The Hebrews

1
The Hebrews
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The Land

• Mesopotamia
• Ur in the South and Haran in the North
• Egypt
• Hebrew nation forms
• Palestine/Israel/Canaan/Shechem
• Hebrew god promised this land to them.
• Many battles fought over it.
• Center of a brief Empire.
• Land bridge between Mesopotamia and Egypt

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The Age of the Patriarchs1950 BCE 1500 BCE

• No record of the Hebrews until 1224-1211 BCE
• All history is from Genesis (part of Hebrew
  bible)
• Pre-Egyptian Hebrews age of the patriarchs
• impossible to date
• Written about a thousand years after it happened
• no-one else was interested in the Hebrews
• 1950 1500 BCE is a guess of scholars.

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Age of the PatriarchsImportant Figures

• Abraham
• Selected by Yahweh to be his chosen people.
• Semite living in Haran (northern Mesopotamia) -
  Father, came from Ur (southern Mesopotamia)
• Visited by Yahweh told to move his family.
• Migration - 1950 BCE
• The region was collapsing
• Yahweh tells him that all the land of Shechem
  (Palestine) will be given to the Him his
  descendents.
• Entered into a covenantal relationship with the
  Hebrews and promises to protect them

5
The Original Hebrews

• Nomads wandering tribal groups
• Society organized around kinship rigid
  hierarchy.
• Relationship with god is also a kinship
  relationship
• Anybody who isn't a descendant of Abraham is not
  included in the special relationship with God.
• Top of the kinship hierarchy tribal leader
  "patriarch,"
• desiring a king is disobedience to God.
• Hebrew tribes move to Egypt from Mesopotamia to
  find a better life.
• Probably one of the foreign groups who
  overwhelmed Egypt at the end of the Middle
  Kingdom. (We will learn about this soon!)

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More info on the Age of Patriarchs

• Religion of the early Hebrews
• had nothing to do with the Yahweh cult
• introduced by Moses
• Moses was first to hear the name of god, Yahweh.
  (Exodus)
• Religious practices described in Genesis indicate
  a belief in animistic forces and even, possibly,
  polytheism
• Highly controversial.
• By the end of the patriarchal age, several tribes
  identified with one another as having a common
  ancestor and a common identity.
• We don't even know what they called themselves.
• We haven't successfully figured out where the
  term "Hebrew" comes from.
• Maybe from the Egyptian word, "apiru," or
  "foreigner."

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Egypt the Wanderings1500-1250 BCE

• Migration out of Egypt 1250 BCE
• the most important event in Hebrew history.
• Gave the Hebrews an identity, a nation, a
  founder, and a name
• Exodus , the biblical account of the migration
  "bene yisrael," "the children of Israel.
• Almost no account of the Hebrews in Egypt, even
  in Hebrew history.
• Several Egyptian records of foreign groups during
  the New Kingdom
• Records of expelling groups that are threats or
  overly powerful.
• The Hebrews never appear
• The Hebrews only interested in events leading to
  the migration
• The rest of their stay in Egypt (centuries) is a
  mystery.

8

• Guesses about the Hebrews in Egypt
• Big Hebrew population may have lived in N. Egypt
  1500-1250 BCE.
• Many tribal groups, most Semitic, settling in N.
  Egypt from 1800 BCE.
• Foreigners grew powerful
• for a short time they dominated Egypt, ruling the
  Egyptians
• Egyptians took back control over Egypt at the
  start of the New Kingdom
• kicked out as many foreigners as they could.
• Life got harsh
• Egyptian king, Seti I (1305-1290), moved his
  capital to Avaris at the N. end of the Nile
  delta.
• Established powerful military at the entrance to
  Egypt.
• Garrisoned cities are labor intensive
• building projects involved heavy taxation in the
  form of labor taxes.
• heaviest burden fell on foreigners in the area
  including the Hebrews.
• Probably what is described as the oppression of
  the Hebrews

