Study Guide for the Ancient Israelites How to study for your Assessments: START EARLY – NOT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TEST! Read through your Study Guide multiple times, then cover up part of it and see if you can say it back without looking. Read through the Study Guide some more and highlight the material that you can't say back. Read through the Study Guide some more, only looking at the highlighted parts. Use a different color highlighter to re-highlight the material you still don’t know. Read through the Study Guide some more, only looking at the newly highlighted material. If there is material that you still don’t know, use a 3rd highlighter color to mark that stuff. When you read the Guide again, only look at that 3rd color highlighted material. Keep going like this until you feel pretty confident that you know the material.
Record yourself reading the material that you don’t know well and listen to the playback while you do chores or are in the car. Draw little pictures of important ideas, or make up rhymes to help you remember. Have a family member quiz you over the material. Get with a friend and take turns asking each other test questions over the material. Rewrite your study guide as art notes or outline notes.
GOVERNMENT TARGETS Government Type Democratic Principals Rights and Responsibilities compared to US citizens
TARGET: I can compare the source of power in this government to other governments. Most early Hebrews (Israelites) were nomadic, or wandering, herders; some were traveling merchants. They lived in the ancient Middle East. The story of the Hebrews and their god is written in the Hebrew Bible. It states that Yahweh, or God, made an agreement with a Hebrew named Abraham. Abraham and his followers were to leave Ur and go to Canaan. There they were to worship and obey Yahweh as the one true god. In exchange, Yahweh promised that they and their descendants, or offspring such as children, grandchildren, and so on, could always live in Canaan. Abraham did this and settled in Canaan. His grandson, Jacob, later named Israel, had 12 sons. Each son led a separate family group. These Hebrew groups later formed the 12 tribes of Israel. Judges and Kings The Israelites looked to judges for leadership. A judge was usually a military leader. Generally, he or she commanded 1 or 2 tribes, but seldom all 12. The Bible tells about Barak, Gideon, Samuel, Eli, Samson, and others, including a woman judge. Her name was Deborah. The 12 tribes often quarreled. When threatened by a common enemy (the Philistines), the Israelites decided they needed a king to unite them. They asked a judge and a prophet named Samuel to choose a king. A prophet is a person who claims to be instructed by God to share God's words. Samuel warned that a king would tax the Israelites and make them slaves. The Israelites still demanded a king, so Samuel chose a warrior-farmer named Saul to be the first king of Israel. David became the second king of Israel. David successfully united all the tribes of Israel. He then conquered Jerusalem and made it the kingdom's capital. During his reign, David built Israel into an empire and dominated neighboring kingdoms. An empire is a nation that rules several other nations. Conquered peoples in the area had to pay David and the Israelites tribute. Tribute is payment made by one nation to another as a sign of surrender or to keep from being attacked. Solomon, David’s son, became the third king. It was Solomon who built the temple in Jerusalem that became the symbol and center of the Jewish religion. In the Bible, Solomon was known for his wise sayings, or proverbs, but many Israelites hated his rule. Solomon taxed the people to pay for his great buildings. When Solomon died, the northerners rebelled and fighting broke out. Ten of the 12 tribes set up their own nation in the north. It was called the kingdom of Israel, and its capital was Samaria. In the south, the other two tribes founded the smaller kingdom of Judah. Its capital was Jerusalem, and its people were called Jews. The Romans: In 63 B.C. the Romans conquered Judah and renamed it Judaea. At first, the Romans allowed Jewish rulers to run Judaea. The most famous ruler of Judaea during this time was King Herod. He was known for his cruelty and his changes to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He made the temple one of the most awe-inspiring buildings in the Roman world. Today he is best known as the king who ruled Judaea when Jesus was born. Shortly after Herod died, the Romans replaced the Jewish king with Roman officials. The Jews were eager to regain control, but because they had splintered into different groups, they did not have as much power. The leaders of the Jews became the temple priests and scribes, or religious scholars and writers. TARGET: I can describe how this government used democratic principles (justice, equality, responsibility, freedom). The Israelites believed God was just, and they too should be just. They used laws to influence the way people behaved. The laws affected not only individuals but the whole community. They believed in social justice, or that everyone had a right to be treated fairly. They used the Ten Commandments as rules to live by. In times of greed and instability, prophets tried to bring Israelites back to God's laws. Their special message was that being faithful meant more than going to a temple to worship. It meant working for a just society. The goal of a just society became an important part of Christianity and Islam. Other teachings of the prophets: both the rich and the poor have to obey god’s laws, the future depends on how justly one behaves in the present, people are responsible for their own behavior, and God is the god of all people. TARGET: I can compare the rights and responsibilities of individuals in this culture to the rights and responsibilities of US citizens today. The Ten Commandments helped shape the basic moral laws of many nations. The Ten Commandments told people not to steal, murder, or tell lies about others. They told people to avoid jealousy and to honor their parents. The Ten Commandments also helped develop a belief in the "rule of law." This is the idea that laws should apply to everyone equally. In the US, our legal system rests on the belief that laws should apply to everyone equally. Education: Early Israelites placed a high value on education. Rabbis–Jewish religious teachers–taught their followers, "If you have knowledge, you have everything." Unfortunately, only boys were allowed to go to school. In the US, all children are given the opportunity to be educated. Young citizens are responsible for making the most of their education.
