Hebrews Hannah, Kristen, Jenny, and Addie

Setting the Scene The Hebrews were located in Israel which is current day Palestine From the time of 2000 B.C.E. to 500 B.C.E.

Society  Abraham was promised the land by God  Him and his family were nomads wandering the desert until they settled in Israel.  12 tribes from the sons Jacob and Joseph  Tribes led by one or more chiefs, limited power leaders  Switched to a monarchy 1200 B.C.E  women provided goods and services for family Women could not inherit property or initiate divorce, and a woman caught in extramarital relations could be put to death.  women were respected and enjoyed relative equality with their husbands  Spoke the Hebrew language  The Temple priests became a powerful and wealthy class

Society  The Israelites lived in extended families, several generations residing together under the authority of the eldest male  Marriage was arranged  As the society became urbanized, some women worked outside the home as cooks, bakers, perfumers, wet nurses, prostitutes, and singers of laments at funeral

Intellectual Endeavors  Hebrew Bible(Old Testament)  Ten Commandments  Alliances and trade with nearby lands  Saba  Horn of Africa  Religions  Yahweh  -Canaanite storm God Baal  goddess asherah  Technologies  had writing system and language(later known as Hebrew)  trade  gold, ivory, jewels, sandalwood, and exotic animals  Intimidating chariot army  Slaves and citizens used for building program  First Temple  Synagogue

Terms  Israel- land between eastern shore of Mediterranean and Jordan River, occupied by Israelites from second millennium. BCE. Modern state founded in 1948  Hebrew Bible- collection of sacred books containing diverse materials about origins, experiences, beliefs, and practices of Israelites. Completed mostly by priestly class in fifth century BCE so reflects views of this group  First Temple- monumental sanctuary in Jerusalem built by King Solomon to be religious center of Israelite god, Yahweh. Priests conducted sacrifices, received tithe or agricultural revenue, and became economically and politically powerful  Monotheism- belief in existence of one single god. This belief was passed into Christianity and Islam  Diaspora- Greek word meaning “dispersal”, used to describe communities of given ethnic group living outside their homeland. Ex: Jews, spread to Asia and Mediterranean lands

Politics  Monarchy formed when a religious leader named Samuel recognized a need for stronger central authority to lead Israelites.  Saul was appointed as the first King and when he dies the throne was passed along to David  David's rule saw the Israelites complete transition from a tribal confederacy to a unified monarchy.  David made Jerusalem his capital. He then brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem to make it a political and religious center.  Census was taken to facilitate the collection of taxes, and a army.  David's son Solomon worked together with Hiram, the king of Phoenician Tyre, and together commissioned a fleet that sailed into the read sea and brought back many riches and exotic animals.  Solomon also built the first temple in Jerusalem.  Solomon's death the monarchy split into two kingdoms - Israel to the north with its capital at Samaria; and Judah in the south around Jerusalem.

Religion  The Hebrew people are monotheistic, meaning they believe in one God.  Their bible tells the story of Abraham. Abraham was a man who was born in Mesopotamia and rejected the traditional idol worship. He left his homeland and traveled with his family to the land of Israel, the land he had been promised as part of his covenant with Yahweh, his God. Abraham's sons Isaac and grandson Jacob became leaders of the wandering group of herders.  The Israelites tell a story of how they spent 40 years in the desert where they became devoted to a stern and warlike god.  According to the Hebrew Bible, Yahweh made a covenant with the Israelites: they would be his “Chosen People” if they promised to worship him exclusively.  This pact was confirmed by tablets that Moses brought down from the top of Mount Sinai.  Written on the tablets were the Ten Commandments, which set out the basic tenets of Jewish belief and practice. The Commandments prohibited murder, adultery, theft, lying, and envy, and demanded respect for parents and rest from work on the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week.

Economics  In the earlier times, Hebrews were nomadic herders  They sometimes raided the farms and villages of settled peoples  Hebrews sailed into the Red Sea and brought back gold, ivory, jewels, sandalwood, and exotic animals  Traded with Egypt, Phoenicia, the Syrian city- states, and Mesopotamia  The Hebrews mainly traded wine, olive oil, raisins, and sheep wool

Important People  Abraham - rejected the original idol worship of his homeland, so he migrated to Israel (the land promised to him)  His son Isaac and his grandson Jacob became the rulers of the nomadic herders  Moses led the Israelites out of captivity  Joshua, Moses' successor led the Israelites from the east side of Jordan River into the land of Canaan  They attacked and destroyed Jericho and other Canaanite cities

Important people cont’d  Religious leader Samuel saw the need for a stronger central authority to lead the Israelites against Philistine city-states  Anointed Saul as the first king  When Saul perished in battle, David took over  David was a gifted musician, warrior and politician  Strengthened royal authority by marking the captured hill city of Jerusalem his capital  He brought the Ark to Jerusalem, making it a religious and political center of the city

Important people cont’d  David's son Solomon -marked the high point of the Israelite monarchy  He linked Israel with near and distant lands for trade  He strengthened the link between religious and secular authority and built the First Temple in Jerusalem

Big Picture  Trade: they trade with other countries, like other civilizations.  Social: unlike some other societies women were respected and treated mostly equall with men.  Technology: had a written language like many other civilizations  Religion: They had written laws, like those of Hammurabi's code but they were from their god not their king. They were monotheistic.  Politics: they had a monarchy that was patrilineal.