9
Moses and the Yahweh Cult

• Moses made the Hebrews important.
• United foreigners into a distinct people
• Gave them a religion and a theology
• Most believe that Moses was either a real man
  or a group of people.
• Hard to pin down facts about him.
• Has an Egyptian name
• Spends a large amount of time with a non-Hebrew
  people, the Midianites
• With them he marries and seems to learn the
  Yahweh religion
• Are there two Moses, an Egyptian and a Hebrew? Or
  an Egyptian and a Midianite? Are the Midianites
  the first peoples to worship Yahweh and then
  teach their religion to the Hebrews?
• Also hard to tell who participated in the
  migration
• Focus is on the Hebrews, but Exodus claims that a
  "diverse group of peoples" left Egypt with Moses.

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• Introduction to Yahweh and Yahweh cult occurred
  in an area around Mount Sinai (S. region of the
  Arabian Peninsula).
• Occupied by a nomadic, tribal people
  Midianites.
• Worshipped a nature god - believed lived on Mount
  Sinai.
• There, Moses first meets Yahweh and learns his
  name
• Moses returns to Sinai with the people of Israel
  and stays
• There, all the laws and cultic practices of the
  new Yahweh religion are set down.
• The laws come directly from Yahweh "ten
  commandments."
• These laws and cult of Yahweh form the eternal
  character of the Hebrews to the present day.

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Occupation of Canaan1250-1050 BCE

• Hebrews arrive at Canaan land promised to them
  1000 yeas earlier
• Begin long process of settling the land.
• There were people already there.
• Canaanites Semitic people spoke language close
  to Hebrew.
• Farmers, some nomads, but civilized.
• used Mesopotamian cities as models built small
  imitations.
• Learned military technology, tactics, law from
  the Mesopotamians
• Hebrews uncivilized, tribal, and nomadic

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• The Hebrews had a few spectacular victories in
  battle
• Gained territory along the coastal plains
• But were driven out of these areas
• Settled in a few places in the Jordan River
  valley.
• Held their own against the Canaanites, but could
  not defeat a new people - the Philistines (from
  the north)
• overwhelmed everyone in their path.
• had chariots and iron weapons
• few could stand against new technologies.
• Hebrews found themselves living in the worst
  areas of Canaan
• Balance of power shifted as local kingdoms would
  grab and then lose territory
• Hebrews would find themselves under one and then
  another master.

13
The Judges and the Deliverers

• During this time, the Hebrews rarely organized
  into a single group.
• Divided into separate tribes
• No center of Yahweh worship no central
  government.
• Only official positions were Judges Deliverers.
• Judges exercised some authority over all the
  tribes of Israel.
• May have had some kind of legislative and
  judicial control
• Judges" weren't gender specific.
• Most important "judge" was a woman Deborah.

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• Deliverers were military commanders.
• Organized intertribal armies led them into
  battle against foreigners
• Appeared at the time of the greatest oppression
  of the Hebrews
• elected by Yahweh to free the Hebrews from
  oppression
• Hebrews regularly abandon the Yahweh religion for
  local cults
• particularly Canaanite cults.
• focused on the god Baal
• Hebrews that settle in the Canaanite cities
  disappear into the Canaanite religion
• Yahweh religion largely maintained by the nomadic
  groups in the hill country.
• Hebrews eventually want the identity and
  stability of a unified nation and monarchy.
• Monarchy was an act of disobedience towards
  Yahweh
• Turned this group of tribes into a kingdom and
  empire.

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The Monarchy1050 920 BCE

• Two hundred years of poor success in occupying
  lands in Palestine
• Hebrews united to form a single state under a
  single monarch.
• First ruled loosely by judges, then deliverers
• Still faced constant threat of invasion and
  oppression
• Still has not even remained firm in their Yahweh
  religion.

16
Saul

• Hebrew tribes decided they wanted a king (like
  the Egyptians and Mesopotamians had)
• Hebrews asked Samuel, the "judge" of Israel, for
  a king.
• disobedience towards Yahweh
• Yahweh selected a king for the Hebrews Saul
  (probably chosen by popularity among the people).
• Ineffectual leader
• Mostly a military leader.
• No accounts of him exercising monarchical power
  outside of military exploits.
• still tribal people, so the transition to a
  monarchy was slow.

