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History Makers—Creation to Christ

By Michelle Morrow

© 2014

Homeschooling Downunder

www.homeschoolingdownunder.com

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A Message From The Author

I’ve have been a Christian for 30 years. I am a mum of four children and have been

teaching Sunday School on and off for twelve years. I have also homeschooled for

over twelve years. Although I do have a Certificate of Christian Ministry—Biblical

Studies, I am mostly self-taught in this topic (a great advantage of homeschooling

your kids).

While teaching my children at home I have come across excellent homeschool

curriculums that teach the Bible from a historical perspective. I wanted to find these

types of resources to teach Sunday School kids. After searching I couldn’t find one

so I decided to write this one.

I’ve taught this program twice in Sunday School to ages 6 to 12. It’s been a very

enjoyable experience. My family and I have put the PowerPoint’s together with the

lessons and we have taken many of the Lego pictures from http://thebrickbible.com/,

This is an interesting site, but sometimes you will find the pictures can be a bit too

graphic and gory so I’d supervise kids if they want to go on it.

I haven’t polished this curriculum to the level that I would like but if I waited till then it

would probably never get to you. So here it is! If you find something that doesn’t

match up with your doctrine then leave it out.

I have found that this is a great way to give kids a quick overview of Biblical history in

the context of world history. It can be used for homeschool lessons and for Sunday

school lesson. Please feel free to use it and share it with your friends.

I hope that you will enjoy teaching this resource and that it will lay a strong Biblical

foundation for the children that you teach.

Michelle

http://thebrickbible.com/�

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4 History Makers –Creation to Christ by Michelle Morrow© 2014

Table of Contents A Message From The Author ..................................................................................... 3

Introduction ................................................................................................................ 6

History Maker Lesson and PowerPoint Presentation ................................................. 9

Lesson 1: Creation ................................................................................................... 12

Lesson 2: Adam and Eve ....................................................................................... 16

Lesson 3: The Flood................................................................................................. 20

Lesson 4: The Sons of Noah .................................................................................... 24

Lesson 5: The Era of the Patriarchs ......................................................................... 29

Lesson 6: The Tribes of Israel .................................................................................. 35

Lesson 7: Joseph in Egypt ....................................................................................... 39

Lesson 8: Creation to Egypt - Revision .................................................................... 42

Lesson 9: Moses Part One ....................................................................................... 46

Lesson 10: Moses Part Two ..................................................................................... 50

Lesson 11: The Land Of Canaan ............................................................................. 55

Lesson 12: The Judge Deborah ............................................................................... 59

Lesson 13: The Book of Ruth ................................................................................... 63

Lesson 14: Samson and the Philistines .................................................................... 66

Lesson 15: The Last Judge of Israel ........................................................................ 70

Lesson 16: Moses to Judges --Revision .................................................................. 72

Lesson 17: The First King of Israel ........................................................................... 75

Lesson 18: The Second King of Israel...................................................................... 78

Lesson 19: Last King of United Israel ....................................................................... 83

Lesson 20: The Kingdom Divided ............................................................................ 88

Lesson 21: Northern Kingdom Israel ........................................................................ 91

Lesson 22: Southern Kingdom Judah ...................................................................... 96

Lesson 23: The Kingdom of Babylon...................................................................... 102

Lesson 24: Israel & Judah - Revision ..................................................................... 106

Lesson 25: The Medes & Persians......................................................................... 110

Lesson 26: The Temple Restored .......................................................................... 114

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Lesson 27: Queen Esther ....................................................................................... 119

Esther the Play .................................................................................................... 120

Lesson 28: Israel’s Walls Rebuilt ........................................................................... 128

Lesson 29: The Greek Empire ............................................................................... 132

Lesson 30: The Romans ........................................................................................ 137

Lesson 31: Jesus ................................................................................................... 142

Lesson 32: The Apostles ........................................................................................ 147

Lesson 33: Nebuchadnezzar to Christ --Revision .................................................. 151

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Introduction

History Makers is a curriculum that teaches relationship with Christ and Biblical

principles within the framework of God’s people and events in history. It is a course

that tracks history from Creation to the spread of Christianity. This curriculum can be

used at home or in a children’s Sunday School setting.

The curriculum aims to teach children, in a thoughtful and interesting way, His Story

through hearts, heads and hands;

• teaching hearts—to equip and facilitate prayer and the ministry of the

Holy Spirit.

• teaching heads—to encourage thoughtfulness in the child, by giving them

keys to defend their faith using apologetics and a Biblical world view; to

see God as a living God and not a mythical character in a set of stories.

• teaching hands— this is the doing part of the curriculum.

The curriculum has 33 lessons divided into 4 sections:

• Creation to the era of the Patriarchs

• Moses to Judges

• The Kings of Israel and Judah

• Exile to Christianity

The lessons follow chronologically but can still be taught as stand-alone lessons.

You can teach these lessons to small or large groups. The ideal age group for this

curriculum is 7-12 years old, although younger children can also join in. Although

some of it will go over their head they can usually follow the Bible story.

Whilst I wrote this to use in a kid’s church or children’s Sunday school setting, I

based most of these lessons of lessons we had in our own home as we read through

the Bible as a family. These lessons could be used this way and you have the

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advantage of being able to follow the scriptures sequentially, make a notebook and

timeline.

Biblical World View

We will teach history from a Biblical world view.

“A biblical worldview begins with God in Genesis, chapter one and verse one. A

Biblical worldview is viewing the world, the beginning of the world, people in the

world, the problems in the world, governments in the world, issues in the world,

solutions for the problems in the world, and the future of the world -- through God’s

Word.” Ethan Pope

This course is presented from a young earth theology and creation science materials

are used in our apologetics discussion.

Dates in History Makers

James Ussher, an Irish archbishop in the 17th century, did a very comprehensive

study of the chronology of the Bible. His dates appeared in the Kings James Version

for many years and we will be using those dates for most of the Biblical history

timeline. These dates are based on the Masoretic text (Hebrew Text).

These dates are not meant to be interpreted as an exact representation but

rather an approximate educated assumption. Giving children this time framework will

help them see the Bible sequentially and also tie in some secular history with biblical

history.

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Archaeology

Archaeology is a science dating from the 1800’s. It is historic in nature and often the

findings are more assumptions based on theory rather than repeatable testing to

examine a hypothesis. For this reason, archaeologist’s findings are often flawed.

Take the city of Nineveh as an example; for many years archaeologists claimed that

it did not exist then it was discovered by Austen Henry Layard in 1847.

Many biblical timeline dates are different to archaeological dates. One of the reasons

for this is that many archaeologists do not believe in the historical account of the

Bible and refuse to use it as an historical document. Thus when they find references

to the flood or the Tower of Babel and other historical events in the Bible they

dismiss it as myth of the people not actual history.

In the Encyclopaedia Britannica, a footnote about the changing of the dates for the

Kings of Israel said that the revision to Ussher’s dates had been made because of

revelations from “the spade and archaeology.”

This therefore begs the question—should we be trying to make the Bible fit the

“truth” of archaeology or should we trust the Bible’s account!

9


History Maker Lesson and PowerPoint Presentation

Most of these lessons come with a PowerPoint Slide show. Although they are not

absolutely necessary they do enhance the lesson and they help you to show images

of some of the archaeological findings.

These Power Points were put together by various members of the family. Many use

Lego characters which is usually a big hit. These can be downloaded free from our

website. http://wwwhomeschoolingdownunder.com/shop/sunday-school-lessons-for-

kids/

Some of the Lego™ pictures were created by my son Tim. Some were taken from

The Brick Testament.

After each Bible reading ask the given questions.

The lesson overview is for the teacher and is not meant to be read aloud verbatim.

The PowerPoint should help you cover the topic. It is written so the teacher can plan

the lesson from the information given and then present it in their personal style.

At the end of the lesson we want the children to know that the person studied was a

real person, in a real place, at a real time of history.

Hands On—Optional Activities

At the end of each lesson you can make up some activities or practise the

performance. It all depends on how much time you have.

A Bible Notebook

For many of the lessons I have suggested that the child draws their own picture of

the lesson. Don’t undervalue how effective this can be for helping the child

consolidate their learning. My children have their own pictorial account of many

stories and this is a great memory jogger and a delight to look back at.

http://wwwhomeschoolingdownunder.com/shop/sunday-school-lessons-for-kids/�

http://www.thebricktestament.com/�

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Special Performances

Children love to perform for their parents and often it’s possible to organise the

children to perform during the church service. This curriculum has suggested four

special performances for the children. Each of the songs that they will learn have a

special meaning that ties in with the curriculum.

You will need a musician to come and play for the practices and performance. They

might also be happy to take over this portion of the lesson if your teachers don’t feel

confident teaching the songs. Time the song practice for the beginning or end of the

lesson so that the person can just drop in for this section.

Each of the chosen songs can have some fun actions. The kids will enjoy trying to

make up the actions and this will also help consolidate the meanings of the words.

Depending on your church calendar you might be able to schedule the performances

on the revision week, or on special occasions, such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day

and Christmastime.

Esther Purim Play

Week 27 is a Purim play about the story of Queen Esther. This traditional Jewish

play is usually a funny pantomime performed by children during the Jewish feast of

Purim. They are not meant to be polished performances. Plan ahead for this one!

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Timeline

You will notice that each lesson has approximate dates of the relevant lesson

content.

A wall timeline or chart can also be used such as The Timeline of World History,

available through www.creation.com. A wall timeline allows the children (and

teacher!) to see history as a whole entity. This is wonderful for the visual learner;

there is no break, and the flow and patterns are recognisable.

Timelines can be purchased as wall charts or made as you go.

Maps

Maps are also very helpful for understanding the geography of the Bible. You can

use maps from your Bible or buy some Bible maps.

Christian Education Publication Youthworks (CEP) has a Bible Maps poster set. It

includes twelve Bible A2 map posters for Old and New Testament times, showing

David and Solomon's kingdoms, the 12 tribes of Israel, the places Jesus travelled

and more.

Calendar of Curriculum

The thirty two lessons of this curriculum were created to do over one year. The

curriculum still leaves room for holiday breaks and special events such as Easter. If

the lessons are commenced at the beginning of the calendar year you will find that

the last performance corresponds nicely with Christmas.

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Lesson 1: Creation

History Maker: God

Scripture: Genesis 1:1–Genesis 2:4a

Tell the story of Creation.

Lesson Notes (PowerPoint Available)

• The aim of this lesson is to establish that God is the creator of everything, He

is a person and He is one God.

• Creation was a real event and not a fable.

Who wrote Genesis?

Although the authorship of Genesis is attributed to Moses, some scholars believe

that Moses compiled the books of antiquity into one book—Genesis, and at times

made a few editorial comments.

They cite the closing signature sentences of the authors as evidence. Every time we

see the phrase "This is the book of the generations of...", the name used in that

phrase is most likely the author of that portion of scripture. (P.J. Wiseman. New

Discoveries About Genesis ©1936).

For example:

• The Book of God. An eyewitness account of Creation.

• The Book of Adam. Gen. 2:5-5:2

• The Book of Noah. Gen. 5:3-6:9a

• The Book of The Sons of Noah Gen. 10:2-11:10a


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Our First Date —4000BC

The date for Creation is estimated at being around 4000 years before Christ was

born (or 4000BC). We can work out some of these dates using genealogies

provided for us in the Bible and ancient texts. Ussher, an Irish archbishop, tried to

work out the date exactly and he came up with the year 4004BC. We are using his

dates for our timeline book.

The Spade—Archaeology

Sometimes you might read different dates to what the Bible says for kingdoms and

events. This has made some people struggle with the dates that the Bible uses.

Recently I read an article on the dating of the Kings of Israel. They had revised

Ussher’s dates and now had other ones. It said the reason for their revision was

correct so far as the spade and archaeology has revealed.

Archaeology is a science dating from the 1800’s. It is historic in nature and often the

findings are more assumptions based on theory rather than repeatable testing to

examine a hypothesis. For this reason, archaeologist’s findings are often flawed.

Take the city of Nineveh as an example. For many years archaeologists claimed that

it did not exist until it was discovered by Austen Henry Layard in 1847.

This therefore begs the question—should we be trying to make the Bible fit the

“truth” of archaeology or trust the Bible!

What Does BC Mean?

BC means before Christ was born. AD actually stands for a Latin phrase anno

domini which means in the year of our Lord. 1 AD was meant to signify the birth of

Christ which they now date from 4-6 BC.

This dating system was not used in the Bible but it has been used for many years

and it was developed to reflect that the birth of Christ was a turning point in history.

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B.C.E (Before the Common Era) and C.E (Current Era) is a secular dating term that

has replaced BC and AD. This has been adopted by some historians who do not

wish to use dates that acknowledge the Christian creed.

Stories of Origin

Many believe the world is millions and millions of years old and that the Bible is just a

fairy tale or a story to explain how people think things happened, much like the

Australian Aboriginal’s dreamtime story. They think that you are very silly indeed to

believe that life began with God.

Many people don’t want to believe God exists at all and they will go to great lengths

to look for ways to explain a world without God.

Up until Charles Darwin’s theory of the Origins of Species became popular, the

Bible’s account was accepted as absolute truth by many. If the new theory of

evolution was true then the following ideas also need to be accepted:

• There needs to be long periods of time (millions and millions of years) for

evolution to occur. That’s not the timeline of the Bible.

• Man is not created as special in the image of God. He starts from a

single cell →fish →land animal→ apelike→ then man.

• Death and fossils occur before man came into being. No original sin existed

as death (the punishment) was already happening.

Since Darwin’s theory, many explanations have emerged from Christians who try to

reconcile this obvious conflict with the biblical account of creation and the theory of

evolution. None of these theories adequately answer the above conflicts and they

leave us wondering when does the Bible story become true?

You do not need to be a fool and ignore science and archaeology to believe in the

Bible. You just need to look at the facts with a biblical world view. That is, having a

belief that the Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative word of God.

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For today let’s just see what God made and how it was beautiful and good. There

was no sin, no death (or fossils). Just his beautiful creation!

Our Date

400 BC Creation

Questions to Ask

1. When did Creation happen?

2. Who is the creator? Note the use of us in Gen.

1:26.

3. On the first three days God creates three realms.

What are they? (Heavens, expanse of water and dry land)

4. On the next three days God creates the earth’s population for each realm.

Who are they? (Stars, fish and birds, animals and man)

5. What does God think of His creation?

Hands Up

Map Work: Draw a map of Eden, the garden and its surrounding lands using the

information described in Genesis 2:8-14.

Own Picture: Make a time line picture of the seven days of Creation.

Make a Creation Mini Book: Available from Christian Pre School Printables.

http://www.christianpreschoolprintables.com/Pages/Creation/CreationMinibook.html

Game: Play fiddle sticks to illustrate the principle order to disorder not chaos to

order.

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Lesson 2: Adam and Eve

History Maker: Adam and Eve

Tell the story of Adam and Eve, and their children.

Scripture: Genesis 2:4b—5:1a

Lesson Notes: (PowerPoint Available)

• The aim of this lesson is to see that Adam is made in the image of God and

he has a special role on this earth.

• Sin came into the world through Adam’s sin but God in his mercy had a plan

for redemption from the seed of the woman – the Messiah!

Man is Made in the Image of God and He has Work to Do!

Man was made differently and God gave him a job. He was to be a wise steward of

God’s creation. After the fall he still had work to do but it became more difficult.

The Promise!

Adam, Eve and the serpent all had a curse placed on them after they sinned but God

also had a plan for redemption. Genesis 3:15 is generally seen as the first prophecy

of the Messiah.

Seth is Adam and Eve’s third son. From his dependants Noah is born.

Who was Cain’s wife?

In the Bible it says that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters (he lived to be

930 after all). In those days brothers and sisters would have married. If close

relatives were permitted to marry today we would have many defects for we all carry

imperfect genes.


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Men of Technology

Genesis 4:17—24 gives us some of the history of Cain and his descendants. Notice

the technology and skills in this age. These men built cities, played and made

instruments, worked with metals to make tools, lived in tents and raised cattle.

This is quite different from the evolutionary representation of primitive man that says

man moved from cave to tent, to wandering around with animals, and then he

worked out how to make fences and then VOILA! – a city!

Edenese—The Language of Adam

Today a few scholars believe that from Adam to Nimrod the whole world spoke

Hebrew. One of the reasons for this is that many of the early names still have

meaning in Hebrew but not in other languages. Another argument is that when Noah

compiled the books written from Adam to Noah he didn’t rewrite them in a different

language, for example when he made an editorial comment he used the original

language like Ephrath and made a comment that it is now called Bethlehem. All

claims that Hebrew is not the original language are based on the assumption that

“men made up language” but so far no one has figured out how someone could have

done this.

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Our Dates

4004BC Creation

Year Born BC Age Died Years from Creation BC

Adam -- 4004 930 930 3074

Seth 130 3874 912 1042 2962

Enos or Enosh 235 3769 905 1140 2864

Cainan or Kenan 325 3679 910 1135 2769

Mahalaleel 395 3609 895 1290 2714

Jared 460 3544 962 1422 2582

Enoch 622 3382 365 Didn’t die 987 3017

Methuselah 687 3317 969 1656 2348

Lamech 874 3130 777 1651 2353

Noah 1056 2948 950 2006 1998

Shem 1558 2446 600 2158 1846

The Flood 2348 2348

Questions to Ask

1. How is man different to the animals?

2. Why was Eve created?

3. What was Adam’s job?

4. How did Adam and Eve sin?

5. Did Adam die when he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?

6. What was the consequence?

7. Who was Adam’s first son?

8. What was Cain’s occupation?

9. Why did Cain murder his brother?

10. What was Cain’s punishment?

11. What is the name of Adam and Eve’s third son?

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Hands Up

Own Picture

Eden is now guarded by angels with flaming swords. Cain goes to live in the land of

Nod. Where would that be? Design the city. What would you need?

• a market • homes

• entertainment places

Construction Materials

Build a city using blocks such as Lego, Duplo or other materials such as boxes and

blankets.

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Lesson 3: The Flood

History Maker: Noah

Scripture: Genesis 5:1—6:9—7

• This portion of scripture is Noah’s account of what was happening before The

Flood and just after. Noah may have written more but this is what Abraham

included in the book of Genesis. Genesis 6:4 shows evidence of Moses’

editing “in those days, and also afterwards”.

• Tell the story of Noah.


The aim of this lesson is to help show that Noah’s ark is not just a cute animal

fairytale but rather a catastrophic milestone in the course of human history.

The History of Noah

The story of Noah is pivotal in the history of mankind and could be broken down into

many lessons but we only have one week to cover this great man.

The first part of Noah’s book begins with a genealogy from Adam to Noah. This

genealogy also appears in 1 Chronicles1:1—4 and Luke 3:36—38.

There are 10 generations and eight rulers. (Enoch went to heaven before his father’s

death and Methuselah also outlived his son Lamech).

Some ancient writings record the flood and the generations before the flood. The

Sumerian King List shows 8 kings before the flood. Gilgamesh, an ancient poem

from Sumer (before Babylon), depicts a flood story extremely similar to Noah’s flood.

Maio a south western Chinese tribe have passed down their history orally and they

have many details which agree with the biblical account. They quote all the way back

to the first man—Dirt who was made from the dust of the earth. Also names such as


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Seth, Lamech, Noah and his sons are recognised. They even tell us Noah’s wife’s

name Gaw Bo-lu-en.

The Chinese people arrived in their land shortly after Babel. Chinese writing using

word pictures for boat depicts a vessel with eight people.

http://objectiveministries.org/creation/chinese.html

Were Noah’s Sons Triplets? Genesis 5:32.

