History Makers Creation to Christ

Bible History Makers

By Michelle Morrow

My Homeschool

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Table of Contents Introduction ...... 4 Lesson 1: Creation ...... 8 Lesson 2: Adam and Eve ...... 12 Lesson 3: The Flood...... 15 Lesson 4: The Sons of Noah & The Tower of Babel ...... 18 Lesson 5: The Era of the Patriarchs ...... 22 Lesson 6: The Tribes of Israel ...... 29 Lesson 7: Joseph in Egypt ...... 33 Lesson 8: Moses – Part A ...... 36 Lesson 9 Moses – Part B ...... 39 Lesson 10: Joshua ...... 43 Lesson 11: The Judge Deborah ...... 47 Lesson 12: Last Judge ...... 50 Lesson 13: The First King of Israel ...... 52 Lesson 14: The Second King of Israel...... 56 Lesson 15: The Last King of United Israel ...... 61 Lesson 16: The Kingdom Divided ...... 66 Lesson 17: Northern Kingdom Israel ...... 70 Lesson 18: Southern Kingdom Judah ...... 75 Lesson 19: The Kingdom of Babylon...... 81 Lesson 20: The Medes & Persians...... 85 Lesson 21: The Temple Restored ...... 89 Lesson 22: Israel’s Walls Rebuilt ...... 94 Lesson 23: The Greek Empire ...... 98 Lesson 24: The Romans ...... 103

Introduction

History Makers is a history resources for Year 2 My Homeschool. It forms a part of our world history program that covers:

• Ancient History Year 2 & Year 7 • Early Middle Ages Year 3 & Year 8 • Late Middle Ages Year 4 & Year 8 • Australian History Year 5 • Modern History Year 6

The 24 lessons of this resource can be completed over a one year period. We also run parallel with this course our General world history resource – History Makers.

The goal of this resource is to give children a basic understanding of where the events described in the Bible fit in to the ancient history of the world. It is not meant to be a comprehensive Bible study. We focus on people’s stories shared in the Bible and look at evidence that is found in general world history and archaeological findings that help us understand where the Bible fits into the flow of history.

What If I Only Want To Study Secular History?

We have included this resource to show parents that there is evidence for the Bible found in general world history. But we understand that some families, due to their own personal beliefs, will have reservations using a resource that uses the Bible as historical fact. If that is you, then I would like to suggest a few reasons why you might find this resource helpful:

• The history of the Jewish people is part the world history narrative and is often relevant to secular history understanding. • The Bible forms part of the western world’s cultural understanding and is seen as one of the great books of the world in the literature canon of classical education.

• This resource is a parent led resource. It gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts on the material being presented.

Dates Used In This Resource

James Ussher, an Irish archbishop in the 17th century, did a very comprehensive study of the chronology of the Bible. His dates appeared in the King James Version and the Encyclopedia Britannica for many years as a reference and we will be using those dates for most of the Biblical history timeline.

Many of Ussher’s timeline dates are different to secular archaeological dates of today, especially in the early dates of human history. One of the reasons for this is that many archaeologists do not believe in the historical account of the Bible and refuse to use it as an historical document.

Archaeology is a science dating from the 1800’s. It is historic in nature and often the findings are more assumptions based on theory rather than repeatable testing to examine a hypothesis. For this reason, archaeologist’s dates can be variable. In the Encyclopaedia Britannica, a footnote about the revision of dates for the Kings of Israel (which used Ussher’s dates for many years) said that the changes had been made because of revelations from “the spade and archaeology.” So, whilst this resource does often cross reference general dates used in general archaeology, in the early years of man’s history the dates differ significantly due to the general worldview of how the world and civilisation began.

Therefore, the dates we use in this resource, are not meant to be interpreted as an exact representation but rather an approximate educated assumption. Giving children a time framework will help them see the Bible sequentially and see how secular history fits with the chronology of Biblical history.

We know people have many views on the history of the Bible, but this resource aims to teach history from a Biblical world view.