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• Saul not a wealthy monarch (like any tribal
  leader)
• Fails to carry out Yahweh's instructions
• Yahweh chooses another king, David.
• Saul was king for only 2 years.    
• Pattern emerges monarchy is viewed as a
  negative development in Hebrew history (even
  though written about centuries after the rule of
  Jewish monarchs).
• Monarchy creates new conflict Who is the ruler
  if the king can disobey Yahweh?

18
David

• Chosen before Saul became king
• Saul tries to kill him, David runs eventually
  Saul kills himself.
• David returns and becomes king.
• Character changes as king
• he murders a man in order to marry his wife.
• Worse than anything Saul did!
• Big accomplishments too. (40 years as king).
• Defeats the Philistines
• Transform the new Hebrew kingdom into a Hebrew
  empire.
• Never fully integrated, but send tribute and
  labor to David out of fear.
• Unites the tribes of Israel under an absolute
  monarchy.
• Non-military affairs building, legislation,
  judiciaries, etc.
• Built up Jerusalem to look more like the capitals
  of other kings rich, large, beautiful
• Hebrews found themselves under heavy taxes and
  forced labor.

19
Solomon

• Last king of a united Hebrew state,
• Wise and shrewd king - best of all the kings of
  Israel.
• Wanted to be like a Mesopotamian king
• He built up the capital in Jerusalem with a huge
  palace and temple attached to it
• had 700 wives and 300 concubines
• most of whom were non-Hebrew (in the book of
  Judges , Yahweh forbids all male Hebrews to marry
  non-Hebrews).
• imported products gold, copper, and cedar, -
  unavailable in Israel.
• Taxed his people heavily.
• Gave twenty towns to foreign powers for imported
  goods
• Paid Phoenicia in slave labor every three
  months, 30,000 Hebrews performed slave labor for
  the King
• Portrayed as a good king in the bible
• from accounts of Hebrews living under they did
  not agree.
• They became very unhappy.
• When he died (around 926 to 922 BCE) the 10
  northern tribes revolted.
• Would not be ruled by Solomons son.
• Established their own kingdom.
• Empire of David and Solomon was gone
• Two kingdoms emerged lost all the territory
  within 100 years.

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The 2 Kingdoms920 -597 BCE

• The 2 Kingdoms of the Hebrews North - Israel,
  South - Judah.
• Israelites capital in Samaria
• Judeans capital in Jerusalem.
• Remained separate states for over two hundred
  years.
• Both had many ineffective, disobedient, and
  corrupt kings.
• With the collapse of the Hebrew Empire
• Moab successfully revolts against Judah
• Ammon successfully secedes from Israel
• Within 100 years Israel and Judah are tiny states
  - no bigger than Connecticut.
• tiny states never survived in that region
• Israel and Judah were of commercial and military
  importance to nearby powers (Mesopotamia Egypt)

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The Conquest of Israel

• 722 BCE Assyrians conquered Israel.
• forced the 10 tribes to move to other parts of
  their empire.
• Kept them weak and peaceful.
• chose the upper and more powerful classes
• No reason to fear general population.
• Sent Assyrians to move into the conquered
  territory.
• Many of them adopt the worship of Yahweh over
  centuries.
• These Israelites disappear from history
  permanently the ten lost tribes of Israel.
• They were scattered in small populations all over
  the Middle East.
• Drop their Hebrew names, identity, and religion
  to fit in.
• Babylonians later did the same thing when they
  conquered Judah but all to one location.
• Jews set up a separate community retained their
  religion and identity.

