The Ancient Hebrews: The Path of Righteousness and the Ten Commandments

Overview
The history of the ancient Hebrews is the story of their search for Gods blessings and their transformation from a nomadic, tribal people into a settled kingdom of Palestine (Davis et. al. 127).

Caught in the Middle

While caught between the struggles of Egypt and Mesopotamia for the control of Palestine, Israel produced the Hebrew Scriptures (writings of poets, priests, and prophets). Result: a remarkable library of history, religion, philosophy, and literature. Israel evolved a consciousness of personal morality; a code of ethics based on allegiance to a single deity and an awareness of divine purpose in history (Davis, et. al. 127).

The Exodus and the Ten Commandments

Nomadic Hebrew tribes traveled through the Fertile Crescent south through Palestine to Egypt, where they were taken as slaves between 1500-1300 B. C. E. According to the Hebrew Scriptures, God chooses Moses to free the people, feeds them in the wilderness, and gives them a governing code, The Ten Commandments.

Journey into Canaan (also known as Palestine)

Religious struggles emerged between Yahweh, Israels God, and the polytheistic religions of the Canaanite gods Baal and Ashtorath. The Hebrew scriptures record several incidents in which these religious practices had to be purged from the religion of Yahweh.

The Period of the Judges and King Saul

12th and 13th centuries B. C. E. : Hebrew leadership was done by military leaders called the Judges. This group defended several groups against invasion, thus serving as a force for political unity. Great progress toward national unity was accomplished by the first king of Israel, Saul (c. 1020 B. C. E.), who banded the people together against their common enemy, the Philistines.

Accomplishments of King David (1000 to 960 B. C. E.)

As a young lad, established himself as a hero; the book of Samuel tells of David the shepherd boy killing the Philistine giant Goliath with a slingshot. Hebrew Scripture attributes most of the poetry in the book of Psalms to David, who sang and played the lute. As King of Israel he established many credits:
Credit for creating a united kingdom Accomplished military victories Established Jerusalem as Israels national capital Created the first successful Jewish kingdom Founded a dynasty (succeeded by his son, Solomon)

King Solomon
Reign from 960-922 B. C. E. Reign called The Golden Age of Israel King Solomon is known for his grace and wisdom Reign was a time of peace and prosperity:
Israelites fortified their cities Temple of Jerusalem was built

Divided Kingdom
Death of Solomon brought division: a large northern state of Israel and a small southern state of Judah. 722 B. C. E. Fall of the northern kingdom; Israel caught in the rivalry between Egypt and Assyria; former inhabitants known as Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. 621 B. C. E. Josiah becomes king of Judah; discovers the Book of Deuteronomy; champions broad religious reforms such as the destruction of pagan shrines and the reinstitution of Passover.

Divided Kingdom Continued

605 B. C. E. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon establishes control over the region by defeating Egypt. Kings after Josiah rebelled over Babylonian rule, and Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B. C. E. The temple was destroyed, and the Jewish survivors were deported to Babylon. Jewish settlements outside Palestine were known as the diaspora, meaning dispersion.

Cyrus the Persian

Captured Babylon in 539 B. C. E., allowed the Hebrews in captivity to return to Jerusalem in 538 B. C. E. The region was ruled by outsiders such as Persians, Greeks, and Ptolemies.

Partial Freedom
Syrian king Antiochus IV (175-163 B. C. E.) tried to force Hellenistic culture upon the Jewish people. The Jews answered with the Maccabeean Revolt (167-160 B. C. E.) and enjoyed independence for the next hundred years.

Herod the Great

In 64 B. C. E. Pompey annexed Syria, and Palestine was controlled by Rome. Herod the Great, a builder who renovated the Temple in Jerusalem, was made king of Judea (Judah) in 37 B. C. E. by Octavius Caesar. When Herod died in 4 B. C. E., Judea was divided into 3 portions, governed by procurators who answered directly to the emperor. Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea from 26 to 36 C. E., condemned the Jewish teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, to death.

Self-governance short-lived
The Jews revolted against Caligula in 66 C. E.; the Roman emperor Vespasian and his son General Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 C. E., bringing Jewish revolt again in 135 C. E. The Jews were defeated and forbidden to return to Jerusalem; Judea was renamed Palestine. These struggles are important for us in realizing the triumphs of the Hebrew people, who, through their stories, songs, and the relating of their history, were thus able to rise above their tragedies and sadness.

Biblical Literature (for Christians)

39 books in the Old Testament 27 books in the New Testament Old Testament refers to the writings of the old covenant between Yahweh and his people New Testament refers to the new covenant established by Jesus and his followers and the beginning of Christianity.

Biblical Literature for religious Jews

Only one covenant: the Old Testament (TANAK). The consonants in this word, (TNK) stand for the 3 major books of the Hebrew Bible:
The Torah (the Law) The Nebiim (the Prophets) The Ketubim (the Writings)

The Bibles Influence

All-time bestseller; translated into most written languages Probably the single most influential book in Western history. Covers a period of 2,000 years Has impacted all aspects of Western society Also a foundation document for Islam Literary influence: from Dante to Chaucer, to T. S. Eliot, W. H. Auden, and modern writers such as William Faulkner and Toni Morrison. Its importance to this course is certain.

Authorship
Authorship of the bibles 66 books (and the Apocrypha) is a continual puzzle and challenge to biblical scholars. It is important to remember that the oral tradition transferred these stories and songs from generation to generation until scribes (educated men) wrote them down.

Works Cited
Davis, Paul, et. al. The Ancient Hebrews: the Path of Righteousness and the Ten Commandments. The Bedford Anthology of World Literature. Vol. I. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2004. 127-132.