Important Events in the History of Ancient Israelites

LHDT 525

University of St. Thomas

By Dave Schneck

Abraham and the Stars

• Abraham was one of the founders of Judaism.

• God tells Abraham to leave Mesopotamia for a “Promised Land” in Canaan.

• The stars are a reminder that Abraham’s descendents are to be as “numerous as the stars”.

Slavery in Egypt

• Israelites were forced to perform difficult tasks.

• Israelites were guarded and often whipped and beaten.

• Slave labor built palaces and cities in Egypt.

Moses and the Exodus

• Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt back to the “Promised Land” in Canaan.

• Moses raised his staff so that the Israelites could pass through the waters.

• The army of Pharaoh Ramesses II did not succeed in capturing the Israelites.

Moses and the Ten Commandments

• Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai.

• God promised to protect the people if they were to live by His commandments.

• The two stone tablets were kept in the Ark of the Covenant and housed in a special tent called a “tabernacle”.

Joshua and Jericho

• Joshua was the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.

• Jericho was the first city the Israelites encountered after returning to Canaan.

• After seven days of siege, the walls of Jericho crumbled at the sounds of trumpets.

Source

Teachers’ Curriculum Institute: “Ancient Egypt and the Near East”. Palo Alto, California, 1997.