1. The Ancient Israelites
Lesson One
(pg. 180)

2. The Beginning
The religion of the Israelites was the worlds first monotheistic religion
Abraham, who lived in Mesopotamia, believed in only one God
Abraham was given a message by God to take his family to the land of Canaan
Abraham became known as the father of the Jewish and Arab people

3. The Journey of the Israelites
After leaving Mesopotamia the Israelites moved west to the land of Canaan (present day Israel)
After some time in Canaan, a famine occurred
The Israelites then moved to Egypt

4. The Journey of the Israelites (Continued)
After being in Egypt for some time, the Israelites were forced to become slaves
Egypt was polytheistic at the time
Moses, an Israelite, was raised by the family of the Pharaoh
He asked the Pharaoh to free his people-the Pharaoh denied him
Moses led his family out of Egypt back to Canaan (The Exodus)
On the long journey to Canaan, Moses was given the Ten Commandments by God (According to the Bible as a historical document)

5. Conflict in Canaan
When the Israelites reached their home, they went to battle with the Philistines
King David, the second king of the Israelites defeated the Philistines
After the reign of King Solomon Israel divided into two parts-Israel in the North and Judah in the South
Israel was eventually conquered by the Assyrians while Judah was conquered by the Babylonians
The Persians conquered the Babylonians and allowed the people of Judah to return to their homes

6. The Romans Come
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah eventually come under the rule of the Roman Empire
The Roman’s are polytheistic
The Jewish people revolted against them and take back the capital of Jerusalem
In 70 A.D. the Romans take back Jerusalem and drove out many of the Jewish people-this was the Diaspora

7. Helpful way to Remember the Movement of the Jewish People
Mr.: Mesopotamia
Carl: Canaan
Eats: Egypt
Cabbage: Canaan
Soup: Spread throughout the world

8. The Phoenicians Lived in present day Lebanon
Used large boats to trade on the Mediterranean Sea
Traded with Egypt, Mesopotamia, and sailed to Britain (tin mines)
Goods the Phoenicians traded to other lands were cedar wood, purple dye, and wood furniture
The Phoenicians also created a 22 letter alphabet (each symbol represented a sound)
The alphabet could be learned quickly and helped information spread throughout the region.

9. The Lydians Was found in present day Turkey
Was a wealthy culture due to the large amount on gold found in their land
Was the first culture to use coin money
Electrum was made by melting and mixing gold and silver
The creation of a money economy impacted the barter system used throughout the Mediterranean.

10. The Persian Empire

11. Cyrus the Empire Builder
Born in 590 B.C.
Was known as a skilled military leader
Created and used his huge standing army to conquer his neighbors
His infantry (foot soldiers) were protected with bronze helmets and shields
His cavalry fought off of horses, camels, or chariots
Conquered Babylon, Assyria, Lydia, Parthia, and Bactria
He treated those he conquered with respect and understanding
He allowed the Jews who had been exiled to return to their homes and encouraged them to rebuild their temples
Died in his final battle

12. Darius the Organizer
Darius began his rule in 522 B.C. and ruled until 486 B.C.
He divided the empire into 20 territories each controlled by a Satrap or king
Each Satrap paid taxes to Darius (money or soldiers)
Used the tributes he collected to build palaces and roads
Created a mail system in which couriers carried important messages throughout the Empire
Created a secret service

13. Zarathustra the Prophet
Most of Persia followed a polytheistic religion in which gods controlled nature
Zarathustra believed in one god, Ahura Mazda, who created all things
He believed life was a struggle between the forces of light and darkness
He believed each person would be judged at death on how well he or she had fought for good or light