Crash Course in Hebrew History

Owasso High SchoolWorld History and AP® World History

Mr. Gregory Yankey, B.S., M.Div

Sources of Hebrew History

The Hebrew Scriptures—The “Old Testament” of the Christian Bible. The Jewish people refer to their whole Bible as the Tanak (תןכ).The three consonants in the word are an “acrostic.” In English they are “t” “n” and “k” and stand for.

Torah (“the Law”).

The Nebim (“the Prophets)

The Ketubim (“the Writings”)

Structure of theHebrew Bible

Reads right to left, not left to right.

The script of the text is actually Aramaic script, not Hebrew. Paleo-Hebrew looked very much like Phoenician script.

The Torah

The Torah consists of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, and tells the Hebrew story from creation to the Hebrews about to enter the Promised land. The books included are:

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

The ProphetsJoshuaJudgesI and II SamuelI and II KingsIsaiahJeremiahEzekielThe twelve minor prophets

HoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachi

The Writings

Psalms

Proverbs

Job

Song of Songs

Ruth

Lamentations

Ecclesiastes

Esther

Daniel

Ezra-Nehemiah

Chronicles

The Origin and Story of the Nation of Israel

Periods in Hebrew HistoryPatriarchs: 2166-1806 B.C.Exodus:

early date 1412-1403 BC (now preferred)late date: circa 1280 B.C.

Conquest and Occupation of CanaanPeriod of the Judges: 1200-1020 B.C.Era of David and Solomon: 1000-922 B.C.Divided Monarchy: 922-587 B.C.Babylonian Captivity: 597-538 B.C.Post-Exilic Period:

Story of the Patriarchs: AbrahamThe biblical story relates:

Abraham was told by God to leave Haran where he was living and go to a place that God would reveal to him. Abraham is married to Sarah. She is beautiful, but past normal childbearing years.God promises land AND a son to inherit it.Abraham and Sarah sometimes do things their own way like try to have children through Sarah’s slave girl Hagar. A son Ishmael is born through her.Sarah eventually has a son named Isaac.God then makes a COVENANT with Abraham which includes the rite of circumcision as a sign for that agreement.

Isaac and Jacob: Brothers as Rivals

Isaac marries his cousin (on his mother’s side) Rebekah. They have two sons, Esau and Jacob.The biblical story relates the rivalry between the two sons.

First Esau sells his birthright for a pot of stew. (This was the right of the firstborn to inherit double that of all other children).Second Jacob disguises himself as his brother in his father’s old age to receive a special blessing reserved for the firstborn. Jacob then flees from his brother in fear of his life.

Jacob gets married….and again.When Jacob is on the run he finds his uncle Laban’s family. Laban has two daughters—Leah and Rachel. Jacob falls in love with Rachel.Jacob agrees to work for seven years for Laban. On his wedding night Laban switches daughter. Jacob wakes up the next morning with the older daughter Leah.At Jacob’s complaint, Laban insists that the older daughter was to be married first. Jacob then agrees to work for another seven years for the hand of Rachel.

Sisters as Rivals and repeating history

Genesis relates: The sisters become rivals for the affection of Jacob.

Seeing that Leah was not loved God granted her children and made Rachel barren.

Just like Sarah with Abraham, Rachel gives her slave girl Bilhah to Jacob to have children through her. Then Leah did the same thing and gave Jacob her slave girl Zilpah. Rachel eventually had two children of her own (Joseph and Benjamin), but dies in the childbirth of the second.

The twelve tribesChildren of Leah

Reuben

Simeon

Levi

Judah

Issachar

Zebulun

Dinah (daughter)

Children of RachelJoseph

• Ephraim (1/2 tribe)

• Manasseh (1/2 tribe)

Benjamin

Children of ZilpahGad

Asher

Children of BilhahDan

Naphtali

Israel in Egypt: The Joseph StoryGenesis gives an explanation for how the Israelites came to be slaves in Egypt through the story of Joseph.Joseph being the favored son is sold into slavery by his older brothers. Joseph is then traded to the Egyptian Potiphar. He becomes head of Potiphar’s household business and highly trusted.Potiphar’s wife tries to get Joseph to commit adultery with her in his master’s absence. Joseph refuses, and is falsely accused of attempted rape. He is thrown in jail. Why not executed?

Joseph in an Egyptian JailGenesis goes on to relate Joseph’s rise to power.

While is jail he demonstrates the power to interpret dreams accurately.He correctly interprets the dreams of two chief officials. One is restored, while the other executed.When Pharaoh is plagued with dreams the restored official tells Pharaoh of Joseph.Joseph interprets the dreams that there will be a famine in Egypt. Pharaoh raises him to second in the Kingdom to manage the famine. Eventually his family comes from Palestine seeking food and they are reunited.

The Exodus StoryExodus relates that 400 years have passed since Israel entered Egypt.The current Pharaoh did not know of the great Joseph who helped save Egypt and the surrounding nations.Fearing the Israelites becoming too large he orders the midwives to kill every male child born in Egypt. They outwit the Pharaoh, so he orders the outright infanticide of newborn Israelite males.This is where the story of Moses picks up.

