EARLY HEBREWS

HISTORY

Originally desert nomads, the Hebrews

established a great kingdom called Israel.

EARLY HEBREWS

CULTURE, SOCIETY, RELIGION & GOVERNMENT

Abraham

Abraham is seen as the Patriarch, or father, of Judaism as well as Christianity and Islam.

HISTORY OF THE HEBREWS

According to Jewish tradition

Abraham is brought by God from his home in the ancient city of Ur into a new land, Canaan (the holy land), where he enters into a covenant (agreement) with God:

in exchange for sole recognition of Yahweh as supreme universal authority, Abraham will be the father of a great nation.

HISTORY OF THE HEBREWS

• Abraham and Moses led the Hebrews to Canaan and to a new religion.

The escape of the Israelites from their

captivity in Egypt.

Moses was the leader of the Hebrew Exodus. The story goes that the Hebrew God had to curse Egypt with 10 plagues in order for the Pharaoh (Ramses II) to free the Israelites

EXODUS

• His people were released, so they began their

Exodus out of Egypt.

EXODUS

• God then gave Moses the Ten Commandments by which to live.

• Strong kings united the Israelites to

fight off invaders.

THE MONARCHY

KING SAUL

KING DAVID

KING SOLOMON

The Temple built by King Solomon

• Invaders conquered and ruled the Hebrews after their kingdom broke apart.

BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY

• Hebrew society was governed by men. Women had few rights.They had to obey their fathers and husbands. They couldn’t choose their own husbands.A woman could not inherit property unless she had no brothers.

Home -the center of education

Both parents shared the responsibility for educating their children

EARLY EDUCATION

Nurturer: infancy was prolonged state of

nurture. Babies nursed for 3 years

Careful training of the memory before the age of Three

Formal home-schooling was begun in the form of memorizing Scripture, benedictions, and wise sayings

Mnemonic rules were devised to help the child retain what he memorized

Mother’s Role

Teach the domestic rites and songs of

the weekly festivals, feasts and the annual festival

Each child had a guardian-promise that he inserted in his daily prayers

Mother’s Role

It was the father who was bound to teach his

Son

Providing moral, religious and handcraft instruction for growing sons

Father’s Role

Members of a learned and professional class

Wrote letters Drew up contracts Kept accounts Maintain records Prepared orders

Important to the royal administration Writing was so practical

Scribes