The wall surrounding the old city of Jerusalem

The

c. 1290 B.C.Moses leadsIsraelitesfrom Egypt

722 B.C.AssyriansconquerIsrael

A.D. 66Jews revolt againstRomans

2000 B.C. 1300 B.C. 600 B.C. A.D. 1002000 B.C. 1300 B.C. 600 B.C. A.D. 100

Ancient Israelites

c. 1800 B.C.Abraham leadshis people toCanaan

76–7

7 A

ntho

ny P

idge

on/L

onel

y P

lane

t Im

ages

196-199 CO3-868874 3/16/06 3:09 PM Page 196

The First IsraelitesReligion shapes how culture develops, just as culture shapes how religion

develops. Abraham founded the 12 tribes of Israel in the land ofCanaan. The Israelites believed in one God who gave commandmentstelling people how to live good lives.

The Kingdom of IsraelAll civilizations depend upon leadership for survival. Under David and

Solomon, the people of Israel built a powerful kingdom with anew capital in Jerusalem.

The Growth of JudaismReligion shapes how culture develops, just as culture shapes how

religion develops. The Jews continued to keep their religion eventhough other people ruled them. They settled in many places inAsia and Europe.

View the Chapter 3 video in the Glencoe Video Program.

Chapter Overview Visitca.hss.glencoe.com for a preview of Chapter 3.

197

Summarizing Information Make this foldable and use it to organize note cardswith information about the Israelites.

Step 1 Fold a horizontalsheet of paper (11”x17”)into thirds.

Gluehere.

Gluehere.

Step 2 Fold the bottom edge up two inches andcrease well. Glue the outer edges of the tab tocreate three pockets.

FirstIsraelitesIsrael’s

KingdomJudaismSpreads

Step 3 Label the pocketsas shown. Use thesepockets to hold notes takenon index cards or quartersheets of paper.

Reading and WritingAs you read the chapter,summarize key facts onnote cards or on quartersheets of paper aboutIsrael and the growth and spread of Judaism.Organize your notes by placing them in your pocket foldableinside the appropriatepockets.

http://ca.hss.glencoe.com

Make connections w

ith

memorable times in

your

life. The better the c

onnec-

tion, the more likely

you

will remember.

Make connections between what you read and what youalready know. Connections can be based on personal experiences(text-to-self), what you have read before (text-to-text), or events inother places (text-to-world).

As you read, ask connecting questions. Are you reminded of apersonal experience? Have you read about the topic before? Didyou think of a person, place, or event in another time? Read theexcerpt below, and make connections to your own knowledge andexperience.

Text-to-self:Do you remember learningthe alphabet? Have youtried to learn the alphabetin another language?

Text-to-text:What did you read aboutcuneiform and hiero-glyphics in the earlierchapters?

Text-to-world:How do people share ideas?What other alphabets existbesides Western alphabets?

Making Connections

Through trade, the Phoenicians spread ideas andgoods. One of their most important ideas was analphabet, or a group of letters that stood for sounds.The letters could be used to spell out the words intheir language.

The alphabet made writing simpler and helpedpeople keep records. The Phoenicians brought theidea of an alphabet to the Greeks, who passed it on tothe Romans. Most Western alphabets are based on theRoman alphabet.

— from page 205

Read the following paragraphs with a partner. Each of you shouldthen list the connections you made to the reading. Compare your listsand discuss your answers. What things in your lives relate to thestory of David and Goliath?

Choose a connectionyou made that wasdifferent than yourpartner’s. Write adetailed paragraphexplaining why youmade it.

Read to Write

As you read this chapter, choose fivewords or phrases that make a connec-tion to something you already know.

199

Even before he became king of Israel,David was known for his bravery andleadership. The Hebrew Bibledescribes how he became famous bytelling the story of David and Goliath.Before a battle against the Philistines,a giant Philistine named Goliathdared any Israelite to fight him one-on-one. David stepped forward withhis shepherd’s staff, a slingshot, andfive smooth stones.

Goliath roared and rushed for-ward with a heavy spear. Davidhurled one stone straight at the giant’sforehead, and Goliath dropped deadon the spot.

— from page 209

David versus Goliath

CORBIS

196-199 CO3-868874 3/18/06 10:30 AM Page 199

The First Israelites

HistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH6.3 Studentsanalyze the geographic,political, economic,religious, and socialstructures of the AncientHebrews.

Looking Back, Looking AheadYou have read how the Egyptians

built a great civilization. At about the same time, another nation wasforming. The Egyptians called thepeople of this nation habiru, orforeigners. The people calledthemselves Israelites or the Childrenof Israel.

