Introduction

• Jewish civilization developed gradually over thousands of years.

• Jews began in Mesopotamia and moved to Canaan.

• The origins of Judaism, and teaching, are recorded in the sacred text of the Torah.

• Torah means "teaching"

• Christians consider the the Hebrew Bible to be their Old Testament.

• In this section you will learn about four leaders - Abraham, Moses, King David, and King Solomon.

Ancient Israelites

• Torah contains written records & teachings of the Jews.

• Part of these teachings are hundreds of commandments.

• The ancestor of the Israelites was a man named Abraham.

• Famine forced many Israelites (Jews) to flee from Canaan to Egypt.

• They traveled for 40 years until they set up the kingdom of Israel

Life of Abraham

• Abraham was originally named Abram.

• People believed in multiple gods, but Abram came to believe in just one. This is why Judaism was so different.

• At 75 Yrs Old, God told him to leave his country. With his family he traveled to Canaan.

• God gave Abram his new name of Abraham, which means "father of many."

Abraham's Descendants

• The Torah says that Abraham's wife was 90 and Abraham was 100 years old when their son was born.

• According to the Torah, the Jewish people are descended from Abraham & his wife Sarah.

• His most famous contribution to Judaism, is the idea of One God.