Chapter 3 – Ancient Israelites Vocabulary

1. Abraham Directed by God to lead his followers out of Mesopotamia and to Canaan

2. Jacob Abraham’s grandson; also known as Israel (“one who struggles with

God”).

3. Rabbi a Jewish teacher of the Torah

4. Philistines Politically and militarily the strongest people living in Canaan around 1000

B.C.; not the Israelites. Israelites copied many Philistine ways.

5. Phoenicians Canaanites who lived along the Mediterranean Sea, skilled sailors and traders

6. Tribes separate family groupings. Jacob’s 12 descendents were divided into 12

tribes, led by Jacob’s 12 sons.

7. Zealots wanted to fight the Romans for their freedom and drove the Romans out of

Jerusalem

8. Moses Led the Israelites out of Egypt; received the Torah and Ten Commandments

from God

9. Mount Sinai Where Moses received the Torah and Ten Commandments from God

10. Prophet A person who claims to be instructed by God to share God’s words.

11. Torah The Hebrew Bible

12. Johanan ben Zakkai created the Talmud

13. Deborah A woman judge and military adviser who helped command and defeat King

Jabin of Canaan.

14. Jerusalem a new capital for the Israelites, created by David

15. Polytheism Belief in more than one god.

16. Alphabet A group of letters that stand for sounds in language

17. Judea a kingdom established in the south of Israel after Solomon’s death and a

rebellion; the capital of Judah was Jerusalem

Chapter 3 – Ancient Israelites Vocabulary

18. Saul a warrior-farmer was anointed as king

19. Covenant an agreement between the people of Israel and God

20. David a shepherd-warrior who defeated a giant Philistine named Goliath.

21. Empire a nation that rules over several other nations

22. Tribute money, slaves, or other valuables that is given to a stronger ruler.

23. Solomon King David’s son, built the temple in Jerusalem

24. Monotheism The belief in only one god

25. King Herod the most famous ruler of Judea; known for his cruelty and his changes to the

Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

26. Nebuchadnezzar: Chaldean king who captured Jerusalem, forced 10,000 Jews to leave Jerusalem

27. Exile forced to live in a foreign land

28. Babylon the Mesopotamian city where the Jews were forced to live after being

removed from Jerusalem

29. Sabbath the weekly day of worship

30. Synagogues Jewish houses of worship

31. Diaspora Greek word meaning “the scattered”

32. Proverb wise sayings, especially of Solomon

33. Judas Maccabeus led a group of Jews who rebelled against the Greek ruler Antiochus; drove the

Greeks from Judah

34. Messiah a deliverer sent by God