Focusing on the • The Israelites believed in one God

who set down moral laws for hispeople. They recorded their history in the Bible. (page 201)

• The Israelites had to fight theCanaanites to return to theirpromised land. (page 204)

Meeting PeopleAbraham

Jacob

Moses

Deborah

Phoenician (fih•NEE•shuhn)

Locating PlacesCanaan (KAY•nuhn)Mount Sinai (SY•NY)

Content Vocabularymonotheism

(MAH•nuh•thee• IH•zuhm)tribe

Torah (TOHR•UH)covenant (KUHV•nuhnt)alphabet

Academic Vocabularyfocus (FOH•kuhs)occupy (AH•kyuh•PY)create (kree•AYT)

Reading StrategySequencing Information Create a sequence chart to help trace themovement of the Israelites.

c. 1290 B.C.Moses leadsIsraelites fromEgypt

c. 1000 B.C.David makesJerusalem thecapital of Israel

c. 1125 B.C.Deborah defeatsCanaanites

1400 B.C. 1200 B.C. 1000 B.C.1400 B.C. 1200 B.C. 1000 B.C.

JerusalemMemphis

200 CHAPTER 3 • The Ancient Israelites

200-205 C3S1-868874 3/16/06 3:19 PM Page 200

WH6.3.1 Describe the origins and significance of Judaism as the first monotheistic religion based on the concept of one God who sets down moral laws for humanity. WH6.3.2 Identify the sources of the ethical teachings and central beliefs of Judaism (the Hebrew Bible, the Commentaries): belief in God, observance of law, practice of the concepts of righteousness and justice, andimportance of study; and describe how the ideas of the Hebrew traditions are reflected in the moral and ethical traditions of Westerncivilization. WH6.3.3 Explain the significance of Abraham, Moses, Naomi, Ruth, David, and Yohanan ben Zaccai in the development of the Jewish religion. WH6.3.4 Discuss the locations of the settlements and movements of Hebrew peoples, including the Exodus and their movement to and from Egypt, and outline the significance of the Exodus to the Jewish and other people.

CHAPTER 3 • The Ancient Israelites 201

The Early IsraelitesThe Israelites believed in one God who

set down moral laws for his people. They recordedtheir history in the Hebrew Bible.Reading Connection Where do your ideas about right and wrong come from? Read on to find out how theIsraelites developed their ideas about right and wrong.

About 1200 B.C., great changes tookplace around the Mediterranean Sea.Empires fell and new people entered theregion. Many set up small kingdoms.Around 1000 B.C., a people called Israelites(IHZ • ruh • LYTS) built a kingdom in Canaan(KAY •nuhn). Canaan was a region along theMediterranean Sea in southwest Asia.

Who Were the Israelites? Although theIsraelite population was small, the religionthey practiced would one day affect much of the world. Most people at this time worshiped many gods and goddesses. TheIsraelite religion focused on only one God.The belief in one God is called monotheism(MAH •nuh • thee • IH • zuhm).

The Israelite faith became the religionknown today as Judaism (JOO • dee • IH •zuhm). The followers of Judaism were even-tually known as Jews. Judaism influencedChristianity and Islam, and also helpedshape the beliefs and practices of societiesin Europe and America.

The Israelites spoke a language calledHebrew. They wrote down their history andmany of their religious beliefs in what laterbecame the Hebrew Bible.

In general, the Hebrew Bible is whatChristians call the Old Testament. Throughthis book, Jewish values and religion laterinfluenced religious beliefs in Europe.

This photograph of modern-day Israel shows thelandscape Abraham led the Israelites through.Why did the Israelites eventually leave Canaan?

The earliest Israelites were herders andtraders. According to the Hebrew Bible, theycame from Mesopotamia and settled inCanaan. Today, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordanoccupy the land that was once Canaan.

The Israelites believed they weredescended from a man named Abraham. Inthe Hebrew Bible, it says that God toldAbraham and his followers to leaveMesopotamia and go to Canaan. There, theywere to worship the one true God. In return,God promised that Canaan would belong toAbraham and his descendants. According tothe Hebrew Bible, this is the reason that theIsraelites settled in Canaan.

Abraham had a grandson named Jacob.Jacob was also called Israel, which means“one who struggles with God.” Later thisname was given to Jacob’s descendants.

