1. Ancient Israel

2. MEDITERRANEAN
SEA
DEAD SEA
PERSIAN
GULF
RED
SEA

3. Tigris River
Jordan River
Euphrates River
Nile River

4. ASIA MINOR
MESOPOTAMIA
PERSIA
ISRAEL
(CANAAN)
EGYPT
SINAI

5. Jerusalem
Babylon Ur

6. Q: What’s important about the geography?
A: Strategic location – crossroads – also, part of fertile crescent so it’s livable

7. What’s real? What’s legend?
Everything up until King David is legend – may be real but no evidence so far
From David, there starts to be evidence from sources other than the Torah – references in Egyptian and Mesopotamian texts
It’s possible that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, slavery in Egypt, Moses and the Exodus, Joshua and the battles in Canaan could all be fable/legend
Remember – the Bible was not intended as history! It was a sacred text describing the relationship with God, a set of laws for the Jewish people.

8. Abraham – First Patriarch
Sargon of Akkad’s first empire: c BC
Abraham: c BC
Hammurabi: c BC

9. First Covenant with God
God=>Abraham
Will make you a great people
Will give you land
Abraham=>God
Will worship you
Will circumcise men to symbolize the covenant
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis; religious requirement for Jews and also widely practices in Islam; 30% of males are circumcised. Supposed to have health benefits.

10. Left Ur for “Promised Land”

11. Tested by God – and passed
Abraham
God tests Abraham by telling him to bring Isaac to a hill top and sacrifice him
Abrahams follows command but is stopped at the last moment
Isaac

12. Jacob – Wrestled with Angel
Isaac’s son = Jacob
Wrestles with a man who turns out to be an angel of God
Renamed Israel
Fathers 12 sons – become the 12 tribes of Israel

13. Jacob – Twelve Tribes
Tribes populate Canaan

14. Joseph Sold to Slavery

15. Joseph – High Office in Egypt
Hammurabi: c BC
Joseph: c BC
Egypt’s Middle Kingdom ends: c BC

16. Moses – Birth Story Jews in Egypt about 500 yrs.
Story of Moses’ birth similar to Sargon of Akkad
Hatshepsut: c BC
Akhenaten: c BC
Moses: c BC
Egypt’s New Kingdom ends: c BC

17. Moses: Chosen By God to Lead Jews

18. Moses – Frees Jews from Captivity in Egypt
Red Sea vs. Sea of Reeds
“Yam Suph” (יַם-סוּף) => Sea of Reeds (not the Red Sea)

19. Moses – Second Covenant
God=>Moses: will love you and protect you; give you land of Isreal
Moses=>God: will worship only you; follow commandments

20. Joshua – Destroys Jericho
Joshua was one of the general under Moses
Led first battle of the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan; according to story, the walls of Jericho fell after Joshua's Israelite army marched around the city blowing their trumpets
God to Joshua - "You shall not leave alive anything that breathes."