1. CHAPTER 6, SECTION 1 ORIGINS OF JUDAISM

2. MAIN IDEAS 1. “The Jews” early history began in Canaan and ended when the Romans forced most of them out of Israel. 2. Jewish beliefs in God, justice, and law anchor their society. 3. Jewish sacred texts describe the laws and principles of Judaism. 4. Traditions and holy days celebrate the history and religion of the Jewish people.

3. KEY TERMS AND PLACES Judaism = the Hebrews’ religion Canaan = where Abraham settled on the Mediterranean Sea Exodus = a journey of the Hebrews out of Egypt, let by Moses Monotheism = the belief in one and only on god Torah = the most sacred text of Judaism Rabbis = religious teachers of Judaism

4. EARLY HISTORY Sometime between 2000 and 1500 BC, the Hebrews (HEE-brooz)appeared in Southwest Asia. Their religion was Judaism. People wrote down accounts of what happened. This eventually became the Hebrew Bible.

5. BEGINNINGS IN CANAAN The Bible traces the Hebrews back to a man named Abraham. The Bible says that God told Abraham to lead his family into Canaan. Many of his descendants lived there for many years.

6. CANAAN AND EGYPT

7. BEGINNINGS IN EGYPT However, later, some Hebrews moved to Egypt where they grew in number. The pharaoh was unhappy about this and made the Hebrews become slaves.

8. THE EXODUS:

9. THE EXODUS A leader named Moses helped the Hebrews get their freedom. Moses led the people out of Egypt. This journey is called the Exodus.

10. THE EXODUS: CONTINUED The Bible says that Moses was given two stone tablets on Mount Sinai. On the stones was written a code of moral laws called “The Ten Commandments.”

11. INVASIONS Once the Hebrews reached Canaan, or Israel, they eventually split into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. Invaders conquered Israel and Judah and sent the Jews out of Jerusalem as slaves. When the invaders were conquered, some Jews returned home and some went other places. This scattering of Jews outside of Israel is called the Diaspora (dy-As-pruh).

12. JEWISH BELIEFS The Jewish people believe that there is one and only one God ( Monotheism ). They believe in justice and righteousness. Justice means kindness and fairness. Righteousness means doing what Is proper. Jewish people take their religious and moral laws very seriously (these are the Ten Commandments ). They also follow “Mosaic Law”.

13. SYNAGOGUE

14. JEWISH TEXTS Judaism has several sacred texts. The Torah, the first part of the Hebrew Bible, is the most sacred. The Talmud is a set of laws, commentaries, stories, and folklore. Jewish rabbis, or religious teachers, have studied these texts for centuries.

15. TRADITIONS AND HOLY DAYS Hanukkah and Passover are celebrations of historical events. The two most sacred Jewish holidays are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the start of the new year. On Yom Kippur, Jews ask God to forgive their sins. This is the holiest day of the year for the Jews.