According to the Hebrew Bible, Jacobraised 12 sons in Canaan. His family wasdivided into tribes, or separate familygroups. These groups later became known asthe 12 tribes of Israel. The Israelites resided inCanaan for about 100 years. Then a longdrought began. Crops withered and livestockdied. To survive, the Israelites went to Egypt.

Tom Lovell/National Geographic Society Image Collection

200-205 C3S1-868874 3/17/06 2:13 PM Page 201

From Slavery to Freedom Life was notgood in Egypt. The Egyptian pharaohenslaved the Israelites. To prevent a rebel-lion he ordered all baby boys born toIsraelites thrown into the Nile River.

The Hebrew Bible says that one desper-ate mother put her baby in a basket andhid it on the riverbank. The pharaoh’s daughter found the baby and named himMoses.

Around 1290 B.C., while tending sheepin the wilderness outside Egypt, Moses sawa burning bush and heard a voice. Hebelieved that God was telling him to leadthe Israelites out of Egypt to freedom.

To get the pharaoh to let the Israelites go,the Hebrew Bible says that God sent 10plagues to trouble Egypt. The last plagueGod sent killed all first-born children, exceptfor those of Israelites who marked their door-way with lamb’s blood. This plague con-vinced the pharaoh to let the Israelites leave.

In this painting, Moses watches as the Red Sea closes in on theEgyptian soldiers who were pursuing the Israelites. What is theIsraelites’ escape from Egypt called?

202 CHAPTER 3 • The Ancient Israelites

Jews celebratingPassover today

As Israelites headed east out of Egypt, thepharaoh changed his mind and sent his army after the Israelites. According to the Hebrew Bible, God parted the RedSea to let his people pass. When theEgyptians followed, the water flowed backand drowned the soldiers. The Israeliteescape from Egyptian slavery is known asthe Exodus. Jews today celebrate a holy daycalled Passover to remember this event.

What Are the Ten Commandments? Ontheir way back to Canaan, the Israelites hadto travel through the Sinai desert. TheHebrew Bible says that during this journey,Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai(SY• NY). There, he received laws from God.These laws were known as the Torah (TOHR•uh). They later became the first part of theHebrew Bible. The Torah described acovenant (KUHV•nuhnt), or agreement, withGod in which God promised to return theIsraelites to Canaan if they followed his laws.

Moses and the Ten CommandmentsMoses and the Ten Commandments

(l)North Wind Picture Archives, (r)Leland Bobbe/Getty Images

200-205 C3S1-868874 3/18/06 9:30 AM Page 202

The Torah explained what Godconsidered to be right and wrong. Oneimportant part of the Torah is the TenCommandments. They are summa-rized in the box to the right. The TenCommandments told the Israelites tobe loyal only to God, whose name was never to be misused. They must neverworship any other gods or images. The beliefthat there should be only one God became thefoundation for both Christianity and Islam.

The Ten Commandments helped shapethe basic moral laws of many nations. TheTen Commandments told people not tosteal, murder, or tell lies about others. Theytold people to avoid jealousy and to honortheir parents. The Ten Commandments alsohelped develop a belief that laws shouldapply to everyone equally.

Identify What is theIsraelite belief in one God called?

CHAPTER 3 • The Ancient Israelites 203

The TenCommandments

According to the Hebrew Bible, Mosesreceived the Ten Commandments and otherlaws from God on Mount Sinai. Moses andthe Israelites promised to follow these laws.

1. Do not worship any god except me.

2. Do not . . . bow down and worship idols.

3. Do not misuse my name.

4. Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me.

5. Respect your father and your mother.

6. Do not murder.

7. Be faithful in marriage.

8. Do not steal.

9. Do not tell lies about others.

10. Do not want anything thatbelongs to someone else.

—Paraphrased from Exodus 20:3-17

1. How many of the commandments tell people how to interact with otherpeople?

2. How many tell them how to worshipand show respect for God?

Mount Sinai

Moses with the Ten Commandments

The Ark of the Covenant was a box,which, according to Jewish beliefs,held the Ten Commandments.How did the Ten Commandmentshelp shape the basic moral laws of many European nations?

(t)The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, (c)Stock Montage/SuperStock, (b)Laura Zito/Photo Researchers

200-205 C3S1-868874 3/17/06 2:37 PM Page 203

WH6.3.3 Explain the significance of Abraham, Moses, Naomi, Ruth, David, and Yohanan ben Zaccai in the development of the Jewish religion. WH6.3.4 Discuss the locations of the settlements and movements of Hebrew peoples, including the Exodus and their movement to and from Egypt, and outline the significance of the Exodus to the Jewish and other people.

