The Hebrew People

The first Hebrews The Hebrews appeared in Southwest Asia Archaeologists and historians learned about the Hebrews from the Hebrews’ writings –These writings described the Hebrews’ history and laws and religion called Judaism. –Later, these writings became the Hebrew Bible, which also the Old Testament of the Christian Bible

Abraham According to the Bible, the first Hebrew was a man named Abraham. –The Bible says that God told Abraham to leave his home in Mesopotamia and travel with his family to the west, where God would give Abraham a new land and make his descendants into a powerful nation. Abraham left Mesopotamia and settled with his family in Canaan on the Mediterranean Sea Abraham’s descendants, the Hebrews, lived in Canaan for many years, but later many Hebrews left to live in Egypt.

The Hebrews in Egypt For a long time the Hebrews lived in Egypt and their population grew Egypt’s ruler, the pharaoh, was concerned about the Hebrews getting too powerful, so the pharaoh made the Hebrews his slaves

Moses According to the Bible, a leader named Moses helped free the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt God told Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt, so Moses went to the pharaoh and asked for the Hebrews to be set free. The pharaoh refused and soon after, several plagues, or disasters, happened in Egypt.

The Exodus The plagues scared the pharaoh so much that he agreed to let the Hebrews go free. Moses led the people out of Egypt. This journey was called the Exodus. –The Hebrews believed that they had been set free because God loved them and was protecting them

After the Exodus For many years after leaving Egypt, the Hebrews wandered through the desert trying to get back to Canaan. While they were wandering they stopped at a mountain called Sinai. According to the Bible, God gave Moses two stone tablets on Mount Sinai –Moral laws called The Ten Commandments were written on the stone tablets

Return to Canaan The Hebrews wandered in the desert for 40 more years before they finally got back to Canaan. Once they got back to Canaan, the Hebrews had to fight the people living there for control. The Hebrews won their land back and were then called the Israelites.