22
The Conquest of Judah

• Judah was conquered by the Chaldeans in 701 BCE
• 625 BCE, Babylonians took control of
  Mesopotamia for a second time.
• Jewish king Josiah (of Judah) tried to extend his
  territory
• Assyrians, Babylonians, and Egyptians fought over
  Judah he failed.
• Babylonians defeated the Egyptians in 605 BCE
• Judah became a tribute state to Babylon.
• Babylonians were defeated in 601 BCE
• The king of Judah, Jehoiakim, defected to the
  Egyptians.
• Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, sent troops to
  punish Judah in 597 BCE.
• Jehoiachin (new King of Judah), gave Jerusalem to
  Nebuchadnezzar
• Nebuchadnezzar deported 10,000 Jews to his
  capital in Babylon
• all deportees were drawn professionals, the
  wealthy, and craftsmen.
• Ordinary people were allowed to stay in Judah.

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• Zedekiah defected from the Babylonians again
• Nebuchadnezzar sent another expedition 588 BCE
• Conquered Jerusalem in 586
• Zedekiah caught and forced to watch the murder of
  his sons, then blinded deported to Babylon.
• Prominent citizens deported again
• Number was far smaller between 832 and 1577
  people were deported.
• The Hebrew kingdom was ended.
• Never appear again, except for a short time in
  the 2nd century BCE

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Exile597 538 BCE

• Nebuchadnezzar (king of the Chaldeans) deported
  the most prominent citizens of Judah
  professionals, priests, craftsmen, and the
  wealthy.
• The "people of the land" were allowed to stay.
• During the exile 2 groups the Jew in Babylon and
  the Jews who remain in Judah.
• We know almost nothing of the Jews in Judah after
  586.
• Famine
• infinite despair.
• Some people were better off land of rich
  deportees redistributed to the poor.
• Rivalries between the two groups of Jews.
• Wealthy and professional Jews in Babylon regarded
  themselves as the true Jewish people.

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• Jews were settled in a single place by
  Nebuchadnezzar.
• Deported Jews formed their own community in
  Babylon and retained their religion, practices,
  and philosophies.
• Unlike the 10 lost tribes.
• Some adopted the Chaldean religion, but most
  remained united in worship of Yahweh.
• Defeat and loss of land promised by Yahweh seemed
  to indicate that Yahweh had turned away from
  them.
• Period of great despair
• Blamed Exile on their own impurity.
• They betrayed Yahweh, allowed Mosaic laws and
  cultic practices to become corrupt
• Theology of salvation appears.
• Israelites would be gathered together, society
  and religion purified, unified kingdom
  re-established
• The Torah was probably written in its finalized
  form in this period. (Central holy text of the
  Jews).

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After the Exile538-332 BCE

• Cyrus of Persia conquered Mesopotamia and the
  Middle East for religious reasons.
• Cyrus wanted to conquer the world.
• Conquest was strategic before Cyrus guaranteed
  your territorial safety by conquering potential
  enemies.
• Middle of the 7th century BCE prophet,
  Zarathustra (aka Zoroaster), appeared among
  Persians
• preached a new religion.
• Zoroastrianism the universe was made up of two
  distinct parts.
• good and light
• evil and dark.
• History was the battle between these forces.
• Humans were part of the struggle in all they did.

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• Zoroastrianism involved two gods but other gods
  took sides.
• Cyrus believed Yahweh was one of the good gods
• Cyrus said Yahweh visited him one night.
• Yahweh commanded him to re-establish Yahweh
  worship in Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple.
• Cyrus ordered the temple rebuilt.
• Ordered that the Jews in Babylon return to
  Jerusalem.
• Sent many people back to the native lands to
  worship the local gods there
• Jews were not unique.
• Judah became a Theological State
• Jews were sent home only to worship!
• Society Changed
• solely concerned with religious matters
• foreign religions not tolerated as they had been
  before foreign religions expelled
• Non-Jews were persecuted
• Yahweh and only Yahweh was worshipped.
• Persians and Greeks respected this
• Romans eventually try to introduce new Gods and
  greatly offend the Jews.