“And Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”

The landmark date for Noah was not his sons’ births but rather the flood. The age of

Noah at his son’s birth were not given exactly according to Noah’s age like all the

other dates in the genealogy. His genealogy was recorded from the flood. The flood

occurred when he was 600 and he died 350 years after the flood. Scholars have

worked out Seth’s birth date to be when Noah was 502 using Seth’s genealogy and

flood dates.

Kinds of Animals on the Boat!

God brought the animals to Noah and they were all different kinds. That does not

mean there was every variation of one kind. How many types of dogs can you think

of? Well Noah only needed to put one KIND of dog on the boat, not a whole range of

varieties of dog species like poodles, bull dogs, dingos and greyhounds.

The Science of Noah’s Flood?

This story is often seen as just a fable for little kids. Pictures depict a tiny boat with a

Noah and his wife plus a menagerie of animals on deck. (Where were the

dinosaurs?) This representation is unhelpful because it makes the story seem

ridiculous.

http://objectiveministries.org/creation/chinese.html�

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Noah’s flood was a catastrophic event in human history. With such a catastrophe

taking place you would expect to find some evidence of this event.

Geological evidence for The Flood can be seen in fossils. Up until Darwin’s theory

emerged everyone just assumed that fossils were created in The Flood. One edition

of a Creation Science magazine will cover this topic in great detail. In short, large

portions of animals were quickly fossilized during the flood, some even had food in

their mouths. Deep valleys were also carved out of stone from flood waters receding.

Questions to Ask

1. Did Noah wait till it started raining to enter the Ark?

2. How many people were in the Ark?

3. Who gathered the animals? Who closed the Ark door?

4. What was the first thing Noah did after leaving the Ark?

5. What promise did God make after leaving the Ark?

Hands On

Model of Ark: Make a model of Noah’s ark. A model of the boat can be purchased

through Creation Ministries store. http://creation.com

Game: Snap showing that the suits may not be the same but they are still all the

same number. Equate this to species and breeds of animals.

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Performance: Continue rehearsing for History Maker. Have the kids make up

actions.

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Our Dates

Names of Patriarchs Years born after

creation

Contemporary

Of Adam

Contemporary

Of Noah

Contemporary

Of Shem

Age Died

Adam -- x 930

Seth 130 x 912

Enos 235 x x 905

Cainan 325 x x 910

Mahalaleel 395 x x 895

Jared 460 x x 962

Enoch 622 x 365

(didn’t die)

Methuselah 687 x x 969

Lamech 874 x x x 777

Noah 1056 x 950

Shem 1558 x 600

Abraham 2008 x 175

Isaac 2108 x 180

Noah’s flood date: Using dates in the Bible we get a date for the flood around

2500BC

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Lesson 4: The Sons of Noah

History Makers: Ham, Japheth and Shem

Scripture: Genesis Chapter 9—11

Lesson Notes (Power Point Available)

• The aim of this lesson is to show that after The Flood it was a whole new

beginning for mankind. The land was different and a new nation began from

Noah’s sons. Genesis chapter 10 is a record of all the people groups. These

people groups spread across the earth.

Where did the Ark land and Where is the Ark now?

For many years it was said that the ark was to be found on top of a high mountain in

Armenia. Today that mountain is within the borders of Turkey.

Josephus records it in his historical writing in Jesus Times and said the Armenians

have relics to show you. Marco Polo is said to have been to the mountain but could

not climb it as the snow on the summit never melts, but keeps increasing each year.

A Babylonian writer records that the ship was grounded in Armenia and its

descendants went to live in Babylon (formally Sumer). This is just like the Bible’s

account.

There are also reports of people sighting the ark from a plane or helicopter. Today

the exact location of that mountain is not known so it is now referred to as “lost”.

The Birth of Civilisation—the Fertile Crescent 2349BC

From the ark the sons of Noah would have come down from the mountain and

settled. If you look at a map of the Middle East you will see that in the area below

the mountains of Armenia two rivers flow. They are called the Euphrates (not the

same one as the Garden of Eden; probably in memory of Eden) and the Tigris.


25


Between these two rivers the region is called

Mesopotamia, the land of Shinar. This is where

civilisation is said to have began—even secular

historians agree on this one. Some of the

excavated cities in this region are Sumer, Ur and

Nineveh.

Covenant and Curse—The Promised Land.

Noah curses his son Ham and in his curse

prophesies that Ham’s descendants will serve

the descendants of the other two sons. This prophecy was historically fulfilled in the

conquest of Canaan (inhabited by Ham’s descendants) by Shem’s descendants, the

Hebrews.

The Table of Nations

Noah’s three sons were the fathers of many nations. (Gen 9:18-19).

Japheth— these people spread mostly throughout Europe, the British Isles and one

group in India. The Greeks also claim Japheth, in fact the name Jupiter is derived

from one of his son’s names. A small south western Chinese tribe Miao also claims

to be a descendent. They call him Japhu.

Ham—Canaan Ham’s son settled just east of the Mediterranean in a land which

became known as the land of Canaan. They also settled in Africa and Egypt and

possibly to the Far East. Their languages are called Hamitic languages.

Shem—this people group are called Semitic; originally Shemitic because they were

dependents of Ham. Shem’s son Arphaxed is in Abraham’s family tree. The other

descendents are mostly Middle Eastern, known today as Arabs.

26


One Mind, One Language—The Tower of Babel 2247BC

About 100 years after the flood The Tower of Babel was built. Noah would still have

been alive. Many believe that the Tower of Babel was commissioned by Nimrod

(mentioned in Gen 10:8-12). Nimrod is attributed with founding and building the cities

of Babel (Babylon), Erech (close to Ur), Akkad (an early Mesopotamian power) and

Calah (named Nimrud after its ruler).

The People Dispersed – New Languages

The people’s language is now confused and they disperse to the ends of the earth.

Linguistic experts (those who study language) have proposed that there are about

70—90 original language families and this is the same number of families named in

Genesis 10.

What About All the Different Skin Colours?

Modern genetics shows that when a large, freely interbreeding group is suddenly

broken into many smaller groups which from then on breed only among themselves

(as the Biblical description of the language dispersion at Babel would imply), different

racial characteristics will arise very rapidly.

A New Earth, Cave Men and an Ice Age

After the flood the world looked different. It was probably a lot harsher. Man’s

lifespan decreased rapidly. Even the age they started having children was much

earlier. They had no homes to live in. They had to start from scratch.

Where might they have sheltered? Could it be in caves? Cave art, jewellery,

weapons and tools have all been discovered from people who lived in caves. Were

they living there just after the flood? Were they really primitive!

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Many scholars also believe that the Ice Age began soon after the flood and could

have lasted more than 500 years. Up to 30% of the world’s surface was covered with

ice.

Our Dates

• The People Dispersed –2247BC

Questions to Ask

1. What are Noah’s instructions as soon as he leaves the ark?

2. What are they now allowed to eat as food that they couldn’t before?

3. What was the BIG change in the relationship between man and animals after

the flood?

4. This is the first mention of the word “covenant” in the Bible. What is a

covenant? What are the terms of God’s covenant with Noah?

5. What is the significance of the rainbow?

6. What foolish thing did Noah do?

7. How do the reactions of his sons differ?

8. What is the consequence of Ham’s disrespect for his father?

9. Why did they want to build the tower? Who did they want to glorify?

10. How does God react to the ambitions of men? Note the use of us!

11. What happened? What two changes did God make among men?

Hands Up


Game: Who Met Who. Using the genealogy from Adam to Isaac work out who was

still alive when someone was born.

Line the children up in a row giving as many names of the patriarchs. You can use

cards for each child. Now choose one child to be Adam. Adam now introduces

himself to all the people that were alive at the same time as him. Get Adam to give a

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gift (such as a lolly) to each person he meets. Then start again choosing a child to be

Noah and then repeat, choosing another child to be Shem.

How many children got a gift? Make a point how easily they could have passed on

the story of Creation. Who met Adam, Shem and Noah? Who was his son? Who was

his grandson?

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Lesson 5: The Era of the Patriarchs

History Maker: Abraham & Isaac

Scripture: Genesis 12—25

• Tell the story of Abraham.

• With Abraham we start to get a more detailed description of the life of one

man. 13 chapters of Genesis are devoted to his life and struggles. He is also

mentioned another 30 times in the New Testament.


The aim of this study is to see that God concentrates his blessing and focuses on

one man Abraham and his descendants.

Through Abraham God’s plan for redemption continues. From Abraham we see the

curse of Ham’s son Canaan start to take shape. Abraham, a direct descendant of

Shem, takes possession of Canaan’s land—The Land of Canaan.

Note: You will need a Middle East map for this lesson.

Did Abraham and Isaac Meet Shem?

Shem didn’t die till Abraham was 110 and Isaac was 50 years old.

Could Abraham have been given the old books and genealogies to

keep safe?

Did Shem still have Adam’s book or Noah’s book?

Could Abraham write?

Writing was around during Abraham’s time. Ur, his bithplace was a

literate culture. The Code of Hammurabi which was written within 200 years of

Abraham’s lifetime and before Moses, is from Ur.


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From Shem to Abraham

Arphaxed was born when Shem was 102 Shem lived to 600

Salah was born when Arphaxed was 35 Arphaxed lived to 438

Eber was born when Salah was 30 Salah lived to 433

Peleg was born when Eber was 34 Eber lived to 464

Rue was born when Peleg was 30 Peleg lived 239

Serug was born when Rue was 32 Rue lived to 239

Nahor was born when Serug was 30 Serug lived to 230

Terah was born when Nahor was 29 Nahor lived to 148

Abram was born when Terah was 70 Terah lived to 205

*Note the decreasing age span and age that they first have children.

Abraham on a Journey

To understand Abraham’s life we will journey with him on a map, discuss key events

and highlight key scriptures.

1. Abraham in Ur

Ur, is a town in Mesopotamia close to the Persian Gulf. It is one of the earliest cities

known in the archaeological record of mankind. It had a large Ziggurat and the

people worshipped the moon goddess.

Abraham was born and lived in Ur for many years. When Abraham was a man, his

father Terah gathered the family and set out for Canaan and settled in Haran, which

is about halfway between Ur and Canaan if you travel via the river.

Abraham sent a servant back to this town in later years to find a wife (Rebekah) for

his son Isaac. Jacob also finds his wives Leah and Rachel in Haran.

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2. God calls Abram—Abraham leaves Haran

At 75 years old God calls Abraham to leave his father’s family that had settled in

Haran and continue the original journey to Canaan.

Genesis 12:1—3

3. Abraham arrives in Canaan but moves on to Egypt

Abraham arrives in Canaan shortly after that but he doesn’t stay long because there

is a severe famine in the land so he moves on to Egypt. Abraham meets Pharaoh

because of Sarah’s beauty but when he finds out Sarah is Abraham’s wife and not

his sister as Abraham had led him to believe, he sends them away.

4. Abraham goes back to Canaan in Negev

Negev is the southern desert region on the outskirts of the Land of Canaan—Judea.

Abraham and his nephew Lot have become a large group of people. Abraham and

Lot separate here. Lot settles in the Jordan Valley near Sodom (were wicked men

were sinning greatly against the Lord).

5. Abraham moves to Hebron

Abraham moves to the hill country near Hebron. Here he built an altar to the Lord

and settles in this region for the next 24 years.

Today Hebron is considered one of the Four Holy Cities of the world. It is now under

Palestinian control and is about 30km from Jerusalem. The most famous historic site

in Hebron that you can visit today is the Cave of the Patriarchs where Sarah,

Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah are buried.

6. Civil War in the Jordan Valley—Lot taken prisoner

The kings of the Jordan valley and surrounding valleys are at war and Lot is taken

prisoner. When Abraham hears of this he goes to rescue Lot.

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On his return back to Hebron, Abraham meets Melchizedech (Jewish tradition says

this was Shem; whoever he was he was King of Salem, Priest of the Most High

God). Melchizedech blessed Abraham and Abraham tithed to him.

7. God Abram will be the father of many nations.

Sarah is childless. Ten years after God’s promise of a child to Abraham she

becomes impatient to see the promise fulfilled. She is desperate for a child and

convinces Abraham to make her Egyptian servant Hagar pregnant and Sarah and

Abraham will bring up the child as their own. A son is born and they name him

Ishmael but the plan backfires and Hagar despises Sarah.

Again God promises a son to Abraham when he is now 90 years old through Sarah.

He laughs as does Sarah later on.

Genesis 17

God promises Abraham he will be the father of many nations. He establishes a

covenant with Abraham and gives the Land of Canaan as an everlasting possession

for Abraham and his descendants.

Another 10 years pass and Sarah who was 90 finally had her promised son Isaac.

8. Abraham moves to Beersheba

Abraham dwelt in Beersheba which was on the outskirts of the Promised Land.

Abraham called upon The Eternal God here. Hagar, Isaac and Jacob also had

significant encounters with God at this place. During this time God tested Abraham’s

faith by asking him to sacrifice his young son, Isaac. Abraham was obedient but God

stopped him at the last minute and provided a ram instead.

9. Sarah dies, Isaac Marries

Sarah dies in Hebron, at 127 years old, when Isaac is 37. Abraham buys the first plot

of land in Canaan—a tomb for his wife. Abraham sends a servant back to the region

of Haran to find a wife (Rebekah) for Isaac.

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10. Rebekah gives birth to Jacob and Esau

After 19 years of barrenness Rebekah finally has twins. Jacob is 60 years old.

11. Abraham dies

When the twins were about 15, Abraham died and was buried at Hebron, with Sarah.

Archaeologist Leonard Woolley

In 1927 archaeologist Leonard Woolley found an inscription on a ziggurat in

Southern Iraq that said “This was at Ur.”

Was this inspired by Abraham’s Sacrifice?

He also found the “ram caught in the thicket.” It was made

primarily out of gold and silver. From an inscription a date of

2500BC could be determined.

Ancient Kingdoms and Civilisations Begin

The descendents of Ham have moved to Egypt and the

Kingdom of Pharaohs has begun.

Abraham meets Pharaoh. This was probably during the

Egyptian Old Kingdom or early middle Kingdom.

Pharaoh's reigns are speculative as Egyptologists start Egypt’s timeline at 5000BC

which is a very arbitrary date. These dates have been disputed by other

archaeologists such as David Rohl due to dual Pharaohs in power rather than

individual rules consecutively.

Other ancient kingdoms dating back to around this time are the Hindus in India,

Minoans and Mycenaean in Greece and Xia Dynasty in China.

Ram in a Thicket British Museum

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Our Dates

Abraham in Ur

• 1921BC Abraham leaves Haran

• 1896BC Isaac is born

• 1859BC Sarah dies

• 1856BC Isaac marries

• 1846 BC Shem died

• 1836BC Rebekah gives birth to Jacob and Esau

• 1821BC Abraham dies

Questions to Ask

1. Where was Abraham born?

2. Where is Ur?

3. Why did Abraham leave Ur?

4. How old was Abraham when Isaac was born?

5. Could Abraham have met Shem? Who was Shem?

6. Could Isaac have met Shem?

7. Could Abraham and Esau have met Abraham?

Hands Up


Performance: Continue rehearsing for History Maker. Have the kids make up

actions.

Lesson 6: The Tribes of Israel

History Makers: Jacob & His Sons


This portion of scripture is 10 chapters. You will need to summarise the story in your

own words.


• The aim of this chapter is to see the blessing of Abraham continued through

to Jacob via Isaac.

• Jacob has 12 sons. These sons are the basis of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Jacob and Esau struggle in the womb.

God knows our character even when we are just little babies in our mother’s womb.

Although Esau was born first and had the birthright, he despised it and instead gave

it to Jacob.

Jacob deceives Esau

Like father, like son! Abraham, Isaac and Jacob chose to act deceitfully and they are

still the patriarchs of the Judeo-Christian faith. Why? Is it not wrong to lie!

Each time I read about these deceptions I wonder why these men got away with it?

But did they? God still accomplished his purpose but did these men add much

heartache to their lives by not surrendering to God’s plan. God in all his mercy works

out his will in spite of our disobedience.


36


Sowing and Reaping—Jacob finds a wife.

Blessed by Isaac, after impersonating Esau, Jacob leaves Beersheba and goes back

to Haran to find a wife amoungst his mother’s relatives. He never sees his mother

again.

In Haran he falls in love with Rachel and Laban (his mother’s brother) agrees to give

Rachel as a wife to Jacob. Jacob is tricked and ends up marrying Leah, Rachel’s

older sister. Laban agrees to allow Rachel to be Jacob’s wife the next day but the

condition is that Jacob must work for Laban another seven years. The deceiver is

himself deceived!

After 20 years in Haran, Jacob leaves secretly with his family and children to go back

to the land of Canaan. He was now a very wealthy man with 11 sons and many

livestock and many possessions. (Benjamin his 12th son was born in the land of

Canaan at Bethlehem). When Jacob left Laban was furious; for much blessing had

come his way while Jacob dwelt with them. He pursued Jacob and tried to get him to

stay but Jacob was determined to go.

Jacob’s name is changed to Israel

Jacob, fearful of his brother’s wrath, sends gifts to his brother Esau as he travels

back into Canaan. Here he wrestled with God and his name was changed to Israel.

God puts his stamp on Israel as a nation.

Isaac died 23 years after Jacob returned and was buried by his two sons in Hebron.

Jacob has Twelve Sons—The Twelve Tribes of Israel

The 12 tribes of Israel are named after the 12 sons of Israel. There is no tribe of

Joseph but rather two half tribes with Joseph’s sons names, Manasseh and Ephraim.

This tribal identification had very special significance for the Hebrews. The tribe of

Levi was the only tribe allowed to be priests and they were not allowed to own land.

Moses and Aaron were from this tribe.

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Jacob blesses Judah and prophesies of Jesus' birth.

The tribe of Judah was the tribe of Kings. David and Solomon were from this tribe

and all of the kings of Southern Israel were from the House of David. Jesus is also

from the House of David, the tribe of Judah.

Genesis 49:9—12

Our Dates

• 1836BC Jacob and Esau struggle in the womb.

• 1821BC Abraham dies.

• 1760BC Jacob deceives Esau.

• 1759BC Jacob finds a wife.

• 1739BC Jacob returns to Canaan and his name is changed to Israel.

• 1731BC Mephramuthosis is thought to be the Pharaoh in Egypt.

• 1728BC Joseph is sold into slavery.

• 1716BC Isaac dies at 180 years old.

• 1708BC The seven years of famine in Pharaoh’s dream begin.

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Questions to Ask

1. Was Jacob an honest man? Did his dishonesty work well for him?

2. How many sons did Jacob have?

3. What was Jacob’s name changed to?

4. What is special about the tribes Manasseh and Ephraim?

5. What was the name of Jacob’s grandfather?

6. Could Jacob have been given the books from Shem from his family?

7. Do you think Jacob knew how to read and write?

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson. Illustrate a

picture from the story of Jacob’s life. It could be how many children he had, him

wrestling with an angel, getting married to two women. You choose.

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Lesson 7: Joseph in Egypt

History Maker: Joseph


Lesson Notes: (Power Point Available)

• The aim of this lesson is to see how God looked after the Israelites by sending

Joseph ahead of them to provide a place of refuge in Egypt where they could

grow and prosper.

• At the conclusion of Genesis, 2369 years of Bible history ends. Joseph’s

family tree can be traced all the way back to Adam and we can count the

years from Jacob to Adam. So much of Joseph’s story is remarkable and you

might choose to summarise his life or focus on one event.