CULTURE TARGETS Elements of Culture Social Institutions influence on behavior Impact of Cultural Differences
TARGET: I can explain how cultural elements in this society helped define this group and give them unique perspectives. Beliefs Most people at this time worshiped many gods and goddesses. The Israelite religion focused on only one God named Yahweh. The belief in one god is called monotheism. The Jews believed that evil and suffering would eventually be replaced by goodness. They believed they had a covenant, or agreement, with God. In the agreement, God promised to return the Israelites to Canaan if they followed his laws. Customs/traditions Groups of Jews met on the Sabbath. This was their weekly day of worship and rest. The Jews would pray and discuss their religion and history. These meetings took place at synagogues, or Jewish houses of worship. Language The Israelites spoke a language called Hebrew. Literature The Hebrew Bible is really a series of books collected together. Under a scribe named Ezra, the Jews wrote the five books of the Torah on pieces of parchment. They sewed the pieces together to make long scrolls. The Torah and writings that were added later made up the Hebrew Bible. It includes the five books of the Torah and 34 other books. These books describe events in Jewish history. The Jews believed that God had a special role for them in history and that events had meaning. In A.D. 1947 shepherd boys in the Judaean desert near the Dead Sea found the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave. The Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient scrolls of leather, papyrus, and copper written between 200 B.C. and A.D. 68. The documents include the oldest complete copy of the book of Isaiah and pieces of many other books of the Hebrew Bible. Most scholars believe that the scrolls were part of a library that belonged to an early Jewish Essenes community. TARGET: I can investigate how social institutions in this society responded to human needs, structured society, and influenced behavior. Family The Jews placed great importance on family. Sons were especially valued because they carried on the family name. Upon a father's death, the son became head of the family. Mothers educated their daughters at home. The girls learned to be good wives, mothers, and housekeepers. This included learning Jewish laws about food and clothing. They also learned about the courageous women of ancient Israel. One of these women was named Ruth. Her courage and devotion to her family provided an example for Jewish girls to follow. Religion One group of Jewish leaders was known as the Pharisees. They taught the Torah and how to apply its laws to daily life. In doing so, they helped make Judaism a religion of the home and family. The Pharisees taught in synagogues and were supported by the common people. The Sadducees also accepted the Torah. However, they were more concerned about how it applied to the priests in the Temple because most of them were priests and scribes. They did not agree with many of the Pharisees' teachings. A third group, the Essenes, were priests who broke away from the Temple in Jerusalem. Many Essenes lived together in the desert. They spent their lives praying and waiting for God to deliver the Jews from the Romans. In A.D. 1947 ancient scrolls were found in the desert near the Dead Sea. They were probably written by Essenes and are called the Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls have helped historians understand more about Judaism during Roman times. Education Education was important. Jewish children's first teachers were their mothers. When sons grew old enough, fathers taught them how to earn a living and to worship God. At age five, boys went to a school that was connected with the synagogue. Everything the students learned–from the alphabet to Jewish history–they learned from the Torah. Jewish laws decided the stages of students' education. Different subjects were introduced at the ages of 5, 10, and 13. Most Jewish boys finished their education at age 13. At that age, boys became adults. Because reading the Torah was central to Jewish life, religious teachers became important community leaders. Government Jewish law set out many rules for Jews to follow that affected their daily life. These laws influenced their education, the foods they ate, and even the clothes they wore. The laws emphasized self-control and reminded Jews of