1. The Early Hebrews The Big Idea
Originally desert nomads, the Hebrews established a great kingdom called Israel.
Main Ideas
Abraham and Moses led the Hebrews to Canaan and to a new religion.
Strong kings united the Israelites to fight off invaders.
Invaders conquered and ruled the Hebrews after their kingdom broke apart.
Some women in Hebrew society made great contributions to their history.

2. The Exodus
The pharaoh of Egypt made the Hebrews slaves to stop them from taking over Egypt.
A leader named Moses demanded that the pharaoh free his people.
He refused, and plagues occurred, frightening the pharaoh.
His people were released, so they began their Exodus out of Egypt.
God then gave Moses the Ten Commandments by which to live.
They included worshipping only God and valuing human life.
The Hebrews reached Canaan and settled there in small communities, as the Israelites.

4. Main Idea 2: Strong kings united the Israelites to fight off invaders.
The new threat to the Israelites came from the Philistines.
The Israelites united under Saul, who became the first king of Israel.
The Israelites wanted a single ruler who could lead them in battle.
David became king after Saul. He won many wars.
Solomon became king next, and expanded the kingdom and trade.
He made allies with nearby kingdoms, including Egypt and Phoenicia. Trade with them made Israel very rich.
With the riches that came from this, he built a temple to God in Jerusalem.

5. Scattering and Conquest
The Jews went through a period of enslavement called the Babylonian Captivity.
The Persians took over and allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem. Some did not return, however, and settled in other parts of the Persian Empire.
Scholars call the scattering of the Jews outside Canaan the Diaspora.
The Jews were conquered by the Romans, but made many advances in teaching and building temples.
Yohanan ben Zaccai was a teacher during this time who clarified some Jewish teachings to help people better understand the religion. He also built a school to teach about Judaism.
Despite these advances, the Jews were not happy, and called on people to rebel.

6. Jewish Beliefs and Texts
The Big Idea
The central ideas and laws of Judaism are contained in sacred texts such as the Torah.
Main Ideas
Beliefs in God, education, justice, and obedience anchor Jewish society.
Jewish beliefs are listed in the Torah, the Hebrew Bible, and the Commentaries.
The Dead Sea Scrolls reveal many past Jewish beliefs.
The ideas of Judaism have helped shape later cultures.

7. Main Idea 2: Jewish beliefs are listed in the Torah, the Hebrew Bible, and the Commentaries.
This is a collection of five books that make up the most sacred text in Judaism.
Nearly every synagogue has one.
The Hebrew Bible
This is made up of the Torah, the Proverbs, and the Book of Psalms.
It is also made up of eight books that describe the messages of the prophets.
The Commentaries
Because some laws are hard to understand, scholars wrote commentaries to explain them.
They can be found in the Talmud.

9. Main Idea 3: The Dead Sea Scrolls reveal many past Jewish beliefs.
The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947.
It is suspected that they were written between 100 BC and AD 50.
The scrolls included prayers, commentaries, letters, and passages from the Hebrew Bible.

10. Judaism over the Centuries
The Big Idea
Although they were forced out of Israel by the Romans, shared beliefs and customs helped Jews maintain their religion.
Main Ideas
Revolt, defeat, and migration led to great changes in Jewish culture.
Because Jews settled in different parts of the world, two cultural traditions formed.
Jewish traditions and holy days celebrate their history and religion.

11. Jews in Jerusalem revolted against the Romans in the 130s.
A Second Revolt
Jews in Jerusalem revolted against the Romans in the 130s.
After winning the second revolt, the Romans declared that any Jew caught in or near the city would be killed.

13. Main Idea 3: Jewish traditions and holy days celebrate their history and religion.
Hanukkah
This holiday honors the rededication of the Second Temple.
It is celebrated by lighting candles in a menorah.
The eight days represent the amount of time the oil burned during the rededication.
Passover
This is a time for Jews to remember the Exodus.
They eat only flat bread and have a ritual meal called the seder.
High Holy Days
The first two days, Rosh Hashanah, celebrate the beginning of the Jewish new year.
On Yom Kippur, the most holy day, they fast all day and ask God for forgiveness of their sins.

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