“A biblical worldview begins with God in Genesis, chapter one and verse one. A Biblical worldview is viewing the world, the beginning of the world, people in the

world, the problems in the world, governments in the world, issues in the world, solutions for the problems in the world, and the future of the world -- through God’s Word.” Ethan Pope

This course is presented from a young earth theology and creation science materials are used in our apologetics discussion.

How To Conduct Your Lessons

This resource is very suitable for doing as a family lesson with multiple children and a range of ages.

One lesson is scheduled weekly and should only take you around 15 mins. You can add another 15 minutes if one of the hands-on activities is done. In my home I allowed my children to draw the story in their notebook as I read out the story. This was very effective and efficient, as they listened for details and were able to describe their story to me afterwards using their picture as a reference.

1. You will need to pre read the lesson before presenting it to your child. The lesson notes are for the parent to read as background information. After reading the notes you can discuss them with your child. Some of the material is too advanced for Year 2, but it has been included to help you prepare you for the lesson, especially when using this resource to teach multiple ages; share as you see appropriate.

2. Begin your lesson by reading a story directly from the Bible. Choose a Bible version that is suitable for children (I would avoid reading the Old King James and its Elizabethan English). Our family often used The New International Readers Version as this had language that was easy for children to understand. If you are looking to compare a few versions, or read an online version, then Bible Gateway has many versions to choose from.

I have referenced large portions of the Bible to show where the lesson’s story comes from, however, these are too long for just one reading. If you only want to read one story once a week, then you can choose to read the one highlighted story given. For those of you who do regular scripture reading you may find that you can work

through more than the highlighted story by doing additional readings throughout the week.

3. Have your child narrate back to you (repeat the story in their own words) after the reading. I have also included some question to ask.

4. Add their timeline figure to the Ancient History Timeline. The timeline figures and folder instructions are found in your Virtual Cupboard on MY HOMESCHOOL. This activity is also a part of your math curriculum for making a pictorial graph.

5. Optional: There are a few hands-on activities suggested for your child. These can be done to reinforce the lesson. Don’t feel obliged to do them all. I have often suggested that the child draws their own picture of the story. You can add a description, so you remember the lesson. Don’t undervalue how effective this can be for helping your child consolidate their learning. My children have their own pictorial account of many Bible stories and it is a delightful record of learning.

We first tackled this period of ancient history in our homeschool when my four children were aged 5 to 11. Each child had a Bible notebook and they drew some amazing pictures to illustrate the stories told. We still have those notebooks! Back then our study also included reading general world history, historical novels set in the that time in history and a Book of Centuries. I began writing this resource in 2012 to be taught as a Sunday School resource that was taught once a week to Year 2 to Year 6 children. We ran the course twice as a part of the Children’s Church program on Sunday mornings. We used maps, Lego PowerPoints that my son made, crafts and songs to help the children learn this time in history. Recently a child from that class, who is now 15, came and told me how much he enjoyed those lessons in children’s church. He said he learnt so much. I hope you will also enjoy this study.

Happy Homeschooling!

Michelle

Lesson 1: Creation

History Maker: God

Scripture Reference: Genesis 1:1– 2:4a

Highlighted Story: Genesis 1 (Creation account)

Timeline Figure: Creation

Lesson Notes

• The aim of this lesson is to establish that God is the creator of everything, He is a person and He is one God. • Creation was recorded in the Bible as a real event.

Who wrote Genesis?

Although the authorship of Genesis is attributed to Moses, some scholars believe that Moses compiled the books of antiquity into one book—Genesis, and at times made a few editorial comments.

They cite the closing signature sentences of the authors as evidence. Every time we see the phrase "This is the book of the generations of...", the name used in that phrase is most likely the author of that portion of scripture. (P.J. Wiseman. New Discoveries About Genesis ©1936).