“And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to

bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” Genesis 50:20

Joseph is sent before Israel to Egypt 1728AD (Rohl 1683AD)

Joseph was the ultimate rags to riches story. Sold as a slave at around 17 by his

brothers, he rises to a position that places him second in charge of a mighty nation at

around the age of 30.

Joseph went through so much it can often seem like it’s just a good story but Joseph

was a real man. Scholars speculate that Joseph reined for 80 years during the

Middle Kingdom (Twelfth Dynasty) of Egypt. He lived to be 110 years old.


40


A Famine in Egypt and Caanan.

God is omnipotent. That means he knows all

things. He knew that the famine was coming to

Egypt. He interpreted Pharaoh’s dream for him.

He told Joseph that his brothers would bow

down to him. God had a plan and Joseph was

listening.

The Land of Goshen

Israel was reluctant at first to move to Egypt but again God reaffirmed his promise to

him. Jacob goes to Beersheba and makes a sacrifice to God. Here God speaks to

him and says,

“I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go to Egypt, for I will make you a

great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up

again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” Genesis 46:3-4.

Goshen is situated at the north eastern region of the Nile Delta (find it on the map). It

was a choice piece of real estate, the best of the land of Egypt, according to

Pharaoh—that’s a pretty high recommendation. This was perfect for Israel’s family

who were just seen as herdsmen and shepherds. Seventy people moved into

Goshen. When they left, years later, approximately 3000 people go???

It is not clear exactly how many years the Hebrews stayed in Goshen, for there are

two interpretations of when the Israelites were first in Egypt; One from Abraham’s

sojourn there, and the other from Jacob’s arrival. The range therefore is from 215—

430 years.

One verse in defence of James Ussher's chronology, Galatians 3:16-17 seems to

make reference to a 430 year period from Abraham leaving Haran to Moses

receiving "The Law".

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Joseph dies and is embalmed also and he requests his bones would also be buried

in Hebron (which Moses takes with him to the promised land Exodus 13:19.)

Genesis Closes 1635BC (1590BC Rohl)

Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years and died at the age of 147. Joseph ordered

Jacob’s body to be embalmed (the practice used for preserving mummies). The

Egyptians mourned for him for 70 days. Jacob had made his sons promise that his

body was to be buried in Hebron-Beersheba. This is where Abraham, Sarah,

Rachael, Rebekah, Isaac, and Leah were all buried.

This ends the era of the patriarchs and the book of Genesis.

Our Dates

• 1728BC Joseph sold into slavery

• 1635BC Israel moves to Egypt. Genesis finishes.

Questions to Ask

• Where is Egypt?

• Who was Joseph’s father?

• How many brothers did Joseph have?

• Why did Joseph go to Egypt?

• What happened to Joseph when he got to Egypt?

• Why didn’t his brothers recognise him when they met him in Egypt?

• Why did Joseph’s family move to Egypt?

• Where is the Land of Goshen? Is it good land?

Hands Up


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Lesson 8: Creation to Egypt - Revision

History Makers: Adam to Abraham


Lesson Notes

• Who wrote Genesis

• Genealogy from Adam to Abraham

• The first language

• The aim of this revision is to show that God dispersed the people and

confused their language and from this many languages emerged.

• To revise the key events in history from Abraham to Joseph

• To see that God had a plan for the sustenance of his people.

Our Dates

4004 BC Creation

2247 BC The Flood (1656 years after creation)

From Abraham to Joseph 375 years of history pass

1996 BC Abraham born

2371BC Joseph dies

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Key Events

• Creation of the world 4004BC

• Adam and Eve

• Adam and Eve sin

• The Curse

• The Promise

• Cain and Able

• Seth

• Noah

• Flood 2348 BC

• The People Dispersed 2247 BC

• Ice Age 2348BC (an approximate guess)

• Shem

• God separated a nation through the call of Abraham.

• God promised the land of Canaan to the descendants of Abraham.

• From Abraham we see the further development of a special saviour coming

from “seed of a woman.” Isaac, and then Jacob, carry on that covenant.

• The twelve tribes of Israel take shape.

• God provides a haven for the Israelites in Goshen while there is famine in the

land of Canaan.

• The end of Genesis

Key People

• Shem (Shem could have met Abraham and Isaac.)

• Abraham and Sarah

• Isaac and Ishmael

• Jacob/Israel

• 12 sons of Israel

• Joseph

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Key Places

• Euphrates and Tigris

• Mt Ararat

• Ur

• Haran

• The Land of Canaan

• Beersheba

• Egypt/Goshen

• The Nile River

Questions to Ask

1. Who was the first man?

2. What was the Tower of Babel?

3. Where did men go after the flood? What is the Fertile Cresent?

4. This is the first time we meet Abraham. Where is he living?

5. Where is Terah going to take his family? Where does he stop?

Hands On

Play Speech! Speech!

Use the key people list from this period and ask the children to get up and tell all they

know about that particular person. Set up a podium spot and have the child stand up

in front of the class. Follow the people in chronological order to help solidify the

narrative of Bible history for the kids.

This was a popular activity when I ran this lesson. It gives a chance for the talkative

kids to have a go. You might have to limit the time. I found this can take up a large

chunk of the lesson and other kids can contribute facts. Reward the kids that get up.

This is very rewarding as you get to hear how much they have absorbed about the

topic.

45


Timeline Entry

Add in the key events to your timeline. See if the children can work out where they

go.

Map Drill

Locate the key places using a map

46


Lesson 9: Moses Part One

History Maker: Moses and the Exodus

Scripture: Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers and Leviticus


• Between 200 and 400 years have passed since Joseph’s death.

• Moses was the leader who brought the people out of Egypt.

• The celebration of the Passover dates from this time.

The Exodus

Note: This is a very long lesson and has been broken down into two parts. If this

lesson comes close to Easter you could also use it as part of an Easter lesson.

A New Era in Egypt

The story of Moses is a whole new era for the Hebrew people. Whilst the Hebrews

are still in Egypt, in the region of Goshen, the blessings and favour that they found

under Joseph’s pharaoh have been removed. They are now slaves.

Moses is born at a time when a ruthless Pharaoh orders the murder of all the male

babies born to the Hebrew women.

Why does nobody remember Joseph?

Scripture says, “The pharaohs did not remember Joseph”. Why? Egyptian history

tells us that the Egyptian kings had many takeovers and civil wars. It is possible that

the dynasty ruling Egypt when Moses was born is a completely different dynasty

(family line) to the Pharaoh of Jacob’s time.

According to David Rohl, an Egyptologist, Thutmose III could have been the Pharaoh

that oppressed the Hebrews. During his reign Egypt was restored as a major power.


47


He focused his attention on making Thebes and

Memphis the political, cultural and commercial centre of

the world.

Queen Hatsheput (1505—1484BC), his sister, may have

been the princess who pulled Moses out of the river.

She jointly reigned with Thutmose III for a time.

Moses and Miracles

Moses is a testimony to the great power of God. His life is surrounded by many

miraculous acts such as;

He is saved by Pharaoh’s daughter (or sister) when he is taken from his basket as a

baby.

He meets God at the burning bush.

He sends plagues on the Egyptians.

He parts the Red Sea.

He brings water from a rock.

He meets God face to face and Moses’ face is so bright that he

wears a veil.

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What do all the plagues mean?

Some scholars believe that each of the plagues attacked a different Egyptian God.

Plagues

Nile Blood Hapi god of the Nile, Isis goddess of the Nile and Khnum,

guardian of the Nile.

Frogs Heqet, goddess of birth usually depicted with a frog head.

Gnats Set, the God of the desert.

Flies Re, the sun god, whose symbol may have been a fly.

Livestock death Hathor, goddess with a cows head and Apis the bull God.

Boils Sekhmet who had power over disease, Sanu, the god of

pestilence and Isis the goddess of healing.

Hail Nut the goddess of the sky, Osiris god of crops and fertility

and Set the God of storms.

Locusts Nut the goddess of the sky and Osiris god of crops and

fertility.

Darkness Horus & Re the sun gods, Hathor a sky god and Nut the

goddess of the sky.

First Born Min the God of reproduction, Hequet, goddess associated with

childbirth. Isis, goddess who protects children. Pharaoh’s

firstborn—a god himself.

Reference: The Bible Knowledge Commentary cited The Greenleaf Guide to Ancient

Egypt by C Shearer ©2001

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The Passover and Easter

The Passover referred to the Angel of Death passing over each Jewish household.

The Jews were instructed by Moses to place the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the

doorpost of their house so as to avoid the death of their firstborn son. This historical

one off event was to be remembered and celebrated by the Jewish people every

year from then on.

This event had many symbolic features that refer not only to this event in history but

also to Jesus. The sacrifice of an innocent lamb year by year also looked forward to

the death of Jesus Christ some fifteen hundred years later. In God's continuing

revelation to His people the eternal concept unfolded of one individual becoming a

"lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53). Naturally, Christians understood this of Jesus

Christ and wanted to remember it, as Jesus instructed the disciples.

Jesus was called "the Lamb of God" by John the Baptist (John 1:29, 36), and the

New Testament verifies the symbolism. Paul, for example, wrote "Christ our

Passover [lamb] is sacrificed for us" (I Corinthians 5:7).

It is no coincidence that Jesus died during the time of Passover! This is why Easter

and Passover coincide.

Questions to Ask

1. Name some of the miracles Moses performed.

2. Name some of the plagues on the Egyptians.

3. What was the reason for the Passover?

4. From what tribe were Moses & Aaron?

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Lesson 10: Moses Part Two

History Maker: Moses and The Wilderness

Scripture: Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers and Leviticus


• Moses wrote, or edited, 5 books of the Bible.

• The books of Exodus and Deuteronomy record the travelling through the

wilderness and the giving of the Law.

Note: This is a very long lesson and has been broken down into two parts. If this

lesson comes close to Easter you could also use it as part of an Easter lesson.

Moses writes the Pentateuch

The term " Pentateuch” refers to the Five Books of Moses; Genesis, Exodus,

Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Old Testament authors affirm Mosaic authorship, as do numerous New Testament

writers and the early church fathers. This does not mean that Moses didn't use other

documents to write his books. Some scholars believe that Moses compiled a group

of books of antiquity into one book—Genesis. They believe Moses also made a few

editorial comments while doing this, such as mentioning the names used at the time

of writing and the names used when Moses was writing. They also cite the closing

signature sentences of the authors as evidence. If this is true, we are reading the

eyewitness accounts of these great men of the Old Testament.

Moses’ death is also recorded in these books so someone had to have added that.

Was it Joshua?


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Miracles in the Wilderness

Parting of the Red Sea

Water from the Rock

Manna from heaven

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments is a set of

rules written by the finger of God on two stone tablets and given to Moses for the

people of Israel. How many of these commandments do you know?

Exodus 20:2-17

Exploring Canaan—The Land of Milk and Honey (Numbers 13:26).

Of the 12 spies who entered Canaan only Caleb and Joshua wanted to go in. Even

though the Israelites had seen so much of God’s miraculous interventions in their

lives they still refused to trust God. Because of this rebellion, God told them they

were to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

Numbers 14:34-35

Life in the Wilderness.

While the Israelites wandered through the wilderness, God provided for them and

gave them food (manna). He also instructed them as to how they were to live and

worship now that they had been separated unto Him. That is what the book of

Leviticus is about.

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The Tabernacle and Worship

Detailed instructions are given in Exodus for The Tabernacle (a transportable tent for

worship and the glory of God) and how the people are to worship the Lord. Many

rules were set down as to how the people should sacrifice to Lord and how the

Tabernacle should be set up.

There is much to study on this topic and it is really worth its own lesson.

A Holy Priesthood –The Levites

According to 1 Chronicles 6:1-3 Moses and Aaron were Levi’s great grandsons.

Aaron, Moses’s brother, is appointed as the High Priest for the Israelites. The tribe of

Levi is then set apart as the priests for the Jewish people.

Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement

Paul said the Jewish feasts and celebrations were a shadow of the things to come

through Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:16-17

Yom Kippur is the most important date in the Jewish calendar. It is the time the high

priest can enter the Holy of Holies. At this time two identical goats are brought to the

Temple. One is sacrificed for the sins of all the Jews so they can be reconciled to

God, the other goat (the scapegoat) is released into the wilderness to symbolically

take away the sins of the people.

Yom Kippur is celebrated on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishri (September

or October).

Leviticus 16:8-34; 23:27-32.

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Jesus and Yom Kippur

The tabernacle and the temple clearly shows us how sin separates us from God. The

veil (or thick curtain) between the Holy of Holies is the barriers of sin. When Jesus

died on the cross this veil was ripped in two; signifying the removal of the barrier

through Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice.

Matthew 27:51

Jesus Christ became our High Priest once and for all. He entered heaven (the Holy

of Holies), not from a goat sacrifice, but by his own precious blood on the cross. He

obtained eternal redemption for us! As Christians we believe the sacrifice of Jesus

Christ is the completion of Yom Kippur, the final atonement for sin.

Hebrews 8--9

When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD the sacrifice could no longer

be presented so the day became a day of repentance, self-denial, charitable works,

prayer and fasting.

Our Dates 1571—1451 BC

• 1571BC Moses was born

• Troy, Athens and Thebes were founded during these times.

• Thothmes III, The Great, became Pharoah of Egypt and reigned 40 years.

• Joshua, son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, was born.

• Moses escaped Egypt and settled in Midian.

• 1491BC Moses goes back to Egypt.

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Questions to Ask

1. Name as many of the 10 Commandments that you can think of.

2. From what tribe was the Messiah promised? (Judah)

3. What is Yom Kippur?

4. What is a scapegoat?

5. What separates the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple?

Hands On


Lesson 11: The Land Of Canaan

History Maker: Joshua

Scripture: Numbers 13-14 and Joshua Chapters 1—24

Focus your story on the accomplishments of Joshua.

Lesson Notes:

• The aim of this lesson is to understand that the book of Joshua is about

conquering the land of Canaan.

• We will see why this land is so important to “spreading the good news.”

• The Israelites take possession of the land BUT they were not obedient to

God’s command to drive out all the people of Canaan and this became a

continual problem for them.

Who was Joshua?

Joshua was Moses’ assistant. Joshua went up the mountain with Moses when he

received the Ten Commandments. He was one of the 12 spies who went into

Canaan to see the land. Joshua and Caleb were the only spies who wanted to enter

the land.

Where is Canaan?

You will need to use the world map and Israel map for this lesson.

Why do you think God Choose this Place—The Promised Land?

Do you remember Noah cursed his son of Ham (Gen 9:24—29)? The people

dwelling in Canaan were the descendants of Ham’s son Canaan. The invasion from

the Israelites (descendants of Shem) was a fulfilment of the curse of Noah.

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Canaan was the land promised to Abraham and his descendants.

Genesis 13:15

This was good land, the “land of milk and honey”. It was also a strategic location. It is

located between Africa, Asia and Europe and would have been a common travelling

route. It was a trade route and would not have been a backwater in the middle of

nowhere.

Israel was perfectly set up as a place to spread the word of God, in the days of

Moses and in the days of Jesus.

Taking Possession of the Land – Joshua 6

The first battle we read of is The Battle of Jericho. God does a complete miracle in

crumbling the walls of Jericho. Rahab, a woman in Jericho, helps the men who come

to spy out the land. She acknowledges the Lord and is saved when the city is

destroyed. She goes to live with the Israelites and is even mentioned in the

genealogy of Jesus.

Archaeologists excavate Jericho

In the 1950's, archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon supervised excavation of the ruins of

Jericho. She did not give much credence to the Biblical account of Joshua and

Jericho, describing it as a 'folk tale' that was fabricated after the destruction of

Jericho. The original dating seemed to refute the Biblical timeline of Jericho. The

finds were dated again after it was discovered that Kenyon had committed an error in

her own dating and the fall of the city was found to be around 1400BC, which is

consistent with the Bible.

The walls of the city were virtually indestructible. The city was surrounded by two

walls both 8 metres high.

The Bible states that the wall 'fell beneath itself' and the Israelites burned the city

and everything in it. Findings indicate that is what happened. A mud brick retaining

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wall fell against a stone wall and it collapsed at the base. The evidence also showed

a great fire leaving the city desolate.

More and more as archaeology develops, people discover that the finds they bring

up support the Bible; the ruins of Jericho are among them.

Joshua makes a covenant with the Gibeonites

In Joshua, Chapter 9, The Gibeonites (Canaanites) deceive Joshua into making a

treaty to not war with them. Joshua agrees. This is a direct disobedience to what

God had asked of the Israelites. Do you think Joshua should have honoured his

promise to the Gibeonites?

What was so bad about the Canaanites anyway?

God specifically told them to drive out all the inhabitants of the land.

Joshua 17:12-14

Driving Out the Nations –“thorns in their sides”.

In Judges Chapter One we read how the tribes took possession of areas but failed to drive out all the Canaanites.

Judges 2:1-4

When Jesus came they were expecting a warrior to fight for their oppressors. Instead

He showed them a better way. “Love your enemies and pray for those who

persecute you.”

Israel was called to be a Holy and Pure nation dedicated to God. If the people

converted to worship and followed God would they have been spared? Rahab and

Ruth both did and they are both in the lineage of Jesus.

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Rahab was King David’s great-great-great grandma.

Boaz ---------Ruth

Jesse

King David

Jesus

Our Dates

• 1451BC Moses died and Joshua was made the leader of the Israelites.

• Israel entered Canaan 41 years after the Exodus from Egypt.

• Jericho was taken and the invasion of Palestine began.

• 1451BC Joshua defeated the five kings of Canaan. (Joshua 10)

• 1413BC The Book of Joshua concludes and the period of the Judges begins.

Questions to Ask

1. What was so special about the land of Canaan?

2. Why didn’t Israel need to be afraid in battle?

3. What were the Israelites commanded to do when they fought the present

people of Canaan?

4. Why did God want all of the

Canaanites to be driven out of the

land?

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own

picture to illustrate the lesson.

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Lesson 12: The Judge Deborah

History Maker: Deborah—The Judge

Scripture: Judges 4 and 5

Focus your story on Deborah


• After Joshua died, the nation of Israel lacked leadership and many fell away

from God and followed the Gods of other nations. They had not driven out the

other nations completely as commanded.

• A pattern develops that continues throughout the history of the Old

Testament. The people wander from God and then they get oppressed, they

cry out and God delivers.

The Time of the Judges

“A generation who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done.” Judges 2:10b

After Joshua died a group of elders who were around in Joshua’s lifetime continued

to rule. But after they died the next generation did not continue to follow God and

they started to follow the gods of Canaan along with the Lord.

Judges 3:1—6


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Deborah A Mother in Israel -- the Fourth Judge

Deborah became known as “a mother in Israel”. She was regarded by the people as

a woman of exceptional character, who used her skills to help the people and to

defend her nation. She identified with the people and her strong leadership aroused

the leaders of the tribes of Israel to resist their oppressors, fight for their nation.

Judges 4: 1—4

Judges 5:7—Deborah’s Song

The Theme of Judges is Sin, Punishment, Repentance and Deliverance

The book of Judges runs over an approximate time of 300 years.

Israel’s rebellion leads to their suffering and each time God sends a deliverer to save

them.

Sin: After Ehud died Israel again did evil in the site of the Lord

Punishment: The Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan.

Repentance: Cried to the Lord

Deliverance: God uses the woman Deborah to deliver the people.

