Abraham

  • Father of the Hebrews
  • Abraham is the name given to him by god and it means father of man
  • Judaism believes in a single god
  • Introduced the belief of a single god
  • Moved his family from Mesopotamia to Canaan because he was told to do so by God
  • God promised Abraham that he would make him the father of a great nation and would bless the nation
  • Abraham’s descendants became known as the Jewish people
  • God tested Abraham in many ways
  • God asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac
  • He proved his faith and obedience to God by taking his son to the mountain top
  • God rewarded him by renewing his promise to Abraham

Moses

  • Greatest Hebrew leader
  • Hebrews grew in number and this made the Pharaoh fearful so he made them slaves
  • God spoke to Moses and told him he would send him to the Pharaoh to free my people
  • The Pharaoh refused and God punished Egypt with 10 plagues
  • After the Pharaoh’s first born son was killed, he decided to free the Hebrews
  • However, the Pharaoh changed his mind and sent the Egyptian army after the Hebrews
  • Moses was able to help them escape safely by parting the Red Sea with his staff
  • He led his people out of slavery in Egypt
  • Told the Hebrews that God would lead them to Canaan, the promise land, in exchange for faithful obedience
  • Gave Judaism its fundamental laws
  • The foundation of Judaism is 10 laws carved into two stone tablets

Kings David and Solomon

  • In Canaan, the people created a united kingdom under King David and Solomon
  • King David established Jerusalem as a holy city
  • King Solomon built Jerusalem’s first great temple

King David

  • Were at war with Philistines
  • Hebrews had to defeat Goliath so they would not become slaves
  • David was outraged at the Philistines mockery of the Hebrew God
  • David fought and defeated Goliath with only a sling shot
  • God rewarded David’s bravery by making him king
  • He united Judah and Israel into a single kingdom known as Israel
  • He created a strong central government
  • He gave the kingdom its own army, courts, and government officials
  • He served as the nation’s chief priest
  • Jerusalem became the center of political and religious life
  • The Ark of the Covenant was housed in Jerusalem
  • Jerusalem became a holy city

King Solomon

  • After King David’s death, his father, he became king
  • Built a magnificent temple in Jerusalem
  • The temple became the home of the Ark of the Covenant
  • Center of Jewish worship
  • Building the temple was expensive
  • Taxed the Jewish people heavily to purchase materials
  • His methods angered many Hebrews which resulted in them breaking away into two separate kingdoms
  • Northern kingdom became known as Israel
  • Southern kingdom was ruled by David and Solomon’s descendants