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• Learned many things from the Persians
• included Persian elements in their religion
• occurred at the same time there was an effort to
  purify the religion!
• Most elements were popular not official beliefs
• Persist only in Christianity
• Arose among the people not the educated and
  priestly classes.
• Persian Beliefs
• dualistic universe (good vs. evil)
• Hebrew belief the universe was dominated only
  by Yahweh. History was the result of Yahweh and
  Human will not good and evil.
• dualistic afterlife. (heaven and hell)
• Hebrews belief soul after death went to a house
  of dust called "Sheol," for a brief time then
  faded from existence.
• Identical to all other Semitic versions of the
  afterlife.
• Focus on present life.
• In popular religion (which becomes Christianity),
  the Hebrews adopted this view of the afterlife.
• explains suffering in this life Exile justice
  at one's death

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Greeks and Jews 332-63 BCE

• After two centuries under Persia, Judah became
  part of Macedonia, a Greek state.
• Alexander the Great had conquered Persia and most
  of the world. (known at that time)
• After his death empire divided among three
  generals.
• After two centuries of peace under the Persians,
  Hebrew state caught in the middle of power
  struggles
• Between 319 and 302 BCE, Jerusalem changed hands
  seven times.
• Jews bitterly resented the Greeks.
• More foreign than any group they had ever seen.
• The gods of the Greeks seemed wildly offensive.
• Society was very opposed to exposure of the body
• Greeks wrestled nude and dressed very lightly

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• Mostly, Greeks left the Jews alone
• They let the Jews run their own country
• declared that the law of Judah was the Torah
• Attempted to preserve Jewish religion.
• When the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV, desecrated
  the Temple in 168 BCE, he touched off a Jewish
  revolt under the Maccabees
• Judah became an independent state again.
• During this period, Jewish history in several
  areas in Judah, in Mesopotamia and other parts
  of the Middle East, and Egypt.
• Large, powerful groups of Jews lived throughout
  the Persian empire
• Jews outside of Judah still thrived.
• In many foreign cities throughout the Hellenistic
  (Greek) world, Jews formed unified and solid
  communities
• Jewish women had more rights and freedom in these
  communities rather than at home.  
• Torah was translated into Greek in Ptolemaic
  Egypt because it was the law code of the Jews.
• Mistakes and mistranslations occurred
• Hebrew Torah is very anti-Egyptian -- founding
  event of the Hebrew people was the oppression of
  the Hebrews by the Egyptians
• The Greek translators, working for the Greek
  rulers of Egypt changed the anti-Egyptian
  aspects.
• This translation made Judaism into a World
  Religion Made the Hebrew scriptures available
  to Mediterranean world early Christians.

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The Diaspora (dispersion, scattering)

• Jewish state ends in 70 C.E. Romans began to
  drive Jews from the home they had lived in for
  over a millennium.
• Really began before the Romans, when the
  Assyrians conquered Israel in 722
• 597 BCE on, three distinct groups of Hebrews a
  group in Babylon and other parts of the Middle
  East, a group in Judea, and another group in
  Egypt.
• Thus, 597 is considered the beginning date of the
  Jewish Diaspora.
• In 63 BCE, Judea became a protectorate of Rome.
• under the administration of a governor
• Judea was allowed a king
• Governor's was to regulate trade and maximize tax
  revenue.

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• Romans were a nightmare for the Jews.
• Governorships were bought at high prices
• They heavily taxed the Jews.
• Even with a Jewish king, the Judeans revolted in
  70 CE
• ended tragically.
• 73 CE, last of the revolutionaries were holed up
  in a mountain fort called Masada
• Romans had waged war on the fort for two years
• 1000 men, women, and children inside were
  beginning to starve.
• Jewish revolutionaries killed themselves rather
  than surrender to the Romans.
• The Romans then destroyed Jerusalem, annexed
  Judea as a Roman province
• Systematically drove the Jews from Palestine
  (named by the Romans after the Jews enemies the
  Philistines)
• After 73 CE, Hebrew history would only be the
  history of the Diaspora as the Jews and their
  world view spread over Africa, Asia, and Europe.