1. The First Civilizations in the World
PHOENICIANS
INDUS RIVER VALLEY
CHINA
HEBREWS
MESOPOTAMIA
NUBIA
EGYPT
The First Civilizations in the World

2. Hebrews

3. Father of the Hebrews: Abram (Abraham)
Born in Ur around 2000 BCE, located in the Tigris- Euphrates Valley region.
From Ur, Abram and his family moved to Haran

4. HEBREWS
Abram obediently left for Canaan (today Israel) with his wife Sarah
During that time The Lord appeared to him and told him that, "To your offspring I will give this land." (Genesis 12:7).
His descendants became known as Hebrews.
2000 BC

5. Abraham
Abraham and the Hebrews were the first monotheists (those who believe in 1 God)
Abraham’s monotheism became the foundation for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

6. Moses By c. 1250 BCE, many Hebrews had settled in Egypt as slaves
Moses was the adopted son of an Egyptian pharaoh after his wife finds him floating down the Nile in a basket
Grows up and realizes that he is adopted and is actually the son of Hebrew slaves
God tells Moses to ask his brother, the new Pharaoh, to let his people go
The answer is no.

7. Plagues God sends a series of 10 plagues to Egypt
Plague: terrible disaster affecting many people and thought to be a punishment sent from God
Examples: bugs called locusts eat all the crops, Nile turns to blood, etc.
Finally, God sends a plague that will kill the firstborn son of each family in Egypt
God tells the Hebrews to paint a red cross on their houses so that the plague will “passover” them
Pharaoh’s son is killed and he agrees let the Hebrews go!

8. Moses & the Red Sea
Moses starts to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt (Exodus in the Bible) but the Pharaoh changes his mind
Just as they reach the Red Sea the Pharaoh and his army catch up with them
Moses places his staff into the river and parts the Red Sea so the Hebrews can cross; recoded as a miracle in the Old Testament
The Pharaoh’s army is killed when they try to cross the Red Sea

9. Moses in Sinai
Moses and the Hebrews go to the Sinai Peninsula and wander in the desert for 40 years
Eventually Moses is told by God to stop at Mt. Sinai
There he received the 10 commandments from God
He convinces his Hebrew people to follow this God and starts the Jewish faith

10. The Ten Commandments
State both religious and moral behavior in that they require that believers both worship God and live justly with one another

11. Babylonian Captivity
In 586 BCE the Neo- Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and burned down the temple (it would be rebuilt and is today the site of the Wailing Wall)
He sent thousands of Jews to leave Israel and live in Babylon

12. Beliefs of Judaism The Religion of the Hebrews (Jews)
Belief in one God
Torah (first 5 books of the Old Testament) is the holiest book- written on scrolls.
Ten Commandments- guidelines for proper moral conduct.
Jerusalem the holiest city. Site of the Western Wall (Wailing Wall)
Jewish houses of worship are called synagogues

13. Jerusalem King David established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Today Jerusalem is a holy city to Muslims and Christians as well as Jews.
Site of the Western Wall
About 1000 BC

14. Western Wall
In 70 AD the Romans destroyed the ancient Temple of Jerusalem.
The West Wall of the Temple Mount is all that remains today.
Jews consider this wall their most sacred shrine (holy site).
They come from all over the world to pray at this shrine.
Friday evening in the Old City of Jerusalem voices can be heard singing out as other voices join in devotions. The Sabbath, a holy day for the Jewish faith is beginning. The Jewish people gather before their most sacred shrine, "The Wailing Wall". This wall is the western wall of an ancient courtyard and for that reason it is also referred to as "The Western Wall." The Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple in 70 AD after the Jewish people revolted against Roman rule.
The wall is the only remaining structure of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem. Inside the courtyard King Solomon's glorious temple once stood. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times until only part of the western wall remained. The wall is just outside of the Temple Mount and is considered to be Judaism's holiest site.
Some of the ruins of the original temple can still be seen today. People built their houses all around the temple. On the top of the temple mount the priest would stand and blow their Shofar to call the people to prayer. Then, the Jews were exiled from their homes and it was years before they could return to Jerusalem to stay, but the temple was never rebuilt.
The reason people pray at the wall are because it is believed to be the closest point to the Holy of Holies, the holiest room of the old temple. A Muslim mosque now occupies this site. This old tradition of praying at the wall began around AD when Rabbis claimed that God's presence still tarried at the location of the Holy of Holies. Sad to say, the wall has been an object of bickering between Muslims and Jews for centuries. When Jews began moving back into the territory in the 1800s the tenseness increased between the two religions.
Jews come to the wall from all over the world. Many write prayers and messages on paper and stick them between the cracks. The men wear either a hat or yarmulka to show respect. At the wall you can hear some of them wailing or crying for the loss of their great temple. This is why the wall became known as "the Wailing Wall." Many events take place at the wall such as religious gatherings and celebrations. Today the area is under Jewish control since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War when Jerusalem captured Jordan.

15. Exile and Diaspora
Jews were driven from their homeland by the Romans in AD The state of Israel ceased to exist for years.
This scattering of the Jewish population became known as the Jewish Diaspora.