Ancient Israel
By: Tara, Michelle, Elaine, Tina, Robyn, and Ivan
Location
○ Ancient Israelites lived in the Middle
East by the Mediterranean Sea
○ Land was first known as Canaan, then
Phoenicia, and now Palestine
○ Villages were built upon hilltops
○ Part of larger political units/regional
chiefdoms
History○ 1300 - 1200 BC: Moses brings the freed Israelites from Egypt
to Canaan
○ Due to a misunderstanding with God, he passes his
leadership to Hebrew General Joshua who conquers the
native people
○ 1050-The Israelites are ruled by Saul(c1050-1010) and then
David(c1010-970) who unites them into one kingdom
○ c.970 David’s son Solomon becomes a king and builds the
Temple in Jerusalem
○ After Solomon’s death, Israel divides into two kingdoms:
Judah in the south, Israel in the north
History
○ c. 620 BC A major religious revival takes a place in the
southern kingdom of Judah
○ c. 597-582 BC Judah and Jerusalem are destroyed in a
series of invasions by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
○ c. 538 BC The Persian King Cyrus allows the exiles back
and encourages them to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem
○ c. 164 BC The Persians are conquered by Alexander the
Great and the Jews revolt against the Seleucid kings under
the leadership of the Maccabees
○ c. 722 BC The northern kingdom of Israel is destroyed by the
Assyrians
History○ c. 63 BC: The Romans conquered Judea and
appoint the family of Herod the Great as rulers
of Judea
○ c. 66-73 and c132-5AD: Two Great Revolts
against the Romans ends in the destruction of
the Temple and the expulsion of the Jews from
near Jerusalem
Religion/Law○ They believed in one God, YHWH, who
loves his people
○ Their religious book, the Torah, consists
of the first five books in the bible
○ Observed many holidays like Yom
Kippur and Passover
Religion
● The Prophets had influence over certain Kings● Prophets suffered a lot
Traditions○ In the Ancient World, an Israeli woman’s life was centered at home.
Raising children, keeping the house clean and cooking meals.
○ It was expected for women to be wed to men, around the age of 13
○ Men were considered the master of the house and
often referred to as “Ba'al”.
○ The Ancient Israelites viewed death as god's plan
for humanity and the burying of their dead was
seen as a sacred act.
Contributions to History
○ Christianity and Islam, the two major religions in the world, stem out of Judaism
○ The Ancient Israelites’ views on morals have greatly affected western civilization, especially the Ten Commandments
Interesting Facts○ Judaism is the only religion in the world that
has lost and regained its Holy Land
○ Speed dating was invented by a Rabbi
○ Their holidays commemorate important
historical events, times of the year, and times
of a person's life
○ The Star of David legendarily represents an
emblem of King David’s shield
○ Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Torah
because it was established after the scriptures
were written
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