten Commandment tablets • The Temple was not large but inner walls were gold with bronze pillars were outside  Displayed wealth

19. Solomon’s building project called for high taxes and forced labor. • The distress ultimately caused a split amongst the Jews. • By 922 B.C., there were two Jewish empires. • The North: Israel • The South: Judah

20. The next two hundred years, the two kingdoms of Israel were kind of confusing. • Sometimes they foughteach other. • Sometimes they joined forces to fight others. • In 738 B.C., both Kingdoms began paying tributes to more power Assyrians • Tributes are peace payments.

21. 725 B.C., the Assyrians began relentless sieges of the two Jewish Kingdoms. • By 722 B.C., Israel had fallen. • Judah resisted for another 150 years but eventually fell. • The destruction of Judah came by the hands of the Babylonians • Attack led by King Nebuchadnezzar • Solomon’s temple was destroyed.

22. After the success of the Babylonian attacks, many of the Jews were exiled to Babylon. • During their exile, the bible describes that the prophet Ezekiel urged his people to keep their religion alive in the foreign land. Ezekiel

23. In 539 B.C., the Persian King Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon. • Cyrus allowed 40,000 exiles to return to Jerusalem and they rebuilt the temple. • In 445 B.C., the Walls of Jerusalem were built.

24. Soon, however, other empires dominated the region. • First the Persians, then the Greeks, and then the Romans • These empires would all take control of Palestine.