their religion. This became important when they no longer had their own land and king. TARGET: I can explain how interactions between this society and others led to conflict, compromise, and cooperation. Conflict Slavery in Egypt: Due to a long drought in Canaan, the Israelites migrated to Egypt where they were eventually conquered and enslaved by the Egyptians. After about 600 years of slavery, a Hebrew named Moses told the pharaoh to end the enslavement and let the Israelites leave Egypt. To get the pharaoh to let the Israelites go, the Bible says that God sent 10 plagues to trouble Egypt. A plague is sometimes a disease, but it can also mean something that causes problems for a lot of people. The last plague God sent killed all first-born children, except for those of Israelites who marked their doorway with lamb's blood. This plague convinced the pharaoh to let the Israelites leave. Jews today celebrate a holiday called Passover to remember how God "passed over" their homes with the tenth plague and then delivered them from Egypt. The Israelite escape from Egypt is known as the Exodus. The Assyrians conquered them: In 722 B.C. the Assyrians conquered Israel and scattered the 10 tribes across their empire. Over time, the Israelites who were forced to move lost their religion and way of life. They are often called the "lost tribes of Israel”. The Assyrians settled the area around Samaria and became known as Samaritans. The Samaritans were afraid that Israel's God might punish them for taking the Israelites' land, so they offered sacrifices to Israel's God. They also read the Torah and followed the Israelites' religious laws. After many years, the Samaritans worshiped only the God of Israel. The Chaldeans conquered them: King Nebuchadnezzar of the Chaldeans captured Jerusalem. He made 10,000 Jews leave the city and live in Babylon, the Chaldean capital. Then he appointed a new Jewish king. When the Jews revolted, the Chaldean ruler crushed Jerusalem. He destroyed the temple, bound the king in chains, and took him and thousands of Jews to Babylon. In Jewish history, this time became known as the Babylonian Captivity. The Jews called their time in Babylon an exile. This means they were forced to live in a foreign land. During their exile, the Israelite religion became what we call Judaism. The Persians conquered them: The Persians defeated the Chaldeans and took over Babylon. The Persian king Cyrus permitted Jews to return to Judah. They rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple. Cyrus appointed officials to rule the country and collected taxes from the people. Because Persians controlled their government, the Jews looked to their religion for leadership. The Greeks conquered them: Next, Alexander the Great conquered Persians for Greece and let Jews stay in Judah. Later, a Greek ruler decided to make the Jews of Judah worship Greek gods and goddesses. A priest named Judas Maccabeus and his followers rebelled. They fled to the hills and formed an army known as the Maccabees. After many battles, the Maccabees drove the Greeks out of Judah. They destroyed all traces of Greek gods and goddesses in their temple and made it a temple for worshiping the God of Israel. Each year Jews recall the cleansing of the temple when they celebrate Hanukkah. The Romans conquered them: In 63 B.C. the Romans conquered Judah and renamed it Judaea. At first, the Romans allowed Jewish rulers to run Judaea, but they soon replaced the Jewish king with Roman officials. Jews hated the Roman rule. Many Jews were waiting for a messiah, or deliverer sent by God. Other Jews known as Zealots wanted to fight the Romans for their freedom. The Zealots revolted against the Romans and drove them out of Jerusalem. Four years later, the Romans retook Jerusalem. They killed thousands of Jews and forced many others to leave. The Romans also destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. The Western Wall is all that remains of it today. When the Jews revolted again, the Romans forbade Jews to live in or even visit Jerusalem. They gave Judah the name of Palestine. Despite losing their land, the Jews managed to survive. They no longer had priests. Instead, leaders called rabbis became important. Rabbis were teachers of the Torah. The rabbis wanted to save and pass on teachings about the Torah. They combined the teachings in a book called the Talmud. To this day, the Talmud remains an important record of Jewish law.