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Archaeology

A cuneiform tablet was found in Merneptah’s mortuary temple in

Thebes, Egypt. It is dated to this period (1200BC). The tablet is a

eulogy to pharaoh Merneptah, who ruled Egypt after Rameses the

Great. Of significance to Biblical studies is a short section at the end

of the poem describing a campaign to Canaan by Merneptah in the

first few years of his reign. One line mentions Israel: “Israel is laid

waste, its seed is not.” Here we have the earliest mention of Israel

outside the Bible. Two other cities that are mentioned in the Bible are

also mentioned on this Tablet.

In 1992 a cuneiform tablet fragment was found at Hazor,

addressed to a king named Jabin. The royal document

indicates the name of Jabin was dynastic and in long use.

This is the name of the King mentioned in Judges during the

time of Deborah.

Our Dates

The chronology of the Judges is very uncertain because we are not told where

overlapping of particular judges occurs. This is one possible alignment:

• 1417BC Israel oppressed by Mesopotamia (Syria). It lasted for eight years.

• 1405BC The first judge, Othniel, ruled for 40 years.

• 1325BC Israel's second servitude by Elgon, king of Moab, lasted 18 years.

Israel's second judge was Ehud. • Third judge Shamagar. • 1285BC Fourth judge was Deborah and Barak and lasted for 40 years

• 1245BC.Fifth judge, Gideon, ruled for 40 years.

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Questions to Ask

• Why did the next generation after Joshua not know God?

NOTE: Can you see how important it is for us to not just rely on our parent’s

faith in God? We have to know God for ourselves.

• How did the people sin?

• Why would they cry out to the Lord?

• What did God do?

Hands On


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Lesson 13: The Book of Ruth

History Maker: Ruth the Moabite

Scripture: The Book of Ruth

Focus your story on Ruth

Lesson Notes

• Ruth converts to “The One True God.”

• Ruth is King David’s great grandma, an ancestor of Jesus.

• Bethlehem was prophesied as the birth place of Jesus.

Living in the Times of the Judges

The book of Ruth is thought to be written by Samuel, the last Judge of Israel.

Ruth 1: 1-4

Ruth’s Conversion

Ruth was a convert to Judaism, proselyte is not a native born Jew but they observe

all the Jewish customs and laws and worship Jehovah. They give up their former

religion (in Ruth’s case the worship of Chemosh). Ruth 1: 16-17

Another Jewish proselyte was Rahab the prostitute (Boaz’s mother) she helped the

spies of Jericho. Both of these women are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus.

Matthew 1: 5-6.

Married to a Moabite

Moab was a son of Lot (Abraham’s nephew), the patriarch of the Moabite race. Moab

lay immediately across the Dead Sea from Judah, a country bordering the promised

land. Today it is called Jordan. The Moabites were similar in look to the Israelites.

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Their language also had many common words. Their God was not the God of

Abraham. They worshipped Chemosh. It is probable that they sacrificed humans in

worship to Chemosh.

The Moabites and Jews had a volatile relationship. At times they were at war. The

Moabites had kept them in slavery for 18 years and Ehud a judge had assassinated

their king. During Ruth’s lifetime the relationship with Moab must have been fairly

amicable for Elimelech to move there.

Bethlehem in the Land of Judah

To escape a famine, Naomi, her husband Elimelech and their two sons, left their

hometown of Bethlehem to go to Moab. Whilst there, Naomi’s husband and both of

her sons died. When the famine ended in Bethlehem, Naomi returned with her

widowed daughter-in-law, Ruth. Micah 5:2

Ruth ended up married to a wealthy farmer, Boaz. Their great-grandson was David,

the ancestor of the Messiah. Ruth 1:1, 2, 19, 22; 2:4; 4:11

What is so special about Bethlehem?

The town of Bethlehem is situated on a prominent limestone ridge in the hill country

of Judah about 10km south of Jerusalem. Bethlehem has a commanding view of the

surrounding terrain.

Shepherding and agriculture drove the economy of ancient Bethlehem. The fertile hill

country surrounding the town supported cereal crops, vineyards and olive orchards,

as well as abundant grazing land for sheep.

Bethlehem was not a particularly nice place to live. Two ungodly incidences are

recorded in the local area during the time of Judges. The first incident concerned a

young Levite from Bethlehem who agreed to serve as the personal priest of Micah,

an Ephraimite, even though the priests were forbidden to serve individuals in this

way (Judges 17-18). The second incident was when a man travelling from

Bethlehem stopped overnight in a town nearby with his concubine (slave wife). She

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was taken captive by the men of the town and they were exceptionally cruel to her

and then they murdered her. This caused a war between the tribe of Benjamin and

the other tribes of Israel (Judges 19-20). Benjamin as a tribe was nearly wiped out.

In stark contrast to the wickedness that characterised the period of the Judges, the story of Naomi and Ruth provides evidence that some in Israel remained faithful to God.

Bethlehem was Rachel’s burial place and King David’s and Jesus’ birthplace.

A thousand years after David had shepherded his sheep on the hills of Bethlehem,

one of his descendants, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem, in fulfilment of Micah’s

prophecy. Today Bethlehem is a tourist attraction for many Christians. The main

place is Manger Square and The Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Our Dates

The chronology of the Judges is very uncertain and Ruth was written during this

time. Dates for Ruth are not mentioned by Ussher.

Questions to Ask

1. Who wrote Ruth?

2. What is a prosthelyte?

3. What God did Ruth serve?

4. What was Bethlehem like?

5. Who else was born in Bethlehem?

Hands On


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Lesson 14: Samson and the Philistines

History Maker: Samson

Scripture: Judges Chapters 13—16

Focus the story on Samson.


• Israel had no king. Everyone did as he saw fit. (Judges 21:25)

• God used Samson to judge the Philistines even though Samson often lacked

good judgement himself.

Samson

The sixth and last oppression recorded in the book of Judges was by the Philistines.

The Philistines were able to impose their will on Israel for 40 years and continued to

periodically do so through the reign of Israel’s first king, Saul.

God’s man to counter the Philistines was Samson. Samson’s father was Manoah, a

Danite who had not migrated north with others of his tribe. Importance was lent to

Samson’s birth by a prior announcement through an Angel of God (Judg. 13:3-23).

The son to be born would be a Nazirite. Samson’s place of birth was Zorah, located

at the boundary line between Israel and Philistine.

Samson was also foolish, impulsive and often disregarded the laws of God. Yet God

still used him!

He did not lead an army but in his death he killed more Philistines than he did in his

lifetime.


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God choose Samson to be a Nazarite - Numbers 6:1-27.

A Nazarite was someone who made a special vow to God. The Nazarite was bound

by three restrictions; he couldn’t drink fruit from the vine (alcohol), he couldn’t cut his

hair and he had to stay away from dead things. Samson broke all of these rules. It

was not just the cutting of his hair it was the total disrespect for God that led to his

downfall.

He was sent to deliver Israel from the Philistines but he used his strength for himself.

Samson did not lead an army to battle, but he did go alone among the Philistines,

working havoc by feats of enormous strength. After his hair was cut he lost his

strength.

Samson’s strength returns--Philistine Temples

He was blinded and put in prison but his hair began to regrow. One day the

Philistines brought Samson into their temple to publicly mock him. He prayed to God

for his strength once more.

In one fell swoop, Samson eliminated the entire Philistine leadership. This was a

major setback in their conflict with Israel. From this time on, the Israelites started to

gain the upper hand. But did it really happen? Could one man pull down an entire

temple?

Archaeologists have uncovered two Philistine temples. One at Tel Qasile, in northern

Tel Aviv, and one in Tel Miqne, ancient Ekron, 21

miles south of Tel Aviv. Both temples share a unique

design; two central pillars supported the roof. The

pillars were made of wood and rested on stone

support bases. With the pillars being about 1.8

metres apart, a strong man could dislodge them from

their stone bases and bring the entire structure down.

Two stone pillars in a Philistine Temple at Tel Qasile

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The Philistines

Israel’s enemies were people of the local area, small like herself. Of all the local

enemies, the most serious were the Philistines, the one Israel faced last during this

time period into the early Unified Kingdom.

The Philistines came in large numbers against Egypt in the rule of Ramses III. They

were kept from infiltrating Egypt but not from occupying land that Egypt claimed

along the southern Canaanite shoreline. Here, in an area previously assigned to

Judah and Dan, the Philistines established a pentapolis, in which the five main cities

were located; Ashkelon, Gaza, Ash-dod, Ekron, and Gath, each of which had its own

ruler.

In 1993, archaeologists were excavating a temple at Tel Miqne in Israel. They found

a royal inscription carved into a slab of limestone confirming the city name Ekron (the

name of the Philistine city in Joshua 13:3).

The Gaza Strip

The Gaza strip (part of the Philistine land) is still a hotly disputed territory between

Israel and Palestine. It is part of the “occupied territory of Israel”.

The Gaza Strip is located in the Middle East. It has a 51 kilometre border with Israel,

and an 11 km border with Egypt. The main city is called Gaza City. It occupies

territory similar to that of ancient Philistia, and is occasionally known by that name.

Israel Had No King

The government of Israel was ruled by a system of Judges. The Judges were not

always good. This period is often referred to as a dark time in the history of Israel.

Each of the mentioned judges rose up mainly to fight the battles with their

neighbours or Caananite inhabitants. Each judge fought his battle in different parts of

Israel.

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Samuel was around at the time of Samson.

Our Dates

• 1137BC Israel's thirteenth Judge, Samson, ruled for 20 years. Judges 13 - 16

• 1171BC The Book of First Samuel began its 115-year record of history.

• 1117BC The Book of Judges concluded its 271-year history.

• 1115BC Israel's fourteenth Judge, Samuel the Prophet, ruled for 20 years. 1

Samuel 3:19-21 and 4:1

Questions to Ask

1. Samson’s parents didn’t want him to marry a Philistine woman. Why do you

think that was?

2. Samson was a very strong man. Possibly the strongest man who ever lived.

How did he get so strong?

3. Samson’s strength was a special gift from God. Did that mean he was a holy

man of God?

4. How did Samson get his strength back?

Hands On


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Lesson 15: The Last Judge of Israel

History Maker: Samuel the Prophet

Scripture: I Samuel 1—16


• Samuel and Samson were contemporaries.

• Samuel was the last Judge of Israel

• Samuel is thought to have written Judges, Ruth and

most of Samuel I.

The Place of Samuel in Relationship to the Book of Judges.

It should be noted that the opening events recorded in 1 Samuel overlap historically

with the end of the period in the Book of Judges.

Samuel and Samson may have been judges around the same time. Saul began to

reign approximately 35 years after Samson died (1051BC).

Samuel was a Prophet and a Nazarite—He heard God’s audible voice from

his childhood.

Samuel, like Samson, was a Nazarite but the story of Samuel is far more of a

success than Samson’s life. Samuel listened to God and he passed on God’s

messages. He was a prophet.

I Samuel 3 tells the story of Samuel first hearing God’s voice. Even though what God

told him was going to make Eli the priest sad, he still faithfully delivered God’s

message. Throughout Samuel’s life he had to deliver both good and bad messages

to the people of Israel. He chose King Saul. Later on he had to rebuke him and tell

him that God had now rejected him as King. He anointed David as the next King of

Israel.


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A prophet is someone who speaks the word of God to people. In Old Testament

days only certain people were anointed with the Holy Spirit to prophesy. Now, since

we can all receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, it is available to all Christians. We can

all hear from God.

Samuel was the last judge of Israel

With Samuel we see the end of the judges and move into the United Kingdom of

Israel. He appointed his sons to be judges after him but his sons were not like their

father. They were not honest and upright. The people requested a king and Samuel

found one. His name was Saul. Samuel also found the second King of Israel. His

name was David.

God and Samuel were disappointed with this request. The people were rejecting

Samuel’s sons and God but God grants their request. 1 Samuel 12:14-15

Our Dates

• 1117BC Samuel begins to rule

• 109 BC Israel asks for a king

• 1063BC Samuel anoints David

• 1055BC Saul consults the Witch of Endor

Questions to Ask

• About how old was Samuel when he first started to hear God talk to him?

• Samuel was a Nazarite like Samson. Who can tell me something about a

Nazarite?

• Why did Israel want a king?

Hands On


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Lesson 16: Moses to Judges --Revision

History Makers: Moses to Samuel

Scripture: Exodus –Kings

Lesson Notes:

• For children to understand the chronological time line from Moses to Samuel

is about 500 years.

• To see how different people in the Bible fit into the Biblical narrative.

• To see the historical chronology of the Bible from Exodus to Samuel.

Key Events

• Oppression of the Israelites

• Moses born and adopted by Pharaoh

• The Plagues of Egypt

• Israelites leave Egypt

• The Ten Commandments

• The Twelve Spies

• Wander in wilderness for 40 years.

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• Joshua takes possession of the Promised Land, starting with Jericho.

• Not all of the Canaanites were driven from the land.

• Period of the Judges. Constant battles with people from the Land of Canaan.

• Samuel the Last Judge of Israel.

Key People

• Moses

• Aaron

• Joshua

• Deborah

• Ruth (King David’s great-grandma).

• Gideon

• Samson

• Samuel

Key Places

• Egypt

• The Wilderness

• Jericho

• The Land of Canaan

• Bethlehem

• Gaza Strip

Our Dates:

• 1571BC Moses is born

• 1055BC The last judge of Israel

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Hands On










topic.

Timeline Entry


go.

Map Drill


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Lesson 17: The First King of Israel

History Maker: King Saul

Scripture: 1 Samuel 9—2 Samuel 4

Tell the story of King Saul


• Saul was the first king in the United Kingdom of Israel.

• Saul was rejected by God as king for his disobedience and David was put in

his place.

Israel requests a king

Up until Samuel’s time the Israelites had no king. They had to listen to God and

Israel was ruled through a system of judges (a theocracy). The people were not

doing a very good job of listening. Having a king, they thought, would make them

“like everyone else” and help them in battle.

Again the people reject God and want to follow the ways of those around them. Was

that a good desire? 1 Samuel 8:19-20

God was displeased with Israel for their request and Samuel the prophet told them.

But again God promised that if they continued to serve the Lord faithfully he would

continue to do great things among them.

With the establishment of human kings to rule, Israel’s theocracy ended and the

Jewish monarchy began.

King Saul was foolish—he pretended to obey God.

1 Samuel 15:25-26


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Saul was 30 years old when he became king and he ruled Israel for 40 years. He

was extremely handsome and tall; just the type of king that you would want to see on

the cover of a magazine.

However, Saul was foolish and thought that now that he was king he didn’t have to

obey God’s laws anymore. Saul glossed over his sins and did what he wanted and

hoped it would be OK—he was king after all! He offered sacrifices to God—even

though he knew it was the priest’s job—because he was impatient for Samuel to

arrive. He thought God would be OK with his impatience. The sacrifices were offered

Saul said, wasn’t that the point. NO! Sacrifices were a job for the priest. Would it be

OK for the groom to conduct a wedding ceremony if the minister wasn’t there?

Saul also disobeyed God when fighting with the Amalekites. God told Saul he was to

destroy everything that belonged to the Amalakites but after the battle Saul kept their

livestock and their king. When challenged by God he said, “but we sacrificed the best

animals to the Lord”. If your parents told you not to take any biscuits out of the jar

would it be OK to do it if you saved the biggest one for them?

When we fail to listen to God and start to make up our own rules everything draws us

further away, and we find it harder to obey and easier to be tempted to do wrong.

Saul changed God’s rules to suit himself and God rejected him as king.

After Saul was rejected by God he lost his confidence. Now he blatantly disobeyed

God. Just before Saul’s death he even tried witchcraft to ask God what to do. At

night he disguised himself and went to see a witch so she could tell him the future.

Saul fights David

Saul knows he has lost God’s favour and God has already chosen his successor

David the shepherd boy from Bethlehem.

David is employed to play the harp for Saul. Saul recognises David’s favour with God

and he becomes jealous and tries to murder David. For the last years of Saul’s life

he spends much of his time pursuing David trying to kill him. In the end Saul falls on

his sword after he is wounded in battle in a fight against the Philistines. Saul’s son,

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Ishbosheth, is made king by Saul’s chief army commander. Civil war between

Israel’s tribes ensues. After two years Ishbosheth is assassinated and Saul’s

kingdom is no more.

The Amarna Letters could be from this time in history.

Ancient letters, written to a Pharaoh, found in Armana, seem to pinpoint a Hebrew

revolt in the central hill country of Palestine at the beginning of King Saul's reign and

ending with the assault upon Jerusalem in the eighth year of King David. David

Rohl, an Egyptologist, has matched the cuneiform names used in the letters with

Hebrew names; Labaya (this name means lion, a name David often referred to Saul

as) with Saul, Mutbaal with Saul's son Ishbosheth (both have the same meaning),

Habiru with Hebrews, Dadua with David, Ayab with Joab David’s Commander, and

Yishaya with Jesse/Yishai David’s father.

Our Dates

• 1125BC Saul born

• 1095BC Israel requests a king.

• 1063BC Saul rejected as king

• 1055BC Saul dies

Questions to Ask

1. Why did Israel want a king?

2. Was Saul a good king or a bad king?

3. What are some things that Saul did?

4. How many of the tribes of Israel followed King Saul?

5. Why did God reject Saul as king?

6. How long was Saul a king?

Hands On


Lesson 18: The Second King of Israel

History Maker: King David

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16, 2 Samuel—1 Kings 2


• Tell the story of King David.

• David was the greatest earthly king of Israel.

• David wrote many psalms.

• He was from the tribe of Judah and was the second king of the United

Kingdom of Israel.

• His Kingdom would have no end—this is fulfilled when Jesus comes.

The Son of Jesse

David was born in Bethlehem. He was Boaz and Ruth’s great grandson. This region

is often referred to as the City of David, as is Jerusalem which is only 10km away.

God looks at the heart

Acts 13:22

David is chosen by God to be the next king of Israel after King

Saul is rejected for his disobedience to God. Samuel is sent by

God to Jesse’s house (Boaz and Ruth’s grandson) to find the

next king of Israel. God chooses David, Jesse’s eighth son, a

shepherd, and Samuel anoints him in a private ceremony.


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God begins David’s training in leadership

Shortly after this ceremony David is sent to the royal palace to be a harpist for Saul. He must have been pretty good! During this time he would have learnt about matters

of the palace while living there.

David is trained as a warrior

On a visit home his father sends him to the Philistine warfront to give his brothers

some food. While there he volunteers to fight Goliath the Philistine. All the other men

of Israel are afraid of this giant warrior.

David is not fearful and chooses to fight Goliath with only a few stones and his

slingshot.

1 Samuel 17:45-47

David is skilled in fighting.

1 Samuel 18:12-15

David enters the Royal family

David marries one of Saul’s daughters Michal. She is the first of his wives. He

eventually has seven or more. At first she loves him but when he becomes king she

despises him. (I wonder if it had anything to do with the extra wives?).

David acts honourably

Shortly after David’s marriage to his daughter, Saul realises that David has the

favour of God on his life and he becomes jealous. Saul begins a campaign to kill

David. So David flees and for many years he lives as a fugitive in the hills around

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Israel with a growing group of followers. On two occasions David has the opportunity

to kill Saul but he does not.

David becomes king

After Saul dies David is declared king by his tribe Judah. The rest of Israel follows

Ishbosheth (Saul’s son) for two years until he is assassinated. David is then made

King over all Israel. He was king over Israel for 40years. He died at the age of 71.

God promised to establish his kingdom forever. This was fulfilled when Jesus came.

For Jesus was from the tribe of Judah and the House of David.

