The central belief of the Hebrews
The Torah:
The first five books of the Bible are called the Torah. The Hebrews believed that these holy books, or scriptures, were given to them by God. The Torah gives the early history, laws, and beliefs of the Hebrews. It consists of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
A Shepard named Abraham was the father of the Hebrews. Abraham lived in Ur, a city in Mesopotamia, about 1800 B.C.. According to the Torah God told Abraham to leave Ur and go to Canaan. Abraham believed that if he went to Canaan, the land would belong to his descendants because it was promised to them by God. Because of this Hebrews thought of Canaan as the promised land. With his family Abraham settled in Canaan.
The Hebrews believed in one God:
Throughout the ancient world, people were polytheists. This means that they worshiped many gods. The Hebrews believed that God spoke to Abraham and gave him important teachings. Abraham taught the belief in one all-powerful God who established moral laws for humanity. This belief is called monotheism. Judaism today is descended from the religion of the ancient Hebrews.
What other ancient nations have you studied about this year?
How are they different from what the Hebrews believed?
What other ancient nations have you studied about this year?
How are they different from what the Hebrews believed?