JEWISH TIMELINE

Abraham*Sara Hagar

Ismael*IsaacRebekah

Esau* JacobRachel Leah

*Ten children with Leah and concubines

Judah- Descendants include David, and from there Jesus Levi – Descendants include Moses

Josephand Benjamin

c.1800 BCE – Abraham moves to Canaan forms a Covenant on behalf of humanity with God.

ABRAHAM & THE COVENANT

Genesis 15:1Some time later, the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision: 'Do not

be afraid, Abram! I am your shield and shall give you a very great reward.'

 

Genesis 15:5Then taking him

outside, he said, 'Look up at the sky and

count the stars if you can. Just so will your descendants be,' he

told him. 

Genesis 15:10He brought him all these...

 

 Genesis 15:10...and split the animals down the middle, placing each half opposite the other;

but the birds he did not divide...

 Genesis 15:12Now as the sun was on the point of setting, a trance fell on Abram, and a deep

dark dream descended on him.

Genesis 17:1-3When Abram was ninety-nine years old Yahweh appeared to him and said, '...I shall grant a covenant between myself and you, and make you very numerous.' And Abram bowed to the ground.

Genesis 21:2-3Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age. Abraham named

the son born to him Isaac, the son to whom Sarah had given birth.

Genesis 22:3Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of

his men with him, and Isaac his son. 

Genesis 22:9They came to the place which God had told him of, and Abraham built the altar there, laying the wood in order.

Genesis 22:9He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 

Genesis 22:10Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 

Genesis 22:11But the angel of God called to him out of the sky, and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' 

ABRAHAM & THE COVENANTCONTINUED…

Hebrews flee due to severe draught in Canaan & settle in Egypt.

Hebrews eventually become slaves of the Egyptians

Significant Concepts Monotheism

First religion in world to worship one God Chosen People

Reciprocal agreementHumans Choose to love & honour God God Chooses humanity to be his defenders

of creation Promised Land

Hebrews will have a land where they can be fruitful and multiply

MOSES & THE LAW

1250 BCE – Moses encounters a burning bush, where Yahweh revealed His name to Moses

Moses led the EXODUS out of Egypt

Exodus 3:1Moses was looking after the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the

priest of Midian. He led it to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the

mountain of God. 

Exodus 3:2The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flaming blaze from the

middle of a bush.

Exodus 3:4When Yahweh saw him going across to look, God called to him from the middle of the bush. 'Moses, Moses!' he said. 

 Exodus 7:13Pharaoh, however, remained stubborn and, as Yahweh had

foretold, refused to listen to Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 7:20-21

And all the water in the River turned to blood. The fish in the River died, and it stank. The Egyptians could no longer drink the water.

THE FIRST PLAGUE

 Exodus 7:22Pharaoh remained stubborn, as Yahweh had foretold, and refused to

listen to Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 8:3The River will swarm with frogs. And they covered the land.

The second plague

Exodus 9:7But Pharaoh was stubborn and did not let the people go.

Exodus 8:17And there were mosquitoes on man and beast. All the dust of

the earth turned into mosquitoes throughout the whole of Egypt. 

The third plague

Exodus 9:7But Pharaoh was obstinate and did not let the people go.

Exodus 8:21'The Egyptians'

houses will swarm with beetles.' 'And

so will the very ground they stand

on.'

The fourth plague

Exodus 9:7But Pharaoh was stubborn and did not let the people go.

‘On all the camels…’

‘On all the cattle…’

‘On all the horses…’ ‘On all the flocks…’

THE FIFTH PLAGUE

Exodus 9:7But Pharaoh was stubborn and did not let the people go.

Exodus 9:10And on man and beast it brought boils breaking out into

sores. 

THE SIXTH PLAGUE

Exodus 9:7But Pharaoh was stubborn and did not let the people go.

THE SEVENTH PLAGUE

Exodus 9:25...and Yahweh thundered and

rained down hail. All over Egypt the hail struck down

everything in the fields, both man and beast... and broke all

the trees in the fields.

Exodus 9:7But Pharaoh was stubborn and did not let the people go.

 Exodus 10:13-14Yahweh sent an east wind

which blew all that day and night. By morning the

east wind had brought the locusts. No green was left on tree or plant in the fields anywhere in Egypt.

THE EIGHTH PLAGUE

Exodus 10:20But Yahweh made Pharaoh stubborn, and he did not let the

Israelites go.

 Exodus 10:22...and for three days, there was thick darkness over the whole of Egypt. No one could see anyone else or move

about for three days.