David makes Jerusalem the capital (2 Samuel 5-6)

David conquered ancient Jerusalem in approximately 1048-1046 BC and it became

known as Israel’s capital. He also brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

Today Jerusalem is considered the holiest city in Judaism and Christianity and has

been the spiritual centre of the Jewish people since King David.

The Old City is home to sites of key religious importance, among them the Temple

Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock

and al-Aqsa Mosque.

The old walled city, is divided into four quarters; the Armenian, Christian, Jewish,

and Muslim Quarters. In the course of its history, Jerusalem has been destroyed

twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.

David prepared for a tabernacle to God (2 Samuel 7-8; 1 Chronicles 22)

David was a worshipper. Many of the Bible’s psalms are written by him. Perhaps his

most famous is Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

David prepared all the materials for a tabernacle but God didn’t allow him to build it

because he was a man of war.

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1 Chronicles 22:7-10

David was not perfect (2 Samuel 11-19)

David was a mighty man but he was not perfect. Although David already had many

wives he chose to steal another man’s wife called Bathsheba. When he found out

that he had made her pregnant, he organised for her husband to be killed in battle.

He then married Bathsheba.

When David’s sin was exposed to him by Nathan the prophet, he was very sorry and

repented (Psalm 51). However there were consequences—the baby died and his

own sons were rebellious and showed disrespect to each other. One tried to take

over his kingdom.

In His mercy God gave Bathsheba and David another son, Solomon. He was the

next King of Israel.

David had at least 8 wives and concubines.

Our Dates

• 1085BC David born

• 1055BC Saul Dies

• 1053 BC Civil war in Israel

• 1048 BC David King of United Israel

• 1048BC David makes Jerusalem the Capital

• 1034BC Solomon son of Bathsheba and David born

• 1015BC David dies

Questions to Ask

1. Where was David born? Who else was born there?

2. Why did God choose David to be king?

3. How did David know he would beat Goliath?

4. Was David a good or bad king?

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5. Where did David make the capital city of Israel?

6. Why didn’t David build the tabernacle to God.

7. Who became king after David?

8. How long did King David rule?

Hands On


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Lesson 19: Last King of United Israel

History Maker: King Solomon

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 22—Kings 11


• At the end of this lesson the children should understand that King Solomon

was the last king of the United Kingdom of Israel.

Solomon becomes King

King David had many sons; two of them, Absalom and Adjonijah felt that they had a

right to the throne and tried to claim it from David when he was old. However

Solomon, another son, was God’s choice and he was crowned and made King by his

father. He reigned for 40 years and died around the age of 60.

Solomon’s Wisdom

As a young King, Solomon loved the Lord. One day he sacrificed “a thousand burnt

offerings” to God. God was pleased and he appeared to Solomon in a dream inviting

him to make a request. Solomon responds humbly by asking for wisdom to rule the

kingdom. God was impressed—he not only promised wisdom, he also granted

Solomon riches and honour that would be unequalled in his lifetime.

The Wisdom Literature in the Bible includes Ecclesiastics, Song of Songs and

Proverbs. Solomon is thought to be the author of these books (some of Proverbs is

written by other authors).

His great wisdom meant that Israel was established as a great power in his time.

Solomon was respected by the surrounding kingdoms and his fame grew. One

recorded royal visit was with the Queen of Sheba (possibly Ethiopia).


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NOTE: Solomon did make some bad choices but later on in his life he repented and

made his peace with God. This is recorded in the book of Ecclesiastics (if Solomon is

the author).

1 Kings 10:23-29

He made many alliances with other countries and he also fortified key Israeli cities

and developed extensive military defences that protected his kingdom.

Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 5-6; 7:15-51; 2 Chronicles 2-4)

David had wanted to build a permanent dwelling place for God in Jerusalem. He

was forbidden by God because he was a warrior. God instructed David that his son

would do it. So David collected many items for the temple and passed on to Solomon

the written plans that had been revealed to him by the Spirit of God (1 Chron. 28:11,

12, 19).

Solomon began building the temple in the fourth year of his reign (1 Kings 6:1). It

was completed seven years later (1 Kings 6:38). Solomon spared no expense. The

temple built of stone was panelled with cedar and overlaid with gold. Although twice

the size of Moses’ tabernacle it was similar in layout with two divisions: the Holy

Place and the Holy of Holies which would house the Ark of the Covenant.

After its construction Solomon’s temple was the primary place for Jewish worship

and sacrifices for over 400 years until it was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in

588BC. On the same site 70 years later, a second temple was built in the time of

Ezra, and sacrifices again resumed. During the time of Jesus, King Herod greatly

enlarged and expanded the temple. The second temple was destroyed by the

Romans in 70AD, by Titus.

To this day, traditional Jews pray three times a day for the Temple's restoration.

During the centuries the Muslims controlled Palestine, two mosques were built on

the site of the Jewish Temple. (This was no coincidence; it is a common Islamic

custom to build mosques on the sites of other people's holy places.) Since any

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attempt to level these mosques would lead to an international Muslim holy war

(jihad) against Israel, the Temple cannot be rebuilt in the foreseeable future.

The Wailing Wall—Kotel ha-Ma'aravi (the Western Wall)

The second Temple was destroyed by Rome in 70AD. (As Jesus predicted Matthew

24:1-2). Only one outer wall remained, this was not a part of the temple but it

surrounded the Temple Mount. The Romans probably would have destroyed this

section also but it seemed insignificant. This Western Wall is the only remnant of the

Temple and it soon became a sacred holy hub of Jewish worship and prayer.

Many Jews made the pilgrimage to Palestine to pray at the Western Wall (Kotel ha-

Ma’arvi in Hebrew). Their prayers were so heart felt that non-Jews called it the

Wailing Wall—not a name the Jews use.

Over the years the Western Wall has been a place of continued hostility for the

Jews. During Muslim rule Arabs used it as a garbage dump. After WWII the Wall was

under the control of Jordan. Even though Jordanians had signed an agreement to

give the Jewish people access to the wall, none had been allowed.

In 1967 The Six Day Israeli War allowed access again. The Israeli Defence Minister

was one of the first men to get to the Wall. Here he revived the old tradition of

inserting a prayer into the crack of the wall. His prayer was that peace would come to

Israel.

Inserting prayers in cracks of the wall is so important to many Jews that Jewish

newspapers in America offer services to place prayers in the Western Wall on behalf

of others.

King Solomon’s Wealth

In 2006 archaeologists discovered King Solomon’s copper mines East of Jordan.

The area of Khirbat en-Nahas – which means "ruins of copper" in Arabic – is located

near the southern tip of the Dead Sea. This was once the land of Edom.

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Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and

twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in

Jerusalem. Archaeological excavations show that Solomon had strong defences and

chariot stables in cities surrounding Jerusalem. When Megiddo was excavated in the

1930’s they found stables built to house some of Solomon’s chariot force.

Solomon also developed trade relationships with his fleet of ships. Excavations in the

region of Solomon’s harbor have uncovered shipping yards thought to be from

Solomon’s time. The ships went as far as Ophir (possibly India or South Africa),

stopping many times on the three year journey. On their voyage home they carried

gold, silver, hardwood, precious stones, ivory, and animals.

Solomon’s Wives and Foreign Relations

To gain power and peace in a region, he would often make a treaty and part of the

agreement usually included a royal wife. Whilst this may have been “wise to the

world” it was not to God. These wives turned Solomon’s heart from God and angered

God. 1 Kings 11:1-11

The Kingdom will be divided

Solomon’s unfaithfulness incurred God’s wrath. God told Solomon that the Kingdom

of Israel would be ripped from his son’s hands and the united kingdom of Israel

would be divided. 1 Kings 11:12-13

Our Dates

• 1034BC Solomon, David's son by Bathsheba, was born.

• 1015BC Solomon, son of David, became King of Israel.

• 1004BC Solomon's Temple was built. (3000 years after Creation)

• 975 BC Solomon died at age 60.

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Questions to Ask

1. God came to Solomon in a dream and granted him a request. What did

Solomon ask for?

2. Solomon says he will give him wisdom. What else does he promise to give

him?

3. How many wives did Solomon have?

4. Was Solomon a good king or a bad king?

5. What did God tell Solomon would happen to Solomon’s son when he became

King?

6. How long was Solomon king?

7. How many of the twelve tribes of Israel did Solomon rule?

Hands On


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Lesson 20: The Kingdom Divided

History Makers: Rehoboam and Jeroboam

Scripture: 1 Kings 12—14


• Tell the story of how Rehoboam lost most of his Kingdom to Jeroboam.

• The aim of this lesson is to understand that the Kingdom of Israel is divided

into two parts, the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of

Judah.

The Kingdom will be divided

Solomon’s unfaithfulness incurred God’s wrath. God told Solomon that

the Kingdom of Israel would be ripped from his son’s hands. The

kingdom of Israel would be divided.

Kings 11:12-13

The first King of Judah

After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king.

Rehoboam’s mother was an Ammonite.

The people were unhappy with Solomon as he had placed heavy taxation on them

during his reign. The people asked for some relief. Rehoboam decided to follow the

advice of his young friends, instead of his elders and he increased the taxes in Israel

and added more burdens on the people. This caused a rebellion in Israel and the

kingdom became divided.

Ten tribes went and followed Jeroboam and moved northward to Galilee. They kept

the name Israel, and are also referred to as the Northern Kingdom. Judah, and most

of the tribe of Benjamin, stayed with Rehoboam and they became known as the


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Kingdom of Judah—the Southern Kingdom. Many of the Levites moved to the

southern Kingdom from the rebelling Northern Kingdom.

1 Kings 12:13-14

Rehoboam was an evil king. During his 17 year reign he built high places, made

idols and sacred objects and allowed perverted people to prosper in his kingdom.

Jeroboam I

The first King of the Northern Israel was not from the line of David.

Jeroboam was one of King Solomon’s servants, a mighty man of valour. One day he

was leaving Jerusalem and a prophet came to him. The prophet took his own new

garment and ripped it into 12 pieces. 1 Kings 11:31, 35-38

Now Solomon must have found out about this prophesy for he tried to kill Jeroboam

but Jeroboam fled to Egypt. After Solomon’s death he returned to Israel and

petitioned Rehoboam to ease the burdens on the people. When Rehoboam did not

listen he lead a succession from the house of David and was crowned King of the

Northern Kingdom of Israel. The capital of Israel became Samaria.

He did not follow the Lord and was evil, as were the rest of the Kings of Northern

Israel. He reigned for 22 years and set up golden calves (Baals), in Bethel and Dan,

as images for people to worship, made priests of non Levite tribes and generally

polluted Israel. Many priests returned to Judah, which at that time was not that much

better. The fourth king of Israel set up Samaria as the capital.

The Kingdom of Judah

The tribe of Judah was the tribe of King David and Jesus. This was the blessing

Judah received at the death of Jacob (Israel).

Genesis 49:8-12

The capital of Judah is Jerusalem.

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The wealth of Solomon’s Temple is taken

Shishak the Pharoah, some say this is Rameses II,

who invaded Judah stole much of the wealth of

Solomon’s temple as part of a treaty with Rehoboam.

Rehoboam replaced much of the gold with brass.

Archaeological digs have uncovered massive reliefs

on the temple of Amun at Karnak. It depicts Shishak

killing individuals, most likely Israelites, because the context includes a list of

Israelite cites that were invaded.

Our Dates

• 975BC Solomon died, Rehoboam becomes king and Israel divided. Jeroboam

becomes King of Israel.

• 971BC Pharaoh Shishak invades Jerusalem

• 958BC Rehoboam dies. His son Abijah takes over.

• 954BC Jeroboam dies. His son Nadab takes over.

Questions to Ask

1. What is the reason the people rebel against Solomon’s son King Rehoboam?

2. How does Jeroboam realise that he will become King of Israel?

3. Was Rehoboam a good king? What did he do?

4. Was Jeroboam a good king? What did he do?

5. Israel is now divided into two kingdoms. On a map have a look at the split of

the two kingdoms.

6. Which is the biggest kingdom the Northern or the Southern Kingdom?

7. What tribe is House of David from? What tribe is Jesus from?

Hands On


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Lesson 21: Northern Kingdom Israel

History Maker: Bad Kings of Israel

Scripture: 1 Kings 12-22; 2 Kings


• The focus of the story will be on Ahab, Jezebel and the prophet Elijah.

• There were no good kings of Israel.

• There were 19 kings of Northern Israel.

• Israel’s kingdom ended after approximately 250 years.

• The people were taken captive by Assyria and resettled.

The Kingdom of Israel

The united kingdom of Israel no longer exists and has now become divided into

Northern and Southern Israel. The ten tribes who defected from the kingship of the

House of David under Rehoboam make up the Northern Kingdom. They are usually

referred to as Israel or Ephraim, since Jeroboam the man who led the revolt was

from that tribe.

The Northern Kingdom was ruled by a total of 19 kings from 9 different dynasties.

This kingdom was larger than Judah as it had the 10 tribes.

Not One Good King

Of the 19 kings of the Northern Kingdom Israel none were good. They were all bad.

Israel’s monarchy suffered leadership takeovers, assassinations and suicides. One

king lasted only 7 days. His name was Zimri.

The Northern Kingdom didn’t have Solomon’s temple to worship at, so Jeroboam set

up some golden calves and shrines for the people to worship and told the people to

worship these instead of going to the Temple. Over time the Israelites began to


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adopt many of the religious practices of the nearby people group, including

sacrificing their children to the gods of these people.

Israel was morally corrupt and would not repent even though God kept trying to draw

them back to him. The Kingdom of Israel lasts less than 250 years after they

succeeded from the United Kingdom of Israel.

The Worst King of Israel Ahab and his Queen, Jezebel

King Ahab was one of Israel's most powerful and wicked kings. He was the son of

King Omri who had reigned in Israel for 12 years. His wife Jezebel was despicably

evil. She was a princess of Tyre (and a priestess of Baal), a neighbouring country,

and persuaded Ahab to build an altar to Baal in Samaria and make Baal worship the

“official religion”. 1Kings 16:30-33

This was a time of peace between Israel and Judah. One of Ahab’s daughter’s

Athalia was married off to Prince Joram in Judah.

The well known story of Elijah killing all the prophets of Baal during the reign of King

Ahab is an exciting story that shows how God was almighty. 1 Kings 18:20-40.

What Ahab wanted Ahab got, especially when Jezebel helped. When Naboth

wouldn't sell his vineyard, Jezebel arranged for false accusations of blasphemy

against the king. Naboth was executed and Ahab took possession of his fields.

1Kings 21:1-16

Ahab was so evil Elijah declared his entire family should be exterminated, but when

Ahab repented, God postponed the punishment until his death. Of his wife, God

declared, "The dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel."

Ahab died in battle. As his chariot was being washed, dogs came and licked up his

blood, a partial fulfilment of Elijah's prophecy in 1Kings 21:19. 1Kings 22:30-37

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Archaeology of Ahab

The Moabite stone - "Omri, King of Israel" - King Ahab's father. Louvre

Museum. (Figure 1).

The Seal of Jezebel. Israel Antiquities Authority Collection, exhibited at

the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. (Figure 2).

The Kurk Monolith/Stele of Shalmaneser mentions King Ahab. The

Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser mentions King Jehu. (Figure 3)

The Prophets of Israel

Elijah, Elisha, Amos and Micah were all prophets to the Northern

Kingdoms of Israel. Even though the people and kings had totally turned

their backs on God, He was trying to draw them back.

The prophet Jonah (the same Jonah who is swallowed by a whale) is also mentioned

during the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25). He prophesied to King Jereboam II

that Israel would recover its borders during his reign and it did.

2 Kings 14:23-27

Jonah also goes to Nineveh the capital of Assyria to prophesy their destruction.

The End of the Kingdom of Israel.

Unfortunately Israel never repented and they were taken captive by the Assyrians,

as prophesied by Hosea.

Hosea 11:3-5

Israel Kingdom ended 135 years earlier than The Kingdom of Judah.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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After Israel Captured Samaria is Resettled

One other consequence of the Assyrian invasion of Israel involved the resettling of

Israel by Assyrians. This group settled in the capital of Israel, Samaria, and to their

new home they took their Assyrian gods and cultic practices.

The Assyrians resettlers (and a remnant of Israelis) became known as Samaritans

and adopted the worship of Yahweh along with their Assyrian gods. Over the

centuries they began to worship Yahweh exclusively. This greatly annoyed the Jews

for two main reasons; one because the Samaritans were not of Hebrew origin and

therefore were not the chosen people and two because they believed you could only

sacrifice to Yahweh from the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Samaritan’s style of worship was still an issue during Jesus of Nazareth’s time.

Hence the Samaritan woman saying to Jesus, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place

where people ought to worship." John 4:19-20. The Samaritan people can still be

found today around the region of Samaria.

Our Dates

The time frame of the reigns of the kings of Israel is difficult to determine with

certainty. It seems that some kings co-ruled with their sons for a period of time and

therefore the length of their reign can include the co-reign. Dates in Ussher often

cross reference the reigns of the Kings of Judah.

The Kings of Israel begin their rule (proposed timeline).

• 975BC Jeroboam I

• 954BC Nadab (assassinated)

• 96 BC Baasha

• 930BC Elah (assassinated)

• 930BC Zimri (ruled for 7 days and died in a fire of his own making)

• 929BC Omri

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• 918BC Ahab (died in battle)

• 898BC Ahaziah (died from a fall)

• 896BC Jehoram (died in battle and Jezebel his mother is also killed)

• 884BC Jehu

• 856BC Jehoahaz

• 839BC Joash (or Jehoash)

• 825BC Jeroboam II

• 784BC –773 BC No king in Israel.

• 773BC Zachariah (He reigned 6 months and was assassinated)

• 773BC Shallum (1 month then assassinated)

• 771BC Menahem

• 76 BC Pekahiah (assassinated)

• 759BC Pekah (assassinated)

• 739BC Hoshea (721 BC Samaria taken captive by the Assyrians, the end of

the Kingdom of Israel.)

Questions to Ask

1. On a map of Israel would you find the Kingdom of Israel in the North or

South?

2. What is the capital of Israel? (Samaria)

3. Who did the people of Israel worship?

4. How many kings of the divided Israel were there?

5. How many of these kings were good?

6. Name some prophets of Israel?

7. Who was the worst king of Israel?

8. Who are the Samaritans?

Hands On


Map Work: Draw a picture of Southern and Northern Israel and label the capitals.

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Lesson 22: Southern Kingdom Judah

History Maker: Kings of Judah and One Queen

Scripture: 1 Kings 12-22; 2 Kings; 1-2 Chronicles.

Lesson Notes:

• Many of the stories of Kings and Chronicles overlap. This is because Kings I

& II tell the stories of the kings of Israel and Judah. Chronicles focuses only

on the kings of Judah.

• All the kings of Judah were from the House of David.

• There were 19 kings and one queen in the Kingdom of Judah.

• Self proclaimed Queen Athaliah tried to kill off the House of David.

• The Kingdom of Judah ended with the Babylonian invasion.

The Kingdom of Judah -The House of David

The kingdom of Judah was ruled by 19 kings and one queen. Its capital was

Jerusalem. This kingdom lasted for 400 years and all the kings were from the House

of David. Here God details His promise of a kingship for the house of David. 2

Samuel 7:12-17

The family of David ruled over Israel for more than four centuries (around 468 years),

but their continued unfaithfulness eventually led to its demise and overthrow by King

Nebuchadnezzar. Yet God made a promise that out of the “stump of Jesse” He

would raise up a new branch that would reign forever and ever. That “stump of

Jesse” is Jesus. Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 11:1-2 and Luke 1:31-33

The Good and Bad Kings of Judah

Judah’s Kingdom lasted longer than Israel’s mostly because of the faithful character

of some of the kings.