For example:

• The Book of God. An eyewitness account of Creation. • The Book of Adam. Gen. 2:5-5:2 • The Book of Noah. Gen. 5:3-6:9a • The Book of The Sons of Noah Gen. 10:2-11:10a

Our First Date —4000BC

The date for Creation is estimated at being around 4000 years before Christ was born (or 4000BC). We can work out some of these dates using genealogies provided for us in the Bible and ancient texts. Ussher, an Irish archbishop, tried to work out the date exactly and he came up with the year 4004BC. We are using his dates for our timeline book.

What Does BC Mean?

BC means before Christ was born. AD actually stands for a Latin phrase anno domini which means in the year of our Lord. 1 AD was meant to signify the birth of Christ which they now date from 4-6 BC.

This dating system was not used in the Bible but it has been used for many years and it was developed to reflect that the birth of Christ was a turning point in history.

B.C.E (Before the Common Era) and C.E (Current Era) is a secular dating term that has replaced BC and AD. This has been adopted by some historians who do not wish to use dates that acknowledge the Christian creed.

Stories of Origin

Many believe the world is millions and millions of years old and that the Bible is just a fairy tale or a story to explain how people think things happened, much like the Australian Aboriginal’s dreamtime story.

Many people don’t believe in the concept of intelligent design for our world and prefer to explain creation in a secular way cutting the idea of God out of the picture. This is often explained as evolution.

Up until Charles Darwin’s theory of the Origins of Species became popular, the Bible’s account was accepted as absolute truth by many. If the theory of evolution is true then the following ideas also need to be accepted:

• There needs to be long periods of time (millions and millions of years) for evolution to occur. That’s not the timeline of the Bible. • Man is not created as special in the image of God. He starts from a single cell →fish →land animal→ apelike→ then man. • Death and fossils occur before man came into being. No original sin existed as death (the punishment) was already happening.

Since Darwin’s theory, many explanations have emerged from Christians who try to reconcile this obvious conflict with the Biblical account of creation and the theory of evolution. None of these theories adequately answer the above conflicts and they leave us wondering when does the Bible story become true?

You do not need to be a fool and ignore science and archaeology to believe in the Bible. You just need to look at the facts with a Biblical world view. That is, having a belief that the Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative word of God.

For today, let’s see what God made and how it was beautiful and good. There was no sin, no death (or fossils). Just his beautiful creation!

Our Date

4000 BC Creation

Questions to Ask

1. When did Creation happen? 2. Who is the creator? Note the use of us in Gen. 1:26. 3. On the first three days God creates three realms. What are they? (Heavens, expanse of water and dry land) 4. On the next three days God creates the earth’s population for each realm. Who are they? (Stars, fish and birds, animals and man) 5. What does God think of His creation?

Hands On Optional Activities

Map Work: Draw a map of Eden, the garden and its surrounding lands using the information described in Genesis 2:8-14.

Make a Creation Crafts: Available from Christian Pre School Printables. https://christianpreschoolprintables.com/creation-preschool-printables/

Game: Play fiddle sticks to illustrate the principle order to disorder not chaos to order.

Lesson 2: Adam and Eve

History Maker: Adam and Eve

Tell the story of Adam and Eve, and their children.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 2:4b—5:1a

Highlighted Story: 2: 7—25

Timeline Figure: Adam and Eve

Lesson Notes:

• The aim of this lesson is to see that Adam is made in the image of God and he has a special role on this earth. • Sin came into the world through Adam’s sin but God in his mercy had a plan for redemption from the seed of the woman – the Messiah!

Man is Made in the Image of God and He has Work to Do!

Man was made differently, and God gave him a job. He was to be a wise steward of God’s creation. After the fall he still had work to do but it became more difficult.

The Promise!

Adam, Eve and the serpent all had a curse placed on them after they sinned, but God also had a plan for redemption. Genesis 3:15 is generally seen as the first prophecy of the Messiah.

Seth is Adam and Eve’s third son. From his dependants Noah is born.

Who was Cain’s wife?

