Ancient Israel History

• Gaza and the West Bank are war-torn areas, with Gaza bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the West Bank next to Jordan.
• Israel's neighboring countries include Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.

Key People

• Abram (Abraham): Established Canaan, renamed Abraham after a covenant with God; Grandson of Jacob; Died at 175; Sons were Isaac and Ishmael.
• Jacob: Son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, fathered twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel; God renamed him Israel.
• Moses: Raised by the Pharaoh's daughter, led the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity, instructed the building of the Ark of the Covenant, led the Exodus, and never reached Canaan.
• Saul: The first anointed King of Israel, displeased God by disobeying commands.
• David: Appointed after Saul, a skilled fighter, conquered Jerusalem, established it as the capital, built an empire, heavily taxed Israel, and was prohibited from building the temple because of bloodshed.
• Solomon: David’s son, built the First Temple in Jerusalem, known for his proverbs, and was disliked by the Israelites due to taxes.
• Nebuchadnezzar: King of the Chaldeans, captured Jerusalem, punished the Jews, exiled 10,000 to Babylon, and destroyed Solomon’s Temple.
• King Herod: A famous ruler of Judea known for cruelty and modifications to the Jewish Temple, ruled during the birth of Jesus.
• Theodor Herzl: Jewish journalist, advocated for a Jewish homeland in Palestine to avoid antisemitism, published Der Judenstaat, convened the first Zionist Congress, and was born on May 2, 1860, in Budapest and died on July 3, 1904, in Austria.
• David Ben-Gurion: Leader of the Jewish community in Palestine, first prime minister of Israel in 1948, and wanted Jewish independence and homeland.
• Benjamin Netanyahu: Current Prime Minister of Israel, first Israeli prime minister elected directly by popular vote, and is Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister.
• Yasser Arafat: Former president of the Palestinian National Authority, renounced the destruction of Israel, accepted a state in the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital, and received the Nobel Peace Prize for signing the Oslo Accords.
• Deborah: A woman judge of the Israelites who instructed Barak to attack the army of the Canaanite King Jabin and helped secure victory.
• Daniel: A Jewish scholar and master interpreter of dreams exiled to Babylon, famous for interpreting the "writing on the wall" and surviving the lions' den.

Key Groups

• Zealots: Jewish group revolted against Roman rule in the A.D. 60s and drove them out of Jerusalem.
• Assyrians: After invading the Kingdom of Israel, the ten northern tribes lost their identity and became known as the ten lost tribes of Israel.
• Chaldeans: From the Syrian Desert, captured Jerusalem which resulted in Babylonian Captivity.
• Maccabees: A rebellion group led by Judas Maccabeus resisted Greek ruler Antiochus's attempt to force them to worship Greek gods.
• Phoenicians: Canaanite group along the Mediterranean Sea known for purple dye, the alphabet, and sea trading routes.
• Philistines: In 1000 BCE, the Philistines were the strongest people in Canaan, possessing strong cities and iron tools/weapons.
• Palestinians: Displaced people from Palestine residing in the West Bank and Gaza, predominantly Arab and Islamic.
• Hamas: Contemporary Palestinian terrorist group aiming to establish an Islamic Palestinian state instead of Israel.

Key Places

• Canaan: In 1000 BCE, the Israelites founded a kingdom, located along the Mediterranean Sea in southwest Asia.
• Samaria: Capital of the Kingdom of Israel.
• Kingdom of Israel: Northern kingdom, included ten of the twelve tribes of Israel with the capital Samaria.
• Jerusalem: Capital of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, then the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, and the current capital of Israel.
• Judah: Smaller kingdom founded by the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
• Babylon: The Chaldean capital in Mesopotamia.
• Palestine: The Romans renamed Judah Palestine and in A.D. 1948, Palestine was divided, creating Israel.
• Jericho: A Canaanite city conquered by the Israelites under Joshua.
• Western Wall: Remaining part of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after Roman destruction.

Vocabulary

• Proverbs: Wise sayings, notably associated with Solomon.
• Synagogues: Jewish houses of worship.
• Sabbath: Weekly day of worship and rest.
• Hanukkah: Celebrates the Maccabees' victory and the reclaiming of the Temple in Jerusalem with candle lighting, fried foods, dreidel games, and gift-giving.
• Messiah: Deliverer sent by God.
• Talmud: Central work of Jewish people and record of rabbinic teachings spanning about six hundred years.
• Monotheism: Belief in one god.
• Hebrew: Ancient language of the Israelites and used in the Hebrew Bible.
• Passover: Commemorates God's "passing over" Jewish homes during the tenth plague and deliverance from Egypt.
• Torah: First part of the Hebrew Bible, including laws received by Moses on Mount Sinai.
• Ten Commandments: Foundational laws in the Torah.
• Empire: A nation that rules over several other nations.
• Tribute: Payments made by weaker rulers to stronger rulers.
• Balfour Declaration: In 1917, it supported a national home for the Jewish people.