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Hezekiah and Josiah were the best kings of Judah. They both led great revivals in

the land and called the people back to worshipping God. They cleansed and repaired

the Temple and reinstituted the Passover.

Some of the kings were both good and bad. These kings disobeyed God and made

foolish decisions during their reign:

• Asa – returned the temple to worship

• Jehosophat – Great king. Made a treaty with King Ahab in the North

• Joash - King at seven and started well but was foolish in the end.

• Amaziah

• Uzziah - Faithful but went to worship as the high priest when he shouldn’t

have and was struck down with leprosy.

• Jotham

Judah had many bad kings also. Perhaps the worst was

Manasseh, the son of King Hezekiah. He reigned for 55

years, the longest in Judah's history. He is said to have

burned his son as an offering, practised sorcery and

consulted witches. II Kings 21:6 & 2 Chron. 33:6

In his last days he seemed to have repented of his evil

ways. 2 Chron. 33:12

Joram was also a bad king. He killed all his brothers to secure his place on the

throne. He married King Ahab’s daughter Athalia.

The Illegitimate Queen of Judah

Queen Athaliah was the only queen who ruled in Judah. She was not from the

House of David. She was from the northern tribe of Israel, her mother was Jezebel,

and her father was Ahab—remember the worst king of Israel.

Athaliah had been married to Jehosophat’s son who became King Jehoram. Her

son, Ahaziah, was now king of Judah. When he died in battle she attempted to

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murder all of her grandchildren and children. One baby prince, Joash, escaped

thanks to Jehosheba, the sister of the dead King and the aunt of Joash.

After executing all her possible rivals for ruling (or so she thought), Athalia

immediately seized power and proclaimed herself the Queen of Judah. She was a

wicked queen and she ruled for 7 years.

Jehosheba had smuggled the baby Joash into the temple to be looked after and

protected by the high priest Jehoida, her husband. They kept his survival a secret for

6 years.

When Joash was seven the high priest crowned him King of Judah, and had Athaliah

killed in front of the temple. The high priest then made a covenant with the people of

Judah, saying they would be only God's people. They tore down all the altars of Baal

and killed the priests of Baal.

Athalia was foiled in her efforts to keep the throne. She tried to wipe out the line of

David and thus destroy God's plan of redemption, as the Messiah was to come from

the House of David.

The Prophets of Judah—Isaiah and Jeremiah

During the reign of the kings of Judah God speaks to the people through various

prophets. Two very well known prophets during this period are Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Isaiah, the son of Amoz, was probably a member of the royal family. He made his

first public appearance during King Uzziah's reign (Isaiah 6:1). He ministered to the

people for about ninety years, during the reigns of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and

Hezekiah.

Isaiah was God's spokesman to Judah at a time when the nation was immersed in

sin. He urged the people to return to God and repent or else judgement would come

upon them. He gave hope of a coming Messiah.

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Here are some of the prophesies Isaiah foretold about the Messiah;

• He will be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:18-25)

• He will make the blind see, the deaf hear, etc. (Isaiah 35:5-6)

• He will be beaten, mocked, and spat upon (Isaiah 50:6 & Matthew 26:67)

• people will hear and not believe in the Messiah (Isaiah 53:1& John 12:37,38)

• He will be rejected (Isaiah 53:3 & Matthew 27:20-25)

• He will be killed (Isaiah 53:5-9 & Matthew 27:50)

• He will be crucified with criminals ( Isaiah 53:12 & Matthew 27:38)

• the Messiah is part of the new and everlasting covenant. (Isaiah 55:3-4 and

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6-13)

During Jeremiah’s time he saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the holy Temple.

He had incessantly warned the people of Judah to mend their ways before it was too

late.

Here are some of the prophesies Jeremiah foretold:

• The Messiah would be a descendant of King David (Jeremiah 23:5)

• That the Jews would be scattered from their homeland and persecuted. The

Jews would survive Babylonian rule and return home (Jeremiah 32:36-37)

• Babylon would rule Judah for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11-12)

Babylon took control of Jerusalem and began taking Jews as captives to Babylon as

early as 599BC. Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 588BC. When the catastrophe

finally overwhelmed his people, he was the one who bitterly lamented Israel's terrible

fate in the Book of Lamentations. He also inspired hope and courage, pointing them

to a day when restoration and redemption would come to the

people.

Habakkuk also complained about the stubbornness of the Jews

and prophesied that God would send the Chaldeans into Judah.

Hab 1:5-6

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Archaeology of the Kings of Judah

In 1931 in a Russian Orthodox monastery located on the Mount of Olives, a first

century AD inscription was discovered bearing the name of King Uzziah. The

inscription reads: “Here were brought the bones of Uzziah, King of Judah – do not

open.”

Uzziah was a leper so he was not buried with the other kings, but “near them in a

field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, ‘he had leprosy’” (2 Chr

26:23).

Psalm 137

This song was sung by the Hebrews as they were led away from Judah. Their hearts

were heavy as they had just seen the destruction of their land and temple.

Our Dates

The timeframe of the reigns of the kings of Judah is difficult to determine with

certainty. It seems that some kings co-ruled with their sons for a period of time and

therefore the length of their reign can include the co-reign. Dates in Ussher often

cross reference the reigns of the Kings of Judah.

The kings of Israel begin their rule (proposed timeline).

SK = Southern Kingdom NK= Northern Kingdom

• 975BC Rehoboam

• 958BC Abijah/Abijam

• 955BC Asa

• 914BC Jehoshaphat

• 889BC Jehoram/Joram

• 885BC Ahaziah/Jehoahaz

• 884BC Illegitimate Queen Athaliah

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• 878BC Joash/Jehoash (King at age 7)

• 839BC Amaziah

• 810BC Uzziah (died from leprosy)

• Prophets Isaiah (SK), Joel (SK), Jonah (NK), Hosea (NK)

• 759BC Jotham

• 742BC Ahaz

• 726BC Hezekiah

• 698BC Manasseh (Repented at death)

• 643BC Amon (Murdered)

• 641 Josiah (King aged 8). Killed in battle.

• Prophet Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

• 610BC Jehoahaz/Shallum (ruled three months)

• 610BC Jehoiakim/Eliakim (appointed by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt)

• 599BC Jehoiachin/Coniah/Jechoniah (3 month reign)

• 599BC Zedekiah/Mattaniah. The last king of Israel.

• 588BC The end of the Kingdom of Judah.

Questions to Ask

1. What is the capital of the Kingdom of Judah?

2. How many kings were there in the kingdom of Judah?

3. What tribes were all the kings from? What family?

4. What did Queen Athaliah do?

5. How long did the kingdom of Judah last?

6. Name some prophets of Judah?

Hands On


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Lesson 23: The Kingdom of Babylon

History Maker: King Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel

Scripture: 2 Kings 24-25 and Daniel 1-4

Lesson Notes (Power Point Available)

• Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon’s Temple and burnt the city. He took

many of the people into captivity.

• Nebuchadnezzar was instrumental in God’s judgement of the Jews for their

continued rebellion against Him.

• Nebuchadnezzar’s statue dream foretells the great kingdoms that will rule

prior to the Messiah’s kingdom.

King Nebuchadnezzar and the Exile

Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon (modern day Iraq). He built a powerful

empire in the Middle East. During his reign he conquered the Assyrians and Egypt

and now Nebuchadnezzar set his sights on Judah.

The Babylonian king took all of the treasure from Solomon’s Temple and moved all

the learned men, artists and nobles from Israel. Daniel and Ezekiel (Bible prophets)

were in that group. Kings 24:12-17

This period, which actually begins

around 597BC, is called the Exile in

Jewish history.

The Kingdom of Judah Ends

After Nebuchadnezzar took control of

Judah he set up another king to rule

Judah—Zedekiah. This king rebelled


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against Nebuchadnezzar after a few years and the consequence was the complete

destruction of Jerusalem. Zedekiah was taken captive, and had his eyes cut out by

order of the king of Babylon, who made him a prisoner for the remainder of his life.

The walls of the city were broken down and the temple was burned. The rest of the

inhabitants of the city were taken to Babylon and only the very poor were left in

Jerusalem.

In 586 BC, Judah itself ceased to be an independent kingdom, and the earlier

deportees found themselves without a homeland, without a state, and without a

nation.

We don’t know what happened to the Ark after this. Modern day Jews place the

Torah in a sacred place to symbolise the ark.

God’s Judgement on Judah

God had repeatedly warned the Israelites that their rebellion and worship of other

God’s would lead to their captivity. Jeremiah 27:6-8

Seventy Years of Exile

During the period of Exile God promises to return his people to Israel. Ezekiel 34:13

Babylon would rule over Judah for 70 years. Jeremiah 25:11-12

God shows favour (Daniel 1)

Daniel and his friends were captives from the first invasion of Jerusalem. They were

to be trained for the work in the king’s palace. These men chose to remain faithful to

God by refusing the delicate (non kosher) foods of the Babylonians.

At the end of their training, Nebuchadnezzar found their wisdom and ability to

interpret dreams to be 10 times better than his magicians and enchanters. He gave

these men a high office in his kingdom. This set up a tradition of Jews being in high

office in foreign lands, i.e. Mordecai, Queen Esther and Nehemiah.

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The Dream of a Great Statue (Daniel 2)

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him and Daniel interpreted the dream. It

was about four mighty kingdoms that would reign until the rock destroys them all.

It is generally accepted in Christian teaching that:

• Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian kingdom is the head of gold

• The Medes and Persians kingdom is the chest of silver

• Alexander the Great and the Greek Empire is the belly and thigh of bronze

• The Roman Empire is the legs of iron and feet of clay

• Jesus is the rock.

Daniel 2:31-35

The Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3)

Nebuchadnezzar obviously liked that dream and built a statue of gold which he

expected the people to worship.

Archaeology of Nebuchadnezzar

There is a great deal of archaeological evidence to

support the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Common artefacts

discovered from that time are bricks stamped with

Nebuchadnezzar’s name.

There are several cuneiform texts that illustrate King

Jehoiachin's rations from Nebuchadnezzar. These

documents, now in Berlin, are lists of deliveries of food

and oil to important people, and prove that the king of

Judah received substantial rations.

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Our Dates

• 599BC - First Exile to Babylon involving King Jeconiah

• 587BC - Second Exile Jerusalem destroyed. Temple destroyed.

Questions to Ask

• What is the Exile?

• Why did God let Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem?

• Who gave Nebuchadnezzar such authority?

• What sacrifice did Daniel and his friends make? How were they rewarded by

this?

• What was the Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about?

Hands On


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Lesson 24: Israel & Judah - Revision

History Maker: Saul to Nebuchadnezzar

Scripture: Kings and Chronicles

Lesson Notes

This lesson is a summary of the Kingdom of Israel. Our aim is to have the children

understand the events of this period from King Saul 1095BC to King Zedekiah

(587BC) a period of just over 500 years.

Image from http://www.abu.nb.ca/ecm/products/timeline/time3.jpg

Key Events

This is a summary of the events of the time period we have just covered over this

section. All the events discussed here have already been mentioned in previous

weeks.

• Saul the First King of Israel (Tribe of Benjamin)

• Saul looses favour and David is anointed King

• Solomon anointed king. Solomon’s idolatry results in the Kingdom being

divided.

• Under the Kingship of Rehoboam the kingdom is divided.

http://www.abu.nb.ca/ecm/products/timeline/time3.jpg�

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• Rehoboam has the Southern Kingdom of Judah (the tribe of Judah and most

of Benjamin).

• All the Kings of Judah are from the House of David.

• Jeroboam has the other 10 tribes of Judah. His kingdom is called the Northern

Kingdom of Israel.

• 19 kings in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, all of them are wicked.

• There are 19 kings in Southern Israel. Some are good, many are bad.

• Queen Athaliah tries to stop the House of David by killing all of his royal line.

Her plan does not succeed.

• Israel’s Kingdom lasts for 250 years until they are taken captive to Assyria.

• Judah’s Kingdom lasts 400 years until they are taken into exile in Babylon by

Nebuchadnezzar.

• The city is burned and the temple is destroyed.

Key People

• Saul

• David

• Solomon

• Rehoboam and Jeroboam

• Ahab

• Athalia

• Isaiah

Key Places

• Jerusalem

• Samaria

• Babylon

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Our Dates

• King Saul 1095BC

• Kingdom Divided 975BC

• Israel taken captive by Assyria 722BC

• Judah taken captive by Babylon. The temple and city destroyed. 587BC

Questions to Ask

• What will happen to the people of Israel?

• Do they ever have a king again?

• Will the people return to Israel?

• How could the people have stopped this from happening?

• Is this what God wanted?

• What are they going to do?

Hands On










topic.

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Timeline Entry


go.

Map Drill

Locate the key places using a map.

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Lesson 25: The Medes & Persians

History Makers: Belshazzar, Daniel and Darius the Mede

Scripture: Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah


• The Babylonian kingdom ends

• Daniel in the lion’s den.

• The end of Israel’s exile.

The Kings of Babylon & Belshazzar

Nebuchadnezzar died and his son Evilmerodach rules (Jeremiah 52:31). Secular

historians believe he is then murdered by his brother-in-law Neriglassar, who then

rules. Labashi-Marduk his son rules for 9 months. Nabonidus then rules. When

Belshazzar takes over is uncertain. He may have only been a crown prince. Cyrus

conquers Babylon, setting Darius on the throne as an under-king. The season of

Babylonian rule ended.

King Belshazzar a king of Babylon held a feast, and drank from cups taken from the

Temple of Solomon. During the feast a human hand appears and writes on the

plaster of the palace wall. Daniel was brought in to interpret the writing. He told

Belshazzar that the writing meant that Belshazzar’s reign as King had ended and

that it was to be given to the Medes and the Persians. That night the king was slain

and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.

Daniel Chapter 5


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Evidence of Belshazzar

Belshazzar had been known only

from the biblical Book of Daniel

(chapters 5, 7–8) and from

Xenophon’s Cyropaedia (another

ancient Greek historian). However,

in 1854 archaeologist Sir Henry

Rawlinson found The Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar (pictured above), while

excavating at ancient Ur.

It describes how Nabonidus repaired three temples and mentions his son

Belshazzar. According to the translators the cylinder states:

"As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me from sinning against your great

godhead and grant me as a present a life long of days, and as for Belshazzar, the

eldest son -my offspring- instill reverence for your great godhead in his heart and

may he not commit any cultic mistake, may he be sated with a life of plenitude."

Secular chronologies record the names of three more kings before Belshazzar.

Some Bible critics believe that this is evidence that the Bible chronology is wrong.

There are number possible explanations for this apparent error. One is that the word

for father used by Daniel can also be used to describe ancestor, or predecessor.

Daniel

Daniel was taken from Jerusalem and was now an old man in the kingdom of

Babylon. His wisdom had obviously spread throughout the region for he is mentioned

by a contemporary prophet Ezekiel and known to Belshazzar.

Ezekiel 14:14, 20 & 28:3

At the time of the Persian conquest of Babylon, when Daniel could not have been

less than 80 years old, he was still retained by the new regime in a position of high

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responsibility. In fact, he was made one of the three presidents who superintended

the respective governors of Persia’s 120 provinces.

Daniel 6:1-2

Darius the Mede

According to Josephus, Darius the Mede (not the Darius mentioned in Ezra) was a

relative of Cyrus the King of Persia. Although this name is not found in Persian

records some feel that he might be Gubaru (mentioned in Persian records), a Mede,

who was appointed by King Cyrus to be ruler in Babylon at this time. Gubaru was

born in 601BC which would make him 62 years old when he invaded Babylon.

Exactly the age found in Daniel 5:31.

It is thought that Darius may have a title of honour (rather than a proper name),

meaning Holder of the Sceptre or The Sceptre Holder (King) of the Medes.

Darius the Mede sends the captives back to Jerusalem. He was probably fulfilling the

instructions as laid out by Cyrus.

Daniel 6:25-27

Daniel and the Lion’s Den

Other officials in the new Persian Kingdom were jealous of Daniel’s status and

conspired to kill him by tricking King Darius to declare an edict to enforce a ban on

praying to any god or man except Darius. The king agreed. Daniel was distressed at

the edict but this did not stop him from praying. He was arrested by his enemies and

taken to the king and thrown into a lion’s den. The King realising he had been tricked

went home and fasted. The next morning he raced to the lion’s den and called to

Daniel. He was thrilled that he was still alive. He had Daniel removed from the lion’s

den and Daniel’s enemies were thrown in and the lions quickly gobbled them up.

Daniel 6

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Herodotus and Xenophon (ancient Greek historians),

and Cyrus' own account support Daniel’s report that

the capture of Babylon was without resistance.

According to these historians the city was engaged in

a riotous festival at the time of the capture.

The Nabodinus Chronicle (pictured right), records that

Nabodinus brought all of the gods from the other cities

into Babylon to reinforce the city's defences - hence, the appropriateness of

Belshazzar and company sitting around and praising the various gods.

Our Dates

• 562BC Nebuchadnezzar dies and Evilmerodach (Amel-Marduk) his son rules.

• 560BC Evilmerodach (Amel-Marduk) murdered and Neriglassar rules

• 556BC Neriglassar dies and Labashi-Marduk his son rules for 9 months

• 555BC Nabonidus rules. When Belshazzar takes over is uncertain. He may

have only been a crown prince or co-regent.

• 539BC Cyrus conquered Babylon, setting Darius on the throne as an under-

king. The season of Babylonian rule ended.

Questions to Ask

• What kingdom takes control of Babylon after Belshazzar?

• What are the Jewish captives allowed to do according to Darius the Mede and

Cyrus?

• Why was Daniel thrown into the lion’s den?

• What happened to Daniel’s accusers?

Hands On


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Lesson 26: The Temple Restored

History Maker: Zerubbabel, King Cyrus and King Darius

Scripture: The Book of Ezra 1-6


• King Cyrus returns the people to their homelands

• A remnant returns to Israel to rebuild the temple

• The temple in completed under King Darius.

Cyrus the Great

God works in mysterious ways. King Cyrus is not a Jew but he declares that he has

been appointed by the LORD of Heaven to rebuild the temple.

Cyrus is a gentile, a non Jew, yet he still follows God.

Ezra 1:2-4

Cyrus was the great King of Persia who overtook Babylon. In the 5th century BC,

Greek historian, Herodotus records the story of how Cyrus escaped death at the time

of his birth and how he was brought up by a shepherd who wasn’t his father. Nearly

160 years before King Cyrus was even born, God declared to the prophet Isaiah that

he would raise up this man, a shepherd, to rebuild his city. Even though at the time

of Isaiah, Jerusalem was prospering and would not be destroyed for another 100

years by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon.

Isaiah 44:28 Ezra 1:1-4

The second part of Isaiah’s prophecy states that Cyrus would declare Jerusalem and

the temple to be rebuilt.


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Persians and Medes Chest of Silver

According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the Jews in Babylonian captivity showed

Cyrus the prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures which contain his name and

described his role in the scheme of God. Josephus says that it was this circumstance

that motivated the ruler to fulfil what was written, and thus to issue his edict

permitting Israel’s return to her homeland.

Archaeology Cyrus Cylinder

Excavations at Babylon (1879-82) led to the discovery of a

clay barrel, known as the Cyrus Cylinder (pictured right).

The inscriptions on the barrel portray the benevolent policies

of Cyrus in the following fashion:

“All of their peoples I gathered together and restored to their dwelling-places.”