In the Bible it says that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters (he lived to be 930 after all). In those days brothers and sisters would have married. If close relatives were permitted to marry today we would have many defects for we all carry imperfect genes.

Men of Technology

Genesis 4:17—24 gives us some of the history of Cain and his descendants. Notice the technology and skills in this age. These men built cities, played and made instruments, worked with metals to make tools, lived in tents and raised cattle.

This is quite different from the evolutionary representation of primitive man that says man moved from cave to tent, to wandering around with animals, and then he worked out how to make fences and then VOILA! – a city!

Edenese—The Language of Adam

Today a few scholars believe that from Adam to Nimrod the whole world spoke Hebrew. One of the reasons for this is that many of the early names still have meaning in Hebrew but not in other languages. Another argument is that if Noah compiled the books written from Adam to Noah he didn’t rewrite them in a different language, for example when he made an editorial comment he used the original language like Ephrath and made a comment that it is now called Bethlehem. All claims that Hebrew is not the original language are based on the assumption that “men made up language” but so far no one has figured out how someone could have done this.

Questions to Ask

1. How is man different to the animals? 2. Why was Eve created? 3. What was Adam’s job?

4. How did Adam and Eve sin? 5. Did Adam die when he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? 6. What was the consequence? 7. Who was Adam’s first son? 8. What was Cain’s occupation? 9. Why did Cain murder his brother? 10. What was Cain’s punishment? 11. What is the name of Adam and Eve’s third son?

Hands On Optional Activities

Own Picture

Eden is now guarded by angels with flaming swords. Cain goes to live in the land of Nod. Where would that be? Design the city. What would you need?

• a market • homes • entertainment places

Construction Materials

Build a city using blocks such as Lego, Duplo or other materials such as boxes and blankets.

Lesson 3: The Flood

History Maker: Noah

Scripture: Genesis 6:9 - 9:28

• This portion of scripture is Noah’s account of what was happening before The Flood and just after. Noah may have written more but this is what Abraham included in the book of Genesis. Genesis 6:4 shows evidence of Moses’ editing “in those days, and also afterwards”. • Tell the story of Noah.

Highlighted Story: Genesis 7:1 -27 and/or Genesis 8:1 – 22 (see also sign of the rainbow at Genesis 9: 11 -17)

Timeline Figure: The Flood

Lesson Notes

The aim of this lesson is to help show that Noah’s ark is not just a cute animal fairy- tale but rather a catastrophic milestone in the course of human history.

The History of Noah

The story of Noah is pivotal in the history of mankind and could be broken down into many lessons but we only have one week to cover this great man.

The first part of Noah’s book begins with a genealogy from Adam to Noah. This genealogy also appears in 1 Chronicles1:1—4 and Luke 3:36—38.

There are 10 generations and eight rulers. (Enoch went to heaven before his father’s death and Methuselah also outlived his son Lamech).

Some ancient writings record the flood and the generations before the flood. The Sumerian King List shows 8 kings before the flood. Gilgamesh, an ancient poem from Sumer (before Babylon), depicts a flood story extremely similar to Noah’s flood.

Maio a south western Chinese tribe have passed down their history orally and they have many details which agree with the biblical account. They quote all the way back to the first man—Dirt who was made from the dust of the earth. Also names such as Seth, Lamech, Noah and his sons are recognised. They even tell us Noah’s wife’s name Gaw Bo-lu-en.

The Chinese people arrived in their land shortly after Babel. Chinese writing using word pictures for boat depicts a vessel with eight people. http://objectiveministries.org/creation/chinese.html

Were Noah’s Sons Triplets? Genesis 5:32.

“And Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”

The landmark date for Noah was not his sons’ births but rather the flood. The age of Noah at his son’s birth were not given exactly according to Noah’s age like all the other dates in the genealogy. His genealogy was recorded from the flood. The flood occurred when he was 600 and he died 350 years after the flood. Scholars have worked out Seth’s birth date to be when Noah was 502 using Seth’s genealogy and flood dates.

Kinds of Animals on the Boat!