Key Concepts

• Education (Boys vs. Girls):
  • Boys were taught by fathers for livelihood and worship, then by elders for religious education while girls were educated at home by mothers to be good wives, mothers, and housekeepers, focusing on laws about food and clothing.
• Tribes:
  • The twelve tribes originated from Jacob's twelve sons and divided after Solomon, with ten tribes forming the Kingdom of Israel and two tribes forming the Kingdom of Judah.
• Kosher:
  • Dietary laws specifying permitted (beef, lamb, salmon if killed in a specific way) and prohibited (eels, pork) foods, prohibiting cooking milk products with meat.
• Diaspora:
  • Jews outside of Judah, adopted Greek language/culture but remained loyal to Judaism, translated the Bible into Greek, and spread Jewish ideas.
• Judges:
  • Leaders before kings, usually military figures, controlling one to two tribes, with examples including Barak, Gideon, Samuel, Eli, Samson, and Deborah.
• Prophets:
  • Individuals claiming instruction by God to share divine words, such as Samuel, who was also a judge.
• Crusades:
  • Organized military campaigns by European Christians to reclaim the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from Muslim control.
• WWII/Holocaust:
  • The Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, murdered approximately six million Jews during World War II.
• Zionism:
  • Political movement founded by Theodor Herzl for a safe Jewish homeland in Israel.
• 1948:
  • David Ben-Gurion declared Israel's independence May 14, 1948, leading to the Arab-Israeli War.
• Current Conflicts:
  • Operation Northern Arrows: Israel attacked Hezbollah in Lebanon

Operations

• Operation Cast Lead: Launched in 2008 to end rocket attacks into Israel by Hamas.
• Operation Pillar of Defense: Launched in 2012 by the IDF to reduce rocket attacks from Gaza, initiated with the elimination of Ahmed Jabari.
• Operation Protective Edge: Commenced in 2014 by the IDF to stop rocket attacks by Hamas and destroy its operational capabilities.
• Operation Guardian of the Walls: Aims to restore security and safety for Israel and its civilians, with the purpose of military power.
• Operation Iron Swords: A ground offensive in Gaza focused on urban warfare, including subterranean combat.
• Operation Northern Arrows: Launched on September 23, 2024, by the IDF to attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
• Operation Peace for Galilee: Aims to push terrorists in Lebanon 40 km north to protect northern Israeli communities, following an attempted assassination on Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Argov.
• Operation Defensive Shield: In 2002, it targets Palestinian terrorist infrastructures in the West Bank to end attacks against Israeli citizens.

Overview of the History

• God commands Abram to leave his homeland and journey to Canaan to establish a new tribe.
• The Canaanites were a diverse group with distinct cultures, primarily agriculturalists engaged in trade and known for their polytheistic religious practices.
• At 99, Abram makes a covenant with God, leading to his name change to Abraham.
• Isaac is the ancestor of the Jews, while Ishmael is the ancestor of the Arabs.
• Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and Receives the Ten Commandments
• Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites conquer Canaan and face various idol-worshipping tribes.
• David establishes the first dynasty and conquering Jerusalem.
• David ambition to build a grand temple for the Arc is fulfilled by his son Solomon, who constructs the Temple in Jerusalem.
• After Solomon's death, the kingdom divides around 931 BC into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
• The Babylonian captivity lasted 50 years until Cyrus the Great allowed the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple.
• Jewish-Roman Relations and Revolts
• During the Middle Ages, Jews experience relative prosperity in the Ottoman Empire while facing anti-Semitism in Europe, leading to calls for a Jewish homeland.
• The rise of Zionism in the late 19th century aims to establish a Jewish state in Palestine.
• Israel faces multiple wars and ongoing disputes over territory and governance.The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unresolved, characterized by ongoing tensions and territorial disputes.

Test your knowledge of key figures and events in ancient Israel's history. Questions cover topics ranging from the Exodus and the reign of King David to the rise of Zionism and geographical context and the division of the kingdom.