Moses: Prince of EgyptMoses is born into the tribe of Levi. He is a very handsome child.Not being able to hide the baby from Pharaoh’s officials, his mother puts him in a little boat along the Nile and tells his sister Miriam to watch him.While bathing in the Nile the daughter of Pharaoh, who herself has no children, finds the baby, and seeing him so handsome passes him off as her own. Moses is raised in the Egyptian palace. Miriam, however, tells Pharaoh’s daughter that she knows a Hebrew woman who can nurse him. Therefore, Moses continues to be nursed by his own mother.

Moses falling out with PharaohExodus does not imply that Moses did not know he was Hebrew as the Hollywood films portray it.Moses goes to the defense of a Hebrew slave being abused one day and kills an Egyptian. Other Hebrews witness this murder.On another occasion Moses sees two Hebrews fighting. When he tells them to stop one of them responds, “Are you going to kill us as you did the Egyptian?”Moses is clearly found out. The murder is reported to Pharaoh, and Moses flees for his life.

Call to lead and Exodus

Exodus relates that God called Moses to return to Egypt to lead the people out.

The Passover traditions of the Jews comes from this event.

Conquest of Canaan

After the death of Moses an invasion of Palestine was led by Joshua.Cities attacked initially included

JerichoAi (Israel was defeated in this battle, then on a second try defeated Ai.)

The Book of Joshua then relates the tribal allotments once the conquest is complete.

Period of the JudgesThis is a time when there is no king in Israel.The people are constantly harassed by remaining Canaanite peoples around them.The people of Israel are also tempted to adopt the religions of the surrounding peoples. This is called syncretism.The Judges call the people back to pure monotheism, defeat the enemies of Israel, and judge the people in the absence of a king.

The United Kingdom of IsraelSaul, a Benjamite, is the first king of Israel. Samuel is prophet during this time.Samuel prophecies that the kingdom will be taken from Saul because Saul does not completely obey Yahweh.Saul is killed in battle along with his sons.David become king in Israel.David’s son Solomon succeeds him and builds the temple.

The Divided Kingdom

At the death of Solomon the northern tribes revolt due to the heavy taxes Solomon’s son continues to levy on them.Civil war breaks out. A monarchy is established in the north. The southern kingdom becomes known as Judah.

The Babylonian Exile

586-538 B.C.E.

Three deportations of Jews to Babylon.597 B.C.E. of the court of Jehoiochin

587 B.C.E. during the reign of Zedekiah

582 B.C.E. after the assassination of the Babylonian appointed governor.

The exile ends in 538 with the overthrow of the Babylonian Empire by Cyrus the Great of Persia

Post Exilic Period

Ezra and Nehemiah help lead a return of Jews to Jerusalem and begin building the Second Temple and walls of Jerusalem.

Second Temple is completed under the leadership of last three Jewish prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Post Exilic Period (continued)Alexander the Great conquers the area. Power passes to his successors, the Seleucid Dynasty.

The Seleucids try to force Greek religion on the Jews. Many Jews are “Hellenized” (adopted Hellenistic culture).

Hellenism was a blending of Greek, Persian, and Egyptian culture.

The Hasmonean (Maccabees) family leads rebellion against Seleucids and sets up Hasmonean dynasty which rules until the Romans come to power.

The parties of Pharisees and Sadducees are formed in an effort to revitalize Judaism during this time.

Roman Period

Romans arrive and conquer! Set up Roman provinces of Galilee, Samaria, and Judea.

Jerusalem and Herod’s Temple are destroyed in 70 C.E.

Jewish revolts in the 1st and 2nd centuries move the Romans to ban all Jews from Jerusalem creating the Jewish Diaspora.

Some Jews remain in Palestine, but never have political power until the 20th century State of Israel.

Arch of Titus showing items from Jerusalem temple being taken by the Romans

EXTRA STUFF—NOT ESSENTIAL.

What happens at a Passover Seder today?1. Reciting a Kiddish, a blessing over the first cup of wine.2. Washing of the hands3. Dipping of the Karpish (parsley or celery) into saltwater.

This symbolizes the tears of the Jews shed in their slavery in Egypt.

4. The breaking of the middle matzos (the larger piece is hidden and at the end of the seder the children look for it.)

5. Retelling of the Passover story, the “Four Questions,” and the second cup of wine.

What happens at a Passover Seder today?

6. Second washing of hands.

7. Traditional blessing before eating bread.

8. Eating the “maror” (bitter herbs—usually horseradish—to symbolize the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.)

9. Eating a sandwich made of matzos and bitter herbs.

10. Setting the table, and eating the holiday meal.

What happens at a Passover Seder today?

11. Eating the “afikoman” (this is the hidden piece of matzos that a child has found).

12. Blessing after the meal and third cup of wine.

13. Reciting the Hallel (which consists of Psalms 113-118). Drinking of the fourth cup of wine.

14. Conclusion.

The Ten Commandments: What are they?

First Table: commandments regarding God

You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not worship carved images.

You shall not take the name of God in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

Second Table: commandments regarding ethical behavior in society

Honor your father and mother.You shall not murder.You shall not steal.You shall not commit adultery.You shall not bear false witness (commit perjury).You shall not covet.