The Exiles Return

It is approximately 70 years since the first set of Jews were taken to Babylon. The

exiles return to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel was the governor (leader) of the children of

Israel and he was also a descendant of King David. Zerubbabel was the man who

led the first group of captives back to Jerusalem. We read about this return in the

early chapters of Ezra.

About 50,000 people returned with Zerrubabel. The Bible calls this very small group

a remnant. Fifty thousand people may seem like a large number, but it was not in

comparison with the estimated 2 million Hebrews who came into the promised land

with Joshua (see Numbers 26:51). The Remnant was less than 1% in size.

The Temple to be Rebuilt

When the Jews returned to the land, their first job was to rebuild the temple.

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When the Jewish remnant returned to the city of Jerusalem nothing was left of the

temple except ashes, heaps of stone and rubble. These Jews had a great work to

do!

Opposition to Rebuilding

The Samaritans begin by wanting to help build the temple. They worship Yahweh as

well they say. The Jews won’t let them help. The Samaritans try to stop the

rebuilding. Their plans worked temporarily and the Jews had to stop building.

There was conflict in the Persian Kingdom during this time. Rulership changed a few

times and it took a while to stabilise. One king orders the building to stop –

Smerdis??

Building Restarts (Ezra 4)

This is the period of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The Jews reapply to start

building the temple as guided by the prophets. King Darius blesses the project and

they restart building.

No dates are given in the Bible as to how long they broke from building the temple.

Dates have been worked out using secular Persian king’s chronology. The Bible’s

account is matched with the secular Persian documents by historians. These

matches are educated guesses and are not universally accepted.

A secular Persian king list is as follows:

• King Cyrus (mentioned in II Chronicles, Daniel, Isaiah and Ezra)

• King Cambyses

• Smerdis the Imposter

• King Darius (Ezra 6)

• Xerxes ( Ezra and Esther)

• Artexerxes (Ezra and Nehemiah)

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A Mistake in the Bible—Chronology of the Kings in Ezra

The appearance of Artexerxes’ letter in Ezra 4 does not seem to fit in with the

Persian kings lists, for Darius reigns after Artexerxes not before. Some have

suggested that the King Artexerxes mentioned here might be King Cambysis or King

Smerdis the Imposter. Both of these kings ruled prior to Darius. There is no

archaeological evidence to support this except that Persian kings went by a variety

of names. Another suggestion is that the Ezra 4 letter to Artaxerxes was placed in

Ezra 4 as a parenthetical comment since the topic of discussion was opposition to

building. Both these explanations can explain the apparent mistake. (Cited Kingly

Chronology in the Book of Ezra by Eric Lyons ©2005)

NOTE: Although most kids won’t care about this exegesis I think that it is helpful for

them to know that an apparent mistake usually has an explanation. Many mistakes in

the Bible can be attributed to the conflict between secular findings and the Bible.

A New Temple

From the dimensions given in Ezra 6:3, the second temple appears to have been

slightly larger than Solomon's Temple. However Haggai says that it was quite inferior

in construction. (Hag 2:3)

The temple vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar were returned by Cyrus (Ezra 1:7,

5:14, 6:5) and used in the rebuilt temple. The Bible does not mention the Ark of the

Covenant in relation to this temple. If it did still exist, it was not returned from

Babylon. However, it may have been lost when the first temple was burned. Secular

history confirms that the second temple did not contain the Ark.

Over the next 500 years, Zerrubabel's temple was also ransacked and defiled

several times. This temple is the temple that Herod renovated around the time of

Christ. It was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans.

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Our Dates

• 537BC First exiles return from 70 years of captivity.

• 535BC Altar and foundation of the Temple begins

• 529BC King Cyrus dies

• 530-522BC Persian King Cambyses rules

• 522BC Smerdis the imposter rules in Persia

• 522-486BC Persian King Darius I

• 522BC Temple construction stopped by opposition

• 520BC Rebuilding of Temple Resumed

• 51 BC Temple Finished and Dedicated

• 486-464BC Ahasuerus or Xerxes. This is the king that we read about in the

book of Esther. Esther became his queen. He is also mentioned in Ezra 4:6.

• 464-423BC Artaxerxes

Questions to Ask

1. What does King Cyrus say God has appointed him to do? 2. What did the Babylonians do to the beautiful temple (house of God) which

Solomon had built (2 Chronicles 36:19)? 3. How many people returned to Jerusalem? 4. Who starts building the new temple? 5. Why does the building of the temple stop? 6. Why do they start again? 7. Who was Zerrubabel?

Hands On


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Lesson 27: Queen Esther

History Makers: Queen Esther

Scripture: The Book of Esther

Lesson Notes:

Esther was a Jewish girl in exile.

She became a Persian Queen during the time of the Israelites returning to

Jerusalem.

Queen Esther (The Book of Esther)

The story of Esther tells how God used Queen Esther to save the Jews from the evil

plans of Haman. The Jews celebrate this victory every year at a time called Purim.

Purim is not one of the major festivals mentioned in Leviticus 23, but is still important

because of the message it holds. Purim takes place around February or March.

There is no record of Esther in Persian history but King Xerxes had many wives in

his harem and the fact that there was a Jewish queen may have been left out of the

official records.

Our Dates

486-464BC Ahasuerus or Xerxes rules Persia.

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Esther the Play

For this week we will be having a play from Esther. This play is traditionally

performed as a funny pantomime. The plays are not meant to be polished

performances.

The play below can be done by your Sunday school group or if possible have your

youth group or creative ministries group come and perform the play. I have written

this simple play but many more can be found on the internet with a simple search.

Actors: (5-8 needed)

Narrator

Reporter (this can also be the narrator )

Esther

King Xerxes

Haman

Potential Queen 1 (You can use Mordecai with a head scarf if desired)

Potential Queen 2 (You can use Haman with a head scarf if desired)

Official

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Scene 1

Reporter: Here we are at the Palace of the Persian King Xerxes. The king is sitting

on his throne surrounded by his wise men and Haman.

Haman: My king, you are so wise. Your decision to divorce your disobedient wife

Vashti was good. There are so many beautiful women in this kingdom who would be

honoured to obey your royal highness. Why not choose one of them?

Xerxes: Too right Hayman. Let’s organise a beauty contest. I will be the judge and

the winner can be my wife. Only collect the purest and most beautiful young women

in Persia. Ah ... it's good to be King! We can call it The King Wants a Wife.

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Scene 2

Reporter: Here we are in the Susa at the finals for the Miss Persia Beauty Contest?

Officials have been sent out throughout the provinces of Persia to collect beautiful

young innocent women of marrying age to compete in the Miss Persia contest. The

semi-finals are complete and now we have the finalists who have been getting

prepared for one whole year with lotions and potions.

Let’s meet the finalists. Here is a finalist let’s go and talk to her.

Hello, what makes you think that you should Queen of Persia?

[The reporter walks to the potential queen 1]

Potential Queen 1: Well I’m beautiful and would love to be Queen of Persia.

Reporter: Ok thanks, good luck. Let’s talk to this contestant. Miss why do you think

you should be the Queen of Persia?

[The reporter walks to the potential queen 2]

Potential Queen 2: Well I’m more beautifuler and I believe in world peace.

Reporter: Ok thanks, good luck. I can see it’s going to be tough to decide. Let’s talk

to this contestant. Miss why do you think you should be the Queen of Persia.

Esther: I love the King and I want to support and help him as he rules Persia.

Reporter: Good answer! You have potential.

Well let’s get back to the palace as the King holds the final elimination round.

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Scene 3

[ The king is lying on the floor with a pillow so it looks like a lounge. He has the girls

parade in front of him one by one. The king makes a note and hands it to the host.]

The Reporter: The tally has been counted and the decision has been made. Two of

the girls are going home tonight and one of you will remain and become the winner

of The Miss Persia Beauty Contest. The winner will have a tiara and be named The

Queen of Persia.

The Official: The winner of The King Wants A Wife Contest is?

Da da dad um. Da da dad um.

The winner of The King Wants a Wife –Persia 4th Century BC is...

Da da dad um. Dad a dad um.

Esther! [The king gets up and places a tiara on her head. Esther rests her head on

the kings shoulder]

The Official: I now pronounce you husband and wife. [The king and queen now

hold hands and they leave the stage.]

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Scene 4

Narrator: Queen Esther and Xerxes have been married for a while now. A plot to

assassinate King Xerxes has been uncovered by Mordecai the Jew, Queen Esther’s

uncle, and Esther has informed the king of this dastardly plan. Haman hates Jews,

especially Mordecai because he will not bow down and give him honour. He wants to

kill him.

[King and Haman are sitting down talking. Queen Esther is in a separate spot that

looks like a different room. She is brushing her hair.]

Haman: [Turning to the king] Your Majesty, luckily the plot to assassinate you has

been uncovered but there is still danger. There are also people among us who

refuse to bow down to us and are trying to cause the collapse of your kingdom. They

are very treacherous. I feel we must do away with them.

Xerxes: [The king takes off his ring and gives it to Haman.] You have my permission

to kill whoever these people are.

[Haman walks away from the king rubbing his hands together and snickering in an

evil way and calls over to the official. Mordecai is sitting nearby reading a paper.

Unknown to Haman, Mordecai can hear Haman talking.]

Haman: Ok, I have the go ahead from the king to get rid of those pesky Jews. Let’s

set a date.

[Mordecai puts his paper down and rips his clothes and starts crying. As Haman

walks away Mordecai runs off in the other direction towards Esther’s room.]

Esther: [Esther hears Mordecai’s sobs and goes to him.] What is it uncle? Why are

you crying?

Mordecai: Oh Esther, Haman has devised a plan to kill us. In fact he wants to kill all

the Jews in Persia. Esther you must talk to the King and tell him to stop Haman’s

wicked plan.

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Esther: Mordecai you know I can’t just go and talk to the king without him calling for

me. Nevertheless I will pray and fast for three days and then I will go to the king. Ask

the other Jews in Susa to do the same.

[Esther kneels and prays and Mordecai rushes out.]

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Scene 5

Narrator: After three days had passed the queen went to the king and he received

her. Esther asked him to come to two special dinners that she has prepared for him.

She also invited Haman. The king is now preparing for the second dinner.

[The king is holding a document and scratching his chin with a thoughtful look.

Haman walks in.]

Xerxes: Haman what should I do for a man I wish to honour.

Haman: [Whispering to himself] He must be talking about me.

[Speaking to the King in a normal voice] Well if it was me you were going to honour I

would ask that you place one of your robes on me and parade me around town with

a sign saying, “This is the man the king wants to honour.”

Xerxes: Great idea Haman! Now you go and get Mordecai the Jew, who uncovered

the plot to assassination me and do that for him. Then meet me at Ester’s for lunch.

Haman: [at first Haman is speechless and no words come out of his mouth. He then

composes himself.] He’ll get what he deserves king. [He says under his breath]

[The king walks off and sits at the table that Esther has prepared. Haman gets

Mordecai and can be seen walking in the back holding a sign calling, “This is the

man the king wants to honour”. Haman looks very annoyed. After two loops of the

stage he walks away from Mordecai and rushes to sit at the table with Queen

Esther.]

Xerxes: Dear beautiful Queen what is it that you desire from me. I will give you up to

half of my kingdom.

Esther: My Good King, I plead for my life. Please don't allow me to be killed.

Xerxes: Darling Esther. Who is trying to kill you?

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Esther: [Swinging around and pointing to Haman]. This man is trying to kill me, for I

am a Jew and so is Mordecai my uncle who saved your life.

[Haman looks horrified and he falls to the floor and begs Esther for mercy. The king

stands and looks at Haman]

Xerxes: Is this true Haman?

Haman: Well umm...I didn’t know the Queen was a Jew, I didn’t know you liked

Jews. Please, please have mercy on me King.

Xerxes: Give me back my ring Haman. Official come here. Get me Mordecai the

Jew and arrest this man.

[Haman is led away by The Official and Mordecai comes in]

Mordecai what can be done to save Esther, you and the Jews?

Mordecai: Good King, reverse your order to destroy the Jews!

Xerxes: My orders cannot be changed. Go! Take my ring and write a decree to save

the Jews.

Mordecai: Thank you King. I will write an order allowing the Jews to take up arms

against their enemies. [Mordecai bows and leaves the room.]

Esther: Oh thank you my husband, my King. [Esther grabs hold of the king’s hand]

Xerxes: My pleasure my beautiful Queen. [The king and queen walk away hand in

hand.]

Narrator: And so a battle took place and the Jews were victorious. Haman was hung

on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai and the Jews were respected

throughout Persia. To this day the Jews continue to celebrate this day. It is called the

feast of Purim.

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Lesson 28: Israel’s Walls Rebuilt

History Maker: Ezra 7-10 and Nehemiah

Scripture: Ezra and Nehemiah (Originally just one book)


• Ezra returns to institute reforms

• Nehemiah returns and the Jews work together to rebuild the wall around

Jerusalem

• The end of the Old Testament

The Second Return Under the Leadership Of Ezra (Ezra 7-8).

About 60—80 years after Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem, another group of Jews

returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra the High Priest.

This was a much smaller group of people (about two thousand). They had

permission from King Artaxerxes (possibly the son of King Xerxes—Queen Esther’s

husband).

Ezra attempts to restore the spiritual state of Jerusalem. The Jews are told to get rid

of any foreign wives and children (this is a hard one to explain). God wants a pure

and holy nation. (You can take this opportunity to reemphasise the importance of

choosing a Christian spouse if you want).

The Third Return to Jerusalem

The book of Nehemiah is a personal account of his journey back to Jerusalem to

rebuild the city.

Points to emphasise in Nehemiah’s story are:


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• He heard of the dire circumstances of the remnant who had returned to

Jerusalem

• He prayed and fasted to God

• He asked the King if he could return

• He surveyed the gates

• He got everyone working together even when there was great opposition.

• He desired to see a renewed devotion to the Lord.

• He enforces the Sabbath and has Ezra read the law to the people.

Nehemiah 13:30 52 days to rebuild the walls.

Dealing and the Difficulties

Nehemiah’s project of restoring Jerusalem was fraught with difficulties. He had:

• to get to Jerusalem (Neh 1 & 2)

• opposition from the Samaritans who did not want Israelites gaining power

again (Neh 3 & 4)

• to worry about the rich Jews taking advantage of the poor (Neh 5)

• trickery of false prophets (Neh 6) Sanballat said you are trying to become

King

• to purify Israel (Neh 9-13)

Archaeology

In 200, Dr Eilat Mazar, one of Israel's top archaeologists

claims to have found remnants of Nehemiah’s wall.

Nehemiah Returns and Israel Needs to Repent Again

Throughout the Old Testament we see the constant cycle

of the people rebelling against God, calamity strikes and

the people grieve over their sins and God comes to their

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rescue.

• Nehemiah leaves and goes back to Babylon. When he returns he finds that

the people are again falling in to sin.

• Elishab the priest has given Tobias a room in the Temple.

• The Levites were being cheated and not being given their portions of wine,

grain and oil and therefore they needed to go out to work instead of attending

the temple (see Mal 8:6-12).

• The Sabbaths were not being honoured.

• Jews were again marrying non Jewish women.

• As Nehemiah ends we see that the Jewish people have no king.

Malachi the Prophet

In Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, Israel’s unfaithfulness continues. The

covenant of law and sacrifice is constantly being tested and the people of Israel find

themselves unable to live up to the law.

The Jews are now on the lookout for The Second Elijah and who will proceed the

Messiah. Malachi (4:5-6)

Jesus identifies John the Baptist as the one predicted. Matt 11:14—17:9-13

The End of Old Testament

Nehemiah is the last historical scripture of the Hebrew Canon. Although Esther is the

last book that appears in the historical books in our Bibles the events of Esther

happened before Nehemiah. So now we come to the end of Hebrew scripture. We

do not have any more historical scripture in our Bibles until The New Testament.

Note: The Apocrypha has some historical books written by Jews. I and II Maccabees

records the Jewish rebellion against the Greeks. We will look at this historical period

when we study the Greek Empire. The Apocrypha is not accepted as scripture in the

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Jewish Canon or Protestant Bibles but it does appear in Catholic Bibles. It was

written in Greek not Hebrew.

Our Dates

• 486-465BC Persian King Xerxes I

• 473BC Esther is Queen of Persia

• 465-425BC Persian King Artaxerxes

• 45 BC Second exile group returns to Jerusalem

• 445BC Third exile group returns. Nehemiah Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem

• 440BC Book of Ezra written

• 433BC Nehemiah returns and institutes Reforms

• Prophet Malachi

It is approximately 400 years before Jesus is born.

Questions to Ask

1. Who was Ezra?

2. Who was Nehemiah?

3. Were the people faithful to God after Nehemiah leaves?

4. Why did they need a wall?

5. Is it hard to obey God?

6. Who are the people looking for at the close of the Old Testament? The

Second Elijah?

7. Who is the Second Elijah?

8. What is the last historical book in the Bible?

9. What is the name of the last prophet of the Old Testament?

Hands Up


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Lesson 29: The Greek Empire

History Maker: Alexander the Great, Maccabeus and Cleopatra

Scripture: The Apocrypha Maccabeus I

Note: The Apocrypha is not accepted as scripture in the Jewish Canon or Protestant

Bibles but it does appear in Catholic Bibles. It was written in Greek not Hebrew. For

the purpose of this lesson we will only be using it as an historical reference

document.


• The intertestamental period

• Greece, the third kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream begins

• The Apocrypha

• The hellenization of Israel

• The Maccabean revolt and Hanukkah

The Intertestamental Period

The intertestamental period is a term used to refer to a period of time between the

end of the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is traditionally considered to be

around 400 years between the time of Malachi and John the Baptist.

I Maccabees is a book written during this period. It appears in the Apocrypha and it

tells the story of how Jews fought for independence from their Greek overlords. It is

highly regarded for its historical accuracy.

Septuagint and Apocrypha

The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament and the Apocryphal

books. The Septuagint was commissioned around 300-200BC because many

Hellenistic Jews who spoke Greek could not understand Hebrew. This Greek version

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was said to be compiled by about 70 Jewish scholars. The term septuagint means

70 in Latin.

The Apocrypha is a protestant term referring to a group of books that appeared in

the Greek Septuagint but did not appear in the Hebrew canon. During the 16th

century, Reformation Bible translators, such as Luther, believed that although these

books were written by godly men, and were useful and good to read, they were not

inspired by God. These books and passages were then put in a separate section of

the Bible and labelled the Apocrypha. Today these books are left out of most

protestant Bibles. In the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Church these books still

appear.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Belly and Thigh of Bronze.

In Nebuchadnezzar’s statue the Greek empire is the belly and thigh of bronze.

Alexander The Great

Alexander the Great was a prince. He was born in Macedonia, a small country north

of Greece, July 356BC. Alexander was taught by Aristotle, a Macedonian, who had

lived for a very long time in Greece.

It was Aristotle, more than any other teacher, who taught Alexander to greatly

respect the Greek way of life. Alexander spoke their language, worshipped their

gods and knew their history. As a boy he dreamed of teaching everyone,

everywhere, about the wonderful Greek culture he knew and loved so well.

As the son of a king, Alexander was trained to be a ruler and a warrior. He was

taught that his job was to expand the Macedonian empire, and to rule at all times

with a firm hand.

Alexander conquered many places in the Mediterranean, including Greece and

Egypt.

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In each conquered land he introduced Greek literature, myth, dance, language,

money, medicine, art, and theatre. As he did with the Greeks, he allowed conquered

people the opportunity to run their own country as long as they were loyal to

Alexander. The people who refused were killed.