The Promised LandThe Israelites had to fight the Canaanites

to return to their promised land.Reading Connection What qualities do you think agood leader should have? Read on to find out about theleaders of the Israelites.

It probably took the Israelites about 40 years to reach Canaan. Moses neverlived to see the Promised Land. After Mosesdied, a leader named Joshua took over andbrought the Israelites into Canaan. Whenthey arrived, however, they found otherpeople living there. Most were Canaanites(KAY • nuh • NYTS). The Israelites believed itwas God’s will that they conquer theCanaanites, so Joshua led them into battle.

The story of the war is told in theHebrew Bible. Joshua led the Israelites tothe city of Jericho and told them to marcharound the city’s walls. For six days, theymarched while seven priests blew theirtrumpets. On the seventh day, the trumpetssounded one last time, and Joshua told theIsraelites to raise a great shout. According

204 CHAPTER 3 • The Ancient Israelites

According to the Hebrew Bible story, thewalls of Jericho came down as the trumpetsof the Israelites sounded. Who led theIsraelites in their return to Canaan? The town of Jericho today

to the story, the walls of Jericho crumbled,and the Israelites overran the city.

Joshua led the Israelites in three morewars. The land they seized was dividedamong the 12 tribes.

Who Were the Judges? After Joshua died,the Israelites looked to judges for leader-ship. A judge was usually a military leader.Generally, he or she commanded 1 or 2tribes, but seldom all 12. The Hebrew Bibletells about Barak, Gideon, Samuel, Eli,Samson, and others, including a womanjudge. Her name was Deborah.

Deborah told Barak to attack the army of the Canaanite king Jabin. She went along tothe battlefield as an adviser. With Deborah’shelp, Barak and 10,000 Israelites destroyedKing Jabin and his army in about 1125 B.C.

Over time, the Israelites won control of the hilly region in central Canaan. TheCanaanites kept the flat, coastal areas. Toprotect themselves, the Israelites builtwalled towns. They also created an alphabetand a calendar based on Canaanite ideas.

The Phoenician Alphabet One group ofCanaanites, the Phoenicians (fih•NEE•shuhns),lived in cities along the Mediterranean Sea. ThePhoenicians were skilled sailors and traders.

(l)Mary Evans Picture Library, (r)Charles & Josette Lenars/CORBIS

200-205 C3S1-868874 3/18/06 10:32 AM Page 204

Reading SummaryReview the

• Led by Abraham, the Israelitessettled in Canaan. They latermoved to Egypt and wereenslaved, but then escaped.The Israelites used the TenCommandments as rules to live by.

• Joshua and the judges, includingDeborah, won back territory incentral Canaan for the Israelites.

1. Why was the religion of Israelunique in the ancient world?

2. What is the Torah, and how didthe Israelites obtain it?

Critical Thinking3. Summarizing Information

Use a web diagram like the onebelow to list Jewish ideas thatare important in our society.

4. Analyze What was the importance of the Phoenicianalphabet?

5. Summarize What problemsdid the Israelites face whenthey returned to Canaan?

6. How do the TenCommandments influencetoday’s society?

7. MakingConnections When theIsraelites reached Canaan, theyhad to fight to settle there. Isthere anywhere today wherepeople fight over who ownsthe land? Using magazines andthe Internet, prepare a reportabout one such place today.

CA 6WA2.3

CA HI2.

CA 6RC2.0

CA HI2.

CA 6RC2.4

What Did You Learn?

CHAPTER 3 • The Ancient Israelites 205

Their ships carried goods acrossthe Mediterranean to Greece,Spain, and even western Africa.

Through trade, the Phoeniciansspread ideas and goods. One oftheir most important ideas was an alphabet, or a group of lettersthat stood for sounds. The letterscould be used to spell out thewords in their language.

The alphabet made writingsimpler and helped people keeprecords. The Phoenicians broughtthe idea of an alphabet to theGreeks, who passed it on to theRomans. Most Western alphabetsare based on the Roman alphabet.

Identify Wholed the Israelites into Canaan, andwhat city did they conquer under hisleadership?

AncientPhoenician

AncientHebrew

AncientGreek

EarlyRoman

ModernCharacters

A

B

D

G

E

F

TH

Z

I

AlphabetsAlphabets

Many ancient alphabets used similar symbolsto represent letters. Which modern lettermost closely resembles its Phoenician character?