THE NINETH PLAGUE

Exodus 12:6

'Slaughter it at

twilight.' 

Exodus 12:7'Some of the blood must then be put on both sides and the top of the doorframe of the houses where it is eaten.'

THE TENTH PLAGUE

Exodus 12:33The Egyptians urged the people on and hurried them out of the country because, they said, 'Otherwise we shall all be dead.'

Exodus 14:5When Pharaoh king of Egypt was told that the people had

fled, he and his officials changed their attitude towards the people. 'What have we done,' they said, 'allowing Israel to

leave our service?'

Exodus 14:8-9Yahweh made Pharaoh stubborn, and he gave chase to the

Israelites, and caught up with them.

Exodus 14:10The Israelites were terrified and called out to Yahweh for

help.

Exodus 14:21And Yahweh drove back the sea with a strong easterly wind all night, and made the sea into dry land. The waters were

divided.

Exodus 19:1-2After leaving Egypt, the Israelites reached the desert of Sinai.

There, facing the mountain, Israel pitched camp. 

Exodus 19:17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the bottom of the mountain.

2.

3.3.

Exodus 31:18When he had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave

him the two stone tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

MOSES & THE LAW CONTINUED…

1210 BCE – After 40 years of wandering, Hebrews arrive in Canaan. Moses dies before entering.

Think of words you would use to describe God…

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Judges

After moving to the land of Canaan, Hebrews are ruled by Judges.

Men and women who take care of the arc of the covenant. (Like elders.)

The Hebrews want a king, but God says no.

Kings

Finally in about 1000 BCE God allows them to have a King to protect them

Saul becomes the first king. He is a warrior and is able to protect the Hebrews.

David (not Saul’s son) is the second king and establishes Jerusalem as the capital

Solomon (David’s son) builds the Great Temple at Jerusalem (centre of Jewish faith now)

921 BCE – Solomon dies, line of Kings end. The kingdom of Canaan becomes divided:

North = Israel (10 Tribes)South = Judah (2 Tribes)

ProphetsProphets are those who reminded Jews of their

promise (COVENANT) with God.

They were given messages from God to convey to the people.

The prophets warned that the period of kings would end.

722 BCE – Assyrians conquer Israel (in the north), Hebrews exiled

586 BCE – Babylonians conquer Judah (in the south), Hebrews exiled to Babylon, Great Temple is destroyed!The era of “portable Judaism” begins with

the creation of Synagogues & Rabbis

Diaspora means to practice the Jewish religion outside of Jerusalem

536 – Persians conquer Babylonia. Judeans allowed back to Judah. Hebrews now referred to as “Jews”. - (Many don’t return)

515 BCE – The Great Temple is rebuilt.The first 5 books of scripture (Torah) are

complete. (Written instead of oral.)

RABBINIC PERIOD c. 330’s BCE – Alexander the Great conquers most of the

world.Antiochus IV runs Jerusalem. He has a hatred of Jews .

Antiochus bans Jewish worship and takes over the Temple.

Age of Hellenism (Greek thought & culture) flourishes. As a result, Hebrew bible is translated into Greek. Jews benefit from Hellization.

Sectarian development in Judaism. Groups such as the Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots, Essenes, etc…formed

SECT DESCRIPTIONS

Sadduccees *Represented the aristocracy and wealthy people.

*Read the TORAH literally

Pharisees *Represented the common people

*Allowed for broad interpretation of the Torah

*Associated with synagogue worship

Zealots * Complete following of the Torah

* Distain for non-Jews

Essenes * Equivalent to Priests

Samaritans * Keepers of the Law / Truth

Rabbinic Period Continued… 168-165 BCE – Maccabean Rebellion. Maccabees

hold out in the Temple and reclaim it. Celebrated in Hanukkah.

63 BCE – Rome conquers the region. Establish governors to rule the land on behalf of Rome

70 CE – Rome sacks Jerusalem. The Temple is destroyed for the final time. Focus of worship now changes to Synagogue & Rabbis

Commentaries on the Torah are compiled and called the TALMUD

MEDIEVAL & MODERN JUDAISM Diaspora in full effect. Jews now leaving

Jerusalem (living mainly Europe) 209 -1945 CE – Period of anti-Semitism in

Europe 1900 CE – Zionist movement (desire for

Jewish homeland) gains strength 1948 – State of Israel born out of Palestine.

Instigated the problems which exist to this day.