God brought the animals to Noah and they were all different kinds. That does not mean there was every variation of one kind. How many types of dogs can you think of? Well Noah only needed to put one KIND of dog on the boat, not a whole range of varieties of dog species like poodles, bull dogs, dingos and greyhounds.

The Science of Noah’s Flood?

Up until Darwin’s theory emerged everyone just assumed that fossils were created in The Flood. Today the story of Noah is often seen as a fable or allegory for little kids.

However, many Christians believe that whilst the Bible is not meant to be a science textbook, it still teaches the flood as an event that occurred. One edition of a Creation Science magazine will cover this topic in great detail. In short, they explain the Flood like this: Noah’s flood was a catastrophic event in human history. When it occurred large portions of animals were quickly fossilized during the flood, some even had food in their mouths. Deep valleys were also carved out of stone from flood waters receding. Geological evidence for The Flood can be seen in fossils.

Questions to Ask

1. Did Noah wait till it started raining to enter the Ark? 2. How many people were in the Ark? 3. Who gathered the animals? Who closed the Ark door? 4. What was the first thing Noah did after leaving the Ark? 5. What promise did God make after leaving the Ark?

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Our Dates

Noah’s flood date: Using dates in the Bible we get a date for the flood around 2500BC

Lesson 4: The Sons of Noah & The Tower of Babel

History Makers: Ham, Japheth and Shem

Scripture: Genesis Chapter 9—11

Highlighted Story: Genesis 11:1-8

Timeline Figure: Tower of Babel

Lesson Notes

• The aim of this lesson is to show that after The Flood it was a whole new beginning for mankind. The land was different, and a new nation began from Noah’s sons. Genesis chapter 10 is a record of all the people groups. These people groups spread across the earth.

Where did the Ark land and Where is the Ark now?

For many years, it was commonly believed that Noah’s ark was to be found on top of a high mountain in Armenia. Today that mountain is within the borders of Turkey.

Josephus records it in his historical writing in Jesus Times and said the Armenians had relics to show you. Marco Polo is said to have been to the mountain but could not climb it as the snow on the summit never melts, but keeps increasing each year. A Babylonian writer records that the ship was grounded in Armenia and its descendants went to live in Babylon (formally Sumer). This is just like the Bible’s account.

There are also some unsubstantiated reports of people sighting the ark from a plane or helicopter. Today the exact location of that mountain is not known so it is now referred to as “lost”.

The Birth of Civilisation—the Fertile Crescent 2349BC

From the Ark the sons of Noah would have come down from the mountain and settled. If you look at this map of the Middle East you will see that two rivers flow. They are called the Euphrates (not the same one as the Garden of Eden; probably in memory of Eden) and the Tigris. Between these two rivers the region is called Mesopotamia, the land of Shinar. This is where civilisation is said to have begun—even secular historians agree on this one. Some of the excavated cities in this region are Sumer, Ur and Nineveh.

Covenant and Curse—The Promised Land.

Noah curses his son Ham and in his curse prophesies that Ham’s descendants will serve the descendants of the other two sons. This prophecy was historically fulfilled in the conquest of Canaan (inhabited by Ham’s descendants) by Shem’s descendants, the Hebrews.

The Table of Nations

Noah’s three sons were the fathers of many nations. (Gen 9:18-19).

Japheth— these people spread mostly throughout Europe, the British Isles and one group in India. The Greeks also claim Japheth, in fact the name Jupiter is derived from one of his son’s names. A small south western Chinese tribe Miao also claims to be a descendent. They call him Japhu.

Ham—Canaan Ham’s son settled just east of the Mediterranean in a land which became known as the land of Canaan. They also settled in Africa and Egypt and possibly to the Far East. Their languages are called Hamitic languages.

Shem—this people group are called Semitic; originally Shemitic because they were dependents of Ham. Shem’s son Arphaxed is in Abraham’s family tree. The other descendants are mostly Middle Eastern, known today as Arabs.

One Mind, One Language—