ECONOMICS TARGETS Scarcity: decisions about use of natural resources, human resources, & capital goods
TARGET: I can explain how scarcity required this civilization to make decisions about how to use productive resources. Abraham and his descendants lived in Canaan for about 100 years. They raised flocks of sheep and grew wheat, figs, and olives. Then a drought came, and the scarcity of water forced the Israelites to go to Egypt where they could get food. In Egypt, the pharaoh faced a scarcity of workers to build his pyramids, so he enslaved the Israelites to end his labor shortage. Later the Israelites returned to Canaan. Most of them farmed or herded animals. Canaan was rocky and dry and water was scarce. During the two months of the rainy season, farmers learned to collect and store water in small caves or underground basins called cisterns. During the dry season, they used what they had stored to irrigate their crops. At first, good farmland, pastureland, and water spots were held in common (shared) by the tribe. This practice later gave way to family ownership.
Supply & Demand
Jewish law set out many rules for Jews to follow that affected their daily life. One law concerned feeding the poor. The farmer was never supposed to harvest his entire field. The edges of the field and the crops missed during harvest were left for the poor. TARGET: I can explain how supply and demand functioned in this civilization. The main exports of the Israelites were wheat, olive oil, and wine. They often traded with Phoenician city states. The mountains near Phoenicia were covered with cedar forests. These forests provided wood that the Phoenicians used to build strong, fast ships. The Phoenicians started out as coastal traders. In time, they became widely traveled merchant shippers who controlled the trade of the Mediterranean. They exchanged cedar logs, cloth, glass trinkets, and perfume for gold and other metals. They made an expensive purple dye that was in great demand. Through trade, the Phoenicians spread ideas and goods. One of their most important ideas was an alphabet, or a group of letters that stood for sounds. The letters could be used to spell out the words in their language. The alphabet made writing simpler and helped people keep records. Money lending After Christianity became the main religion in Western Europe, the Jews were treated unfairly. Many Jews lived in Western Europe between about 1000 and 1500 AD, but all the rulers were Christians, and almost all the people who had any power were Christians. Jews were thought of as being different, strange, and possibly hell-bound due to not being Christian. In many places, Jews were forbidden to own land, and so they could not be farmers (or not very successful farmers). Jews also often had to live in special Jewish sections of towns, called ghettos. Because Christian laws said that Christian people could not lend money out at interest, and yet most kings and queens need to borrow money, the Jews played a big role in the medieval economy as moneylenders. But lending money to kings is risky. Sometimes the king paid the money back, and the Jews made some money. Other times the king found it easier to just throw the Jews out of his kingdom, or to make a new law saying that Christians didn't have to pay Jews back the money they had borrowed.
How are goods & services exchanged
TARGET: I can describe how goods and services were exchanged by this civilization. Aided by the Phoenicians, King Solomon built a fleet of ships with which to trade with Red Sea ports. Solomon also participated in overland caravan trade. Otherwise, trade with neighboring countries was handled by foreigners, usually Phoenicians. Israelites dealt mainly in local trade, and in most cases artisans and farmers sold directly to their customers. People traded in the local marketplaces.
GEOGRAPHY TARGETS Relative Location
TARGET: I can recognize where on the Earth this civilization was located. Around 1000 B.C., a people called Israelites built a kingdom in Canaan in southwest Asia. Canaan, the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, was a narrow strip of land, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, the Arabian Desert to the east, Egypt to the south, and Mesopotamia to the north.
