Section 1 – The First Israelites

Chapter 3The Ancient Israelites

Around 1000 B.C., the Israelites built a kingdom in Canaan (kay*nuhn) along the Mediterranean Sea in southwest Asia.

Today, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan occupy the land that was once Canaan.

The Early Israelites (pgs. 80-85)

Israelites were monotheistic and believed in one God.

The Israelite faith became a religion known as Judaism (joo*dee*ih*zuhm), also known as the Jews.

Judaism influenced Christianity and Islam.

Israelites spoke Hebrew and wrote their history and beliefs in what became the Hebrew Bible.

Who Were the Israelites?

The Israelites believed they were descended from Abraham and that God told him to settle in Canaan.

Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, raised 12 sons in Canaan. These families became known as the 12 tribes (or separate family groups) of Israel.

After 100 years in Canaan, the Israelites suffered a long drought and went to Egypt to survive.

MosesThe Egyptian pharaoh enslaved the Israelites.

To prevent rebellion, the pharaoh ordered all baby boys born to Israelites to be thrown into the Nile River.

One mother tried to save her son by putting him in a basket and hiding it on the riverbank.

The pharaoh’s daughter found the baby.

That baby was named Moses.

Moses became a sheep herder outside of Egypt.

Around 1290 B.C. he saw a burning bush and a voice he believed to be God telling him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom.

The Burning Bush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TQYrWBbSg0

The Bible says that God sent 10 plagues to trouble Egypt and persuade the pharaoh to let the Israelites go.

The last plague killed all first-born children, except for those Israelites who marked their door with lamb’s blood.

Jews today celebrate a holiday called Passover to remember how God “passed over” their homes.

The plagues convinced the pharaoh to free the Israelites.

Passover

Ten Plagues of Egypt

1. Water turned to blood

2. Frogs3. Gnats4. Flies5. Plague on

livestock6. Boils7. Hail with thunder

and lightning8. Locusts9. Darkness10. Death of firstborn

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/the-ten-plagues-of-egypt/4571.html

Parting of the Red SeaAfter the Israelites left, Pharaoh changed his

mind and sent his soldiers to bring the Israelites back.

The Bible says that God parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to pass.

The Egyptians followed and the water flowed back and drowned the soldiers.

This Israelite escape is called the Exodus.

The Ten CommandmentsOn the way back to Canaan, Moses went to the

top of Mount Sinai (sy*ny) and received laws from God.

These laws were known as the Torah (tohr*uh).

The most important part of the Torah is the Ten Commandments.

The Promised Land (pgs. 84 & 85)It took the Israelites about 40 years to reach

Canaan.

Along the way, Moses died and Joshua took over.

When the Israelites arrived in Canaan, a group of people, the Canaanites, were already there.

The Israelites believed it was God’s will that they conquer the Canaanites.

The Battle of JerichoAccording to the Bible, Joshua led the Israelites

to the city of Jericho.

They marched around the city’s walls for six days.

On the seventh day, the Israelites gave a great shout and the walls of Jericho crumbled.

Joshua led the Israelites in three more wars and the land they seized was divided among the 12 tribes.

The Fighting JudgesAfter Joshua’s death, the Israelites looked to

judges for leadership.

A judge was usually a military leader who led one or two tribes.

There was even a female judge, Deborah.

The Phoenician AlphabetThe Phoenicians (fih*nee*shuhns) were a group of

Canaanites who lived in cities along the Mediterranean Sea.

The were skilled sailors and traders whose ships carried goods to Greece, Spain, and western Africa.

One of their most important ideas was an alphabet.

The Phoenician alphabet was passed on to the Greeks and Romans.

It is the basis for the English alphabet today.

Phoenician Alphabet