Canaan to Egypt and Back
Why did the Hebrews go to Egypt?
Over time the Hebrews in Canaan took a new name- the Israelites. Their name came from Abraham's grandson Jacob. According to the Torah, he was given the name Israel. Jacob had 12 sons. Ten of these sons and two grandsons were the fathers of the 12 tribes.
Moses Leads the Israelites
The Torah tells of a terrible famine in Canaan. The starving Israelites went to Egypt, where Jacob's son Joseph served as top adviser to Egypt's pharaoh.
In time, a new pharaoh came to power. He enslaved the Israelites and forced them to work on his building projects. The Torah tells how Moses helped the Israelites leave Egypt. The migration of the Israelites from Egypt is known as the Exodus.
The Torah tells of a terrible famine in Canaan. The starving Israelites went to Egypt, where Jacob's son Joseph served as top adviser to Egypt's pharaoh.
In time, a new pharaoh came to power. He enslaved the Israelites and forced them to work on his building projects. The Torah tells how Moses helped the Israelites leave Egypt. The migration of the Israelites from Egypt is known as the Exodus.
The Ten Commandments
After leaving Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert for 40 years, living as nomads. According to the Torah, Moses climbed to the top of Mount Sinai, where God spoke to him. When Moses came down the mountain, he carried two stone tablets that contained the Ten Commandments. These commandments became the basis for the laws of the Israelites. The commandments later became an important part of the moral and ethical traditions of Western civilization.
* Pretend you are writing a story for a newspaper: write it from the point of view of someone that lives during this time.
*Make sure to include information about the ten commandments, why the Hebrews came to Egypt and what happened when they got there. Also tell people how the Hebrews got away.
*Make an illustration to go with your story
*Share with a partner, after your partner reads and shares their story, summarize it in your own words. Then share your story.
After leaving Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert for 40 years, living as nomads. According to the Torah, Moses climbed to the top of Mount Sinai, where God spoke to him. When Moses came down the mountain, he carried two stone tablets that contained the Ten Commandments. These commandments became the basis for the laws of the Israelites. The commandments later became an important part of the moral and ethical traditions of Western civilization.
* Pretend you are writing a story for a newspaper: write it from the point of view of someone that lives during this time.
*Make sure to include information about the ten commandments, why the Hebrews came to Egypt and what happened when they got there. Also tell people how the Hebrews got away.
*Make an illustration to go with your story
*Share with a partner, after your partner reads and shares their story, summarize it in your own words. Then share your story.