Alexander never lost a battle. Before his death, he had built over 70 cities, and had

conquered the entire known world in the Mediterranean region. His empire stretched

all the way to the Indus River (in Pakistan). He probably would have pushed on,

perhaps even to China, but one day, while out boating, he became quite ill and died

shortly after. It was only about a month before his 33rd birthday.

Hellenisation

Hellenisation is a term used to describe the spread of ancient Greek culture and

language during the campaigns of Alexander the Great of Macedon. Countries that

were under the rulership of Ancient Greece were encouraged to adopt Greek culture

and practices. Due to Hellenistic reforms the Greek Language spread. This set the

stage for a widespread communication through Greek language and literature.

The Maccabean Revolt

During the time of Greek dominance in Palestine the Jewish Temple was seized by

Antiochus Epiphanes and dedicated to the worship of Zeus, the Greek God. The

sanctuary itself was laid waste, Jewish sacrifices were forbidden and the altar was

defiled, as pagan sacrifices such as pigs were slain there.

Greek soldiers then went throughout the Jewish villages forcing the people to bow

down to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig (a practice forbidden by Jews). In a town

near Jerusalem the high priest Mattathias refused to obey the edict. Another villager

stepped forward and offered to participate. Mathathias was furious and he killed the

villager and the Greek soldier.

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Mathiathias and his family then fled into the hills of Jerusalem, many Jews joined

them. This group led a guerrilla type war against the Syrian-Greeks soldiers. The

rebels became known as the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans.

The Maccabees eventually gained control of Jerusalem and returned to the temple.

To cleanse the temple from its defilement they decided to burn holy oil in it.

However, there was only enough oil for one day of burning but they lit it anyway, to

their surprise the oil burned for eight days. This is the miracle of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah-The Festival of Lights

In Hebrew, the word “hanukkah” means “dedication.”

Although not an important celebration on the Jewish calendar it has become more

popular due to its closeness to Christmas. Jewish

children receive gifts for the eight days of the

festival. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of

Kislev, which coincides with late November—

December on the secular calendar.

Our Dates

• 333BC - Alexander invades Israel

• 332BC - Alexander takes Jerusalem & founds the city of Alexandria in Egypt

• 323BC - Alexander dies in Babylon

• 304BC - Ptolemy captured Jerusalem

• 285-247BC - Ptolemy II Philadelphus, commissioned the translation of the

Hebrew Scriptures into Greek - the Septuagint

• 168BC - Antiochus IV Epiphanes prohibited Judaism and desecrated the

Temple, this triggered the Maccabean Revolt

• 165BC - Judas Maccabaeus rededicated the Temple

• 51-31BC - Cleopatra VII, last ruler of the Ptolemeic (Greek dynasty)

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Questions to Ask

1. Who was Alexander the Great?

2. What was Hellenisation?

3. Who was Judas Maccabes?

4. What is Hanukkah?

5. What is the Septuagint?

6. Who was Cleopatra?

7. What was the Apocrypha?

8. How was the Temple defiled?

9. What time of year do the Jews celebrate Hanukkah?

Hands Up


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Lesson 30: The Romans

History Maker: Caesar, Cleopatra, Herod

Scripture: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John


• The Roman’s occupy Israel

• Augustus Caesar orders a census • Jesus is born

• The New Testament begins

Cleopatra and Octavian

After the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided up by four of his

generals. Ptolemy, a Macedonian general, was the successor who acquired Egypt.

From him the Ptolemaic Dynasty began and ruled for three centuries. Cleopatra VII

was the last and generally most well-known of the Ptolemaic rulers (Greek Empire).

Although there were numerous Cleopatras, she is the one who made the name

famous. Cleopatra reigned with the political support of the Roman leader Julius

Caesar, with whom she had a son, Caesarion (Ptolemy XV). After Julius Caesar was

assassinated in Rome, Cleopatra became involved with the Roman general Marc

Antony—a love and power relationship that lasted for 10 years. It ended when the

forces of Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian (Julius Caesar’s

nephew). After Cleopatra, 39, and Antony, 53, both committed suicide (she by

having a poisonous snake bite her), Egypt was absorbed by the Roman Empire and

Caesarion was killed by order of Octavian.

Augustus Caesar

Octavian, the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar, was born on 63BC in Rome. After

Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, the 19 year old Octavian learned from his


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great uncle's will that he had both been adopted and made heir. Octavian, later

became known as Caesar Augustus—is only mentioned once in the Bible, when he

ordered that a census be taken of the Roman world. That census was instrumental in

the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), rather than in Nazareth where

Joseph and Mary lived. Luke 2:1-7

Nebuchadnezzar’s Legs of Iron and Feet of Clay—Rome

Rome, the fourth empire of Daniel’s prophecy, was rising in power from around

200BC. One by one the nations fell to Rome, first Macedonia, then Greece, Asia

Minor, Europe and Britain.

Countries conquered were often allowed to have local government for a time which

later would be replaced by Roman rulers. People seized in conquered countries

were sold as slaves by the hundreds and thousands, all menial tasks were

performed by these slaves. Roman conquest continued with the conquering of

Palestine under the Roman general Pompeius who subdued Jerusalem in 63BC.

Herod the Great Takes Control of Jerusalem

Herod (the Great), son of Antipater and friend of Mark Antony, went to Rome and got

himself appointed as a vassal king under Roman authority, called "King of the Jews"

although he himself was of Edomite descent –from the family of Esau, Isaac’s son .

Herod passed himself off as a Jew, and would not eat pork.

He was a cruel ruler. He murdered his favourite wife, her father and brother. He

executed one of his most trusted friends, his barber, and 300 military leaders—on

one day! He also killed three of his sons, suspecting them of treason. Josephus tells

us that "Herod inflicted such outrages upon (the Jews) as not even a beast could

have done if it possessed the power to rule over men" (Antiquities of the Jews

17:310).

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Temple Renovation

Herod's Temple was actually a major restoration and enlargement of Zerrubabel's

temple. One source says that Herod put 10,000 men to work and trained 1000

priests as masons so that they could work on the most sacred parts of the temple.

The main building work commenced in BC19, and finished 10 years later. However,

decoration work continued for many years after that. In the time of Jesus, the

building project had been in progress for 46 years (John 2:20). It was finally

completed about AD64, six years before its destruction by the Romans.

On the day of the crucifixion of Jesus, an earthquake shook Jerusalem, including the

Temple site. Other damage is not recorded, but Matthew does tell us that the temple

curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom (the entrance to the Holy of Holies). Matt

28:51-2

A generation later, in AD70, it was destroyed by the Roman army led by Titus and

Vespasian. Just as Jesus said, "there was not one stone left upon another."

(Matthew 24:1-2) To complete the destruction, the Roman General, Turnus Rufus,

had the site ploughed. (Micah 3:12)

Josephus says that, in return for a promise of mercy, some of the golden vessels

and instruments of the Temple were handed to Titus by one of the priests. They

were taken to Rome, where they were installed in a "Temple Of Peace", built by

Vespasian.

John the Baptist is born

Into this period of time God begins preparing the way for the birth of the Messiah.

John the Baptist is born from an old barren wife and his father is a priest. John the

Baptist, Jesus’ second cousin, begins his ministry heralding the way for Jesus.

Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 1:67-80, Matthew 17:11-13

• John baptised people for their sins (including Jesus)

• He is beheaded by the order of Herod Antipas (Herod the Great’s son).

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• He is recorded in Jewish history by Josephus.

The New Testament Begins

With the coming of the Jesus a new covenant begins for the descendants of

Abraham. John the Baptist is the herald.

The new covenant did away with the old Jewish laws of sacrifices and genealogy. It

focused on the spiritual descendents of Abraham, by way of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph,

Moses, the prophets, and Jesus Christ (their prophet, priest, and king; Hebrews 1:1-

4).

Everyone in Christ was a Levite in the new order (1 Peter 2:5), and not only

Jerusalem, but the whole world was being sanctified by the miraculous outpouring of

God’s Holy Spirit.

Our Dates

• 100-44BC Julius Caesar

• 63BC Roman occupation of Palestine. Pompey invaded Judea, made

Palestine part of the Roman province of Syria; Temple Mount besieged and

captured

• 44BC Julius Caesar assassinated in Rome, March 15 ("the Ides of March").

• 31BC Battle of Actium (in Greece). Mark Anthony and Cleopatra were

defeated by Octavian and committed suicide. This was the end of the

Ptolemaic dynasty. Egypt was made a Roman province

• 30BC – 14AD Octavian took the name Augustus and founded the Roman

Empire. Construction of the system of straight Roman roads to facilitate

movement of the army throughout the Empire began

• 20BC Herod the Great started to rebuild and extend the Temple in Jerusalem.

The project continued until 62AD

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Questions to Ask

• Who was the ruling power during the time of John the Baptist?

• Who was Herod? Was he King of the Jews?

• When does the New Testament begin?

Hands Up


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Lesson 31: Jesus

History Maker: Caesar, Cleopatra, Herod

Scripture: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John

Lesson Notes:

• Augustus Caesar orders a census

• Jesus is born • The New Testament begins

Jesus Is Born –Christmas

The birth of Jesus is during the Roman occupation of Palestine. Herod is ruling. He

implements Augustus Caesar’s census (Luke 2:1-3). These rulers are confirmed in

secular history but the dates of the census being implemented in Judea are difficult

to determine. Jesus’ birth is usually dated around the winter of 5 or 4 B.C. Christmas

Day is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is not the actual date of his birth as

the exact day is not known.

Jesus’ birth was in a small town near Jerusalem. Here we see the fulfilment of a

number of prophesies about the Messiah;

• Jesus is from the line of David. (Matt 1 and Luke 3)

• Jesus was born in Bethlehem—the birth place of King David. (Micah 5:2, Luke

2:4-20.)

• Jesus was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1; Luke 1)

• The Messiah would be the “seed of a woman” and come to destroy the work

of the Devil (Genesis 3:15).

• The sceptre shall not pass from the tribe of Judah until the Messiah comes.

(Genesis 49:10)

• He will come while the Temple of Jerusalem is standing (Malachi 3:1; Psalm

118:26; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 11:13; Haggai 2:7-9; Matthew 21:12).

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The Magi came looking for Jesus and they visited Herod. Herod learnt from them

that the Messiah had been born. He instructed the Magi to report back to him. After

the wise men found the baby Jesus they returned home via a different route,

avoiding Herod.

Joseph has a dream that Herod was going to try to kill Jesus and he is told to escape

to Egypt.

When the wise men did not come back to Herod he became furious and ordered all

the baby boys up to two years old in and around Bethlehem to be slaughtered! Jesus

was probably only three or four months old at the time. Bethlehem was a small

community—almost a suburb of Jerusalem. Most scholars today believe Herod

murdered between 20 and 30 male infants. Although there is no record of this

slaughter in secular history it was probably only a minor atrocity when compared to

Herod’s many wicked deeds.

Herod died in the early spring of 4BC. On his death-bed he ordered 3000 of the

nation's leading citizens locked up and had them executed at the hour of his death.

He wanted to make sure that there would be mourning when he died. His son Herod

Antipas took over.

Joseph is told by an Angel that Herod is dead so he returns to Judea and goes to

live in Galilee. Matt 2

Jesus as a Child

Not much is known about his childhood but we do that know after Herod’s death

Joseph, Mary and Jesus returned from Egypt to live in Nazareth in the region of

Galilee. Nazareth was thought to be a small poor agricultural village of about 200

people.

We next hear of Jesus, when he is 12 years old, and his family take him to

Jerusalem for the Passover. Jesus stays in the Temple and listens to the scholars.

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Joseph and Mary start returning home not realising that Jesus is not with them.

They find him in the Temple three days later.

Mary says to Jesus, “Your father and I have been worried about you.”

Jesus said, “How is it that you were looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in

my Father’s house?”

Luke 2:41—52

Jesus knew who his real father was.

The next time we hear of Jesus is when his public ministry begins about 18 years

later.

Archaeology

No artefacts are found for Jesus but there is certainly historical evidence in writing.

Josephus a Jewish scholar writes about Jesus, so do three Roman scholars close to

the time of Jesus. The gospel writers and the whole Christian faith is founded on this

event.

Other historical personalities are confirmed for this time in history. They include:

Pontius Pilate 5th Prefect of Roman ruler in Jerusalem 26—36AD

Herod Antipas ruled Galilee around 36AD sent into exile during the time of Caligula.

Jesus‘ Ministry Begins

Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. At this time the heavens opened and the

Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. (Matt 3:13-17).This was the beginning of

his earthly ministry.

The Messiah had come to Earth. He came in a way that many did not expect. He

was not the military leader, or earthly King, that they were looking for. Jesus came

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and identified himself as the Messiah, the Son of God. He let others worship him. He

performed many miraculous acts.

Jesus gathered his disciples and began teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven. He

criticised the religious leaders for blocking people in their search for God. He

summarised the Ten Commandments with. “Love the Lord your God will all your

heart, and all your mind, and all your soul, and all your strength, and love your

neighbour as you love yourself.” Mark 12:30.

Jesus entered Jerusalem and cleansed the temple of the money changers. He was

betrayed and arrested by the Jewish leaders.

The Passover –The Crucifixion—Easter

The Roman ruler Pilate tried to organise Jesus to be freed. Jesus who was innocent

and had never sinned was sentenced to death and crucified by the Jews.

This time of the year for Jesus’ crucifixion was significant. It was when the Jews

celebrated Moses’ Passover feast when a lamb was slaughtered, his blood was

placed on their doorposts and the people were saved by the angel of death.

Just before he died he said, “It is finished.” His death was not just the death of the

body, a consequence of Adam's fall (Romans 5:12). His death paid for our sins.

Jesus who was sinless "tasted death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9).

At his death there was an earthquake and the Temple curtain that allowed access to

the Holy of Holies was torn in half.

Jesus rises from the dead and appears to his disciples after 3 days. This is the day

we celebrate Easter Sunday.

The New Covenant

From this time onward a new covenant begins with the children of Israel.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 7:18-19 and 22-26.

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What is different in the new covenant?

No more animal sacrifices to atone for sin. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice.

The law of God is written on our hearts and mind instead of just being a rule book to

follow.

The Holy Spirit is our helper. We are able to hear God’s voice speaking to us through

the Holy Spirit. It is not an external following the pillar of fire and cloud but rather the

Holy Spirit dwells within us.

Salvation does not come through the observing of the Law but rather faith in Jesus

(John 14:6 -7). We are not told to abolish the law but rather it is not a requirement of

salvation (Matthew 5:1-20).

Our Dates

4AD Possible year of Jesus’ birth

Questions to Ask

• Why did Joseph go to Bethlehem?

• What are some of the prophesies related to Jesus’ birth?

• Why do we call the bible books written after Jesus’ birth the New Testament?

• Do the Jews believe Jesus was the Messiah?

Hands Up


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Lesson 32: The Apostles

History Maker: The Apostles and Disciples of Jesus

Scripture: The Gospels and Acts

Lesson Notes:

• Pentecost

• The Spread of Christianity

The Great Commission

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been

given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey

everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end

of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Pentecost

Jesus tells his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit to come. They wait for 40 days in

Jerusalem and the Holy Spirit comes upon them like tongues of fire. Peter then gets

up and preaches to those around. Three thousand people also decide to follow

Jesus from that day. Revival starts breaking out throughout Jerusalem. People are

joining the disciples daily.

Acts 2

The Spread of Christianity in Rome

Josephus, a Jewish historian (37 -100 AD), writes of a Jewish sect, whose leader

was James the Just (the brother of Jesus). Josephus' history includes sections on

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John the Baptist, the High Priest Annas, Pontius Pilate, and Jesus called the

Messiah.

The Greek Language and Roman Roads

The New Testament was written in Greek and many spoke so information could be

spread effectively during Jesus’ time. As the Roman Empire grew, Latin became

more popular.

Although the early Christians often suffered tremendous persecution from the

Romans, the Roman Empire also helped Christianity spread. The Roman Roads

permitted the apostles and many of God's people (particularly those who held

Roman citizenship) to travel much more easily, while protected by patrolling Roman

troops from detachments who were stationed along the way.

The Roman road system was quite remarkable in its extent—from Britain in the west,

to the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers (today Iraq) in the east, and from the Danube River in

central Europe to as far south as North Africa. The total length of hard-surfaced

highways constructed by the Romans has been estimated to be well over 80,000

kilometres, much of which is still visible today after so many centuries. With Rome as

the "hub" of the system, came the now-famous saying that "All roads lead to Rome."

How did the disciples spread the Good news about Jesus?

The disciples spread out from Rome sharing the Gospel as they went. Paul, one of

the Apostles, established churches throughout Asia. As more converted to

Christianity it became well known. Constantine, a Roman emperor, declared himself

a Christian and Christianity grew rapidly throughout the empire. It now meant that

people who called themselves Christians had a political advantage. As you can

imagine, some people converted to Christianity not because of Christ but because it

was the favoured religion at the time.

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The Gospels Are Written

"Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those

matters which have been fulfilled among us, even as they delivered them unto us,

who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word..." (Luke 1:1-2)

After Jesus’ death some of his disciples wrote their eyewitness account of Jesus’

lifetime. The Gospels are anonymous (author’s name are not mentioned in the

Gospels) but the early church fathers (in particular Eusebius) state that the authors

are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (the disciple).

Mark is supposed to have been written by a companion of the Apostle Peter. It is

thought to be the first written gospel.

Matthew was a tax collector mentioned in the Bible and was a disciple but not one of

the 12 Apostles.

John was written by one of Jesus’ 12 Apostles. He also wrote Revelations.

Luke was a doctor who worked with Paul the Apostle.

Our Dates

• 33AD Jerusalem–Disciples spread the word

• 46AD Apostle Paul mission trips

• 70AD Approximate date that Mark was written

• 80AD Approximate date that Matthew and Luke (and Acts) were written

• 90AD Approximate date that John was written

*Possibly all were written before 70AD as none mention the destruction of

Jerusalem by Titus in 70 AD and Acts does not mention the death of Paul.

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Questions to Ask

1. What did Jesus want the disciples to do after He left them?

2. What happened on the day of Pentecost?

3. How did people hear about Jesus?

4. What language was the New Testament written in?

Hands Up


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Lesson 33: Nebuchadnezzar to Christ --Revision

History Maker: Nebuchadnezzar to Jesus

Scripture: Old and New Testament

Lesson Notes:

• To understand the kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue and how Jesus is

the rock

• To see that God’s plan for redemption continues.

Key Events

• Babylonian Invasion

• Exile of people and end of the Judean monarchy

• Medes and Persian Empire

• Return of the Remnant

• Repair of the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem

• Greek Empire & Hellanization

• Maccabean revolt

• Roman Empire

• The first Christmas

• The first Easter

• The New Covenant

• Pentecost

• The Great Commission

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Key People

• Nebuchadnezzar

• King Cyrus

• The Prophet Daniel

• Zerubbabel

• Queen Esther

• Nehemiah

• Alexander the Great

• Maccabeus

• Herod

• Augustus Caesar

• John the Baptist

• Jesus

• The Apostles

Key Places

• Babylon

• Jerusalem

• Persia

• Greece

• Rome

• Roman Empire

Our Dates

• 599BC Exile 1

• 587BC Exile 2 Babylon. Temple destroyed.

• 539BC Persian Kingdom reigns

• 537BC First Remnant returned

• 516BC Temple Rebuilt

• 165BC Maccabean Revolt

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• 4AD Jesus Born

• 37AD Jesus Died

Hands On










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