Jewish Ideas

Study Central Need help with understandingthe history of the Israelites? Visitca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

http://ca.hss.glencoe.com

Discovering Our Past: Ancient CivilizationsTable of ContentsA Guide to California Content StandardsCorrelation to the California StandardsPreviewing Your TextbookScavenger HuntReading Skills HandbookNational Geographic Reference AtlasWorld: PoliticalWorld: PhysicalEurope: PoliticalEurope: PhysicalMiddle East: Physical/PoliticalAfrica: PoliticalAfrica: PhysicalAsia: PoliticalAsia: PhysicalNorth America: PoliticalNorth America: PhysicalMiddle America: Physical/PoliticalSouth America: PoliticalSouth America: PhysicalPacific Rim: Physical/PoliticalWorld's PeopleWorld: Land UsePolar Regions

National Geographic Geography HandbookHow Do I Study Geography?How Do I Use Maps and Globes?Understanding Latitude and LongitudeFrom Globes to MapsCommon Map ProjectionsParts of MapsTypes of MapsUsing Graphs, Charts, and DiagramsGeographic Dictionary

Tools of the HistorianMeasuring TimeOrganizing TimeHistory and GeographyWhat Is a Historical Atlas?How Does a Historian Work?Making Sense of the PastLinks Across Time

Unit 1: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and IsraelChapter 1: The First CivilizationsReading Skill: Previewing Section 1: Early HumansSection 2: Mesopotamian CivilizationSection 3: New EmpiresChapter 1 Assessment

Chapter 2: Ancient Egypt and KushReading Skill: SummarizingSection 1: The Nile ValleySection 2: Egypt's Old KingdomSection 3: The Egyptian EmpireSection 4: The Civilization of KushChapter 2 Assessment

Chapter 3: The Ancient IsraelitesReading Skill: Making ConnectionsSection 1: The First IsraelitesSection 2: The Kingdom of IsraelSection 3: The Growth of JudaismChapter 3 Assessment

Unit 1 Review

Unit 2: India, China, and the AmericasChapter 4: Early IndiaReading Skill: QuestioningSection 1: India's First CivilizationsSection 2: Hinduism and BuddhismSection 3: India's First EmpiresChapter 4 Assessment

Chapter 5: Early ChinaReading Skill: MonitoringSection 1: China's First CivilizationsSection 2: Life in Ancient ChinaSection 3: The Qin and Han DynastiesChapter 5 Assessment

Chapter 6: The Ancient AmericasReading Skill: Taking NotesSection 1: The First AmericansSection 2: The Mayan PeopleChapter 6 Assessment

Unit 2 Review

Unit 3: The Greeks and RomansChapter 7: The Ancient GreeksReading Skill: Comparing and ContrastingSection 1: The Early GreeksSection 2: Sparta and AthensSection 3: Persia Attacks the GreeksSection 4: The Age of PericlesChapter 7 Assessment

Chapter 8: Greek CivilizationReading Skill: VisualizingSection 1: The Culture of Ancient GreeceSection 2: Greek Philosophy and HistorySection 3: Alexander the GreatSection 4: The Spread of Greek CultureChapter 8 Assessment

Chapter 9: The Rise of RomeReading Skill: Making InferencesSection 1: Rome's BeginningsSection 2: The Roman RepublicSection 3: The Fall of the RepublicSection 4: The Early EmpireChapter 9 Assessment

Chapter 10: Roman CivilizationReading Skill: Making PredictionsSection 1: Life in Ancient RomeSection 2: The Fall of RomeSection 3: The Byzantine EmpireChapter 10 Assessment

Chapter 11: The Rise of Christianity Reading Skill: Identifying Cause and EffectSection 1: The First ChristiansSection 2: The Christian ChurchSection 3: The Spread of Christian IdeasChapter 11 Assessment

Unit 3 Review

AppendixWhat Is an Appendix?SkillBuilder HandbookCalifornia Standards HandbookGlossarySpanish GlossaryGazetteerIndexAcknowledgements and Photo Credits

Feature ContentsPrimary SourceAnalyzing Primary SourcesWorld LiteratureBiographySkillBuilder HandbookNational Geographic: History MakersLinking Past & PresentNational Geographic: The Way It WasYou Decide . . .Primary Source QuotesMaps, Charts, Graphs, and Diagrams

Student WorkbooksActive Reading Note-Taking GuideCalifornia Standards Practice WorkbookReading Essentials and Study GuideSpanish Reading Essentials and Study Guide

HelpInternet LinkPrevious DocumentSearch - DocumentSearch - FullPage NavigatorExit

Button1: Button2: Button3: