ROOTS OF JUDAISM Who were the early Hebrews

ROOTS OF JUDAISM

Who were the early Hebrews? Several theories… All have their critics

Habiru (Hittite) Apiru (Egyptian) They live in tents, travel about as they will, not abiding by my kings laws. They rob and plunder villages, they are outlaws and mercenaries for your enemies. When will my Pharaoh do something about them? - appointed Egyptian governor of Mesopotamia Amarna Letters

Why Scholars Connect Israel with the Shasu

Why Scholars Connect Israel with the Shasu Three main reasons: – Yhw is similar to Yahweh ( )יהוה , the covenant name of God in Judaism

Why Scholars Connect Israel with the Shasu Three main reasons: – Yhw is similar to Yahweh ( )יהוה , the covenant name of God in Judaism – Both groups came from Canaan and migrated to Egypt

Why Scholars Connect Israel with the Shasu Three main reasons: – Yhw is similar to Yahweh ( )יהוה , the covenant name of God in Judaism – Both groups came from Canaan and migrated to Egypt – Association of Yahweh with Seir (Shasu S’rr)

Abraham Born in Ur – Southern Mesopotamia Moved to Northern Mesopotamia escaping Babylonian Empire rule? Did Abraham really exist? Doesn’t matter. The stories do…

Abraham Monotheist or Henotheist? Psalm 82: 1 "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty [the hall of Canaanite pantheon]; he judgeth among the gods. . . “ Is Psalm saying there is more gods than one? We do know that the Levant (Canaan) was a Polytheistic world…Abrams father was a Polytheist

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions The break from other Canaanite religions and a common practice of sacrificing the first born for the good of the tribe/ family.

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions Sarah - Isaac Hagar - Ishmael

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions Sarah - Isaac Hebrews Hagar - Ishmael

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions Sarah - Isaac Judaism Hagar - Ishmael Moses – Mosaic Law Muhammad Yeshua - Jesus Young Jewish Rabbi Christianity (33 AD) Arab monotheist Islam (610 AD)

Moses “Exodus” freedom from Egyptian slavery Moses was an Egyptian Prince (Semitic birth) …led Hebrews (Semites) out of Slavery

Moses - Exodus Historically, was it an early fight for power between Egyptian Princes? • • Turned the River to Blood Took food, gold, goods from Egyptians as they left Egypt Chased by military to Red Sea (or sea of reeds) Settled at Mt. Sinai

Moses - Exodus Settled at Mt. Sinai - began the development of the Torah and Jewish law G-d gave Moses the TORAH – First five books of the Bible – 10 Commandments

Early Israelite Government Tribal Judges were ineffective when they were confronted with enemies with more centralized Governments and Military Kings The Hebrew tribes began agitating for a military king. King Saul seems to have been largely a military leader. http: //www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/jsource/History/monarchy. html

King David United the Hebrew Tribes into a single Nation Using military to defend all the tribes from outside invaders

King Solomon David’s Son • Built the first Temple • Treaties with Assyrians and Egyptians

Solomon Dies • North – Tribes of Israel – Conquered by Assyrians – Killed, Relocated, Assimilated?

Solomon Dies • North – Tribes of Israel – Conquered by Assyrians – Killed, Relocated, Assimilated? • South – Babylonian Exile – Tribes of Judah conquered by Nebuchadnezzar – Become known as “Jews” 589 BCE - Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Babylonian Chaldeans, only deported the most prominent citizens of Judah: professionals, priests, craftsmen, and the wealthy. The "people of the land" (am-hares ) were allowed to stay. So Jewish history, then, has two poles during the exile: the Jew in Babylon and the Jews who remain in Judah.

Babylonian Exile Hebrew Bible was organized onto scrolls How do you react to slavery? Do you let it destroy you or do you have an end game? During a time of slavery, the Educated “Jews” made sure their culture and traditions would be preserved for those that came after them An oral history was preserved and would come to shape the western world https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=MVzl_e. Qj. IAE http: //www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/jsource/History/Exile. html

Persians conquer Babylon Jews set free of the Babylonian Exile Persians seen as Liberators – Illusion of freedom – Just pay your taxes!

Survival of a People – Culture No ethnicity has face the persecution of these Semitic peoples… how could they survive? • • • Egyptian slavery 400 years 10 lost Tribes of Israel - Destruction by the Assyrians Babylonian Exile - Slavery Seleucid Empire - Hellenization was enforced by law (167 BCE) Destruction of the Temple and Diaspora from Jerusalem (70 CE) Middle Ages – “Christ killers” – Middle Ages - led to massacres and forced conversion Expulsion from Europe (to Poland) - 1300’s and 1400 Black Death persecutions in Europe Anti-Semitism by Muslim and Arab world Pogroms - Czarist Russia – Pale of Settlement Nazis and the Holocaust God on Trial – “We’re still here”

Moses

Impact of Judaism and Jewish Culture Monotheism Bible: Tanakh - Old Testament Abraham: Three world religions Cultural Values and Civil law Educational Values: How could they survive? Jews make up only 0. 02% of the world population, yet comprise 22% of Nobel laureates in Math, Science, literature, etc.