Physical Region Type Human Environment Interactions
TARGET: I can describe characteristics of this region. The climate of this region is diverse largely due to it being a land hemmed in between the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Arabian desert to the east. Summers are hot and dry; most precipitation occurs during the relatively cool winters. The dry areas approach desert conditions and can receive as little as 2 inches of rainfall per year. Apart from the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River valley, there are few lakes or rivers. Most water is found in springs that break through the limestone bedrock covering most of the region. The more humid areas have a mild Mediterranean climate, such as is found in Greece and Italy. These areas receive between 12 and 40 inches of rain per year. The natural vegetation originally consisted of dense oak, pistachio and pine tree forests. Wild wheat, barley and olive trees were also native to this area. Over thousands of years, human beings have deforested the region. TARGET: I can describe how this society’s human/environment interactions impacted human activities and the environment. Migration In the Bible, it says that God told Abraham and his followers to leave Mesopotamia and go to Canaan. There, they were to worship the one true God. In return, God promised that the land of Canaan would belong to Abraham and his descendants. According to the Bible, this is the reason that the Israelites settled in Canaan. Settlement Throughout the centuries, various conquering nations forced the Jews from their homeland into other areas. The scattering of Jews outside of Judah became known as the Diaspora. Diaspora is a Greek word that means "scattered." Trade Situated between the great Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures, Canaan served as a trading center for caravans between the Nile Valley and the Euphrates River. Activities limited or promoted by environment The mountains where some Israelites settled were heavily wooded with steep hill sides unsuitable for farming. To make matters worse, rainfall was very unpredictable in this region and so water was difficult to obtain. The rough terrain, however, did not stop the Israelites. They are credited as being the first people to develop the cistern. These large holes in the ground were lined with stone and collected the runoff rain water from the mountains. Not only did they invent a way to catch and store water, they also developed a terracing system in which they cut large "shelves" out of the mountain side to make them suitable for growing crops. The main crops produced by the Ancient Israelites were mostly cereal crops such as grains as well as wine and oil.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE TARGET Biggest Impacts on the future & today’s cultures
TARGET: I can analyze how this civilization influenced or had lasting impacts on modern societies. The Israelite faith became the religion known today as Judaism. The followers of Judaism were eventually known as Jews. Judaism influenced Christianity and Islam. The belief that there should be only one god became the foundation for both Christianity and Islam. The Jews believed that evil and suffering would eventually be replaced by goodness. Christians and Muslims share this idea of good triumphing over evil. All three religions honor the Old Testament prophets. The Israelites wrote down much of their history and many of their religious beliefs in what later became the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament. Through this book, Jewish values and religion later spread around the world. Judaism helped shape the beliefs and practices of societies in Europe and America. The Ten Commandments helped shape the basic moral laws of many nations. The Ten Commandments told people not to steal, murder, or tell lies about others. They told people to avoid jealousy and to honor their parents. The Ten Commandments also helped develop a belief in the "rule of law." This is the idea that laws should apply to everyone equally. The Phoenicians brought the idea of an alphabet to the Greeks. They, in turn, passed it on to the Romans. Most Western alphabets are based on the Roman alphabet. The alphabet made writing simpler and helped people keep records. Head Coverings: Under Greek rule, Jewish leaders began covering their heads to distinguish themselves from the Greeks and to remind themselves to think about God. Gradually, all Jewish men started wearing turbans or skull caps. Jewish women always kept their heads covered because a woman's hair was considered very private. Jews still wear head coverings, but only the most conservative–Orthodox Jews–wear them at all times. Most Jewish men wear skull caps called yarmulkes. Jewish women wear scarves or skull caps. Kosher Food: Under Jewish law, Jews could eat only certain animals. For example, they could eat beef and lamb but not pork. They could eat scaly fish, like salmon, but not smooth-skinned fish, like eels. Laws about food were known as kashrut, which means "that which is proper." Today, food that is prepared according to Jewish dietary laws is called kosher. Animals used for kosher meat must be killed in a special way. The meat must be inspected, salted, and soaked. To be kosher, Jews must not cook or eat milk products with meat. Major Holidays: Passover is celebrated by Jews worldwide to remember how God "passed over" their homes with the tenth plague and then delivered them from Egypt. Hanukkah is celebrated to remember the Maccabees’ victory over the Greeks and the reclaiming of the temple in Jerusalem. The Nation of Israel: For 2,000 years, most Jews lived outside of Palestine. They often faced hatred and persecution. In A.D. 1948 Palestine was divided, and a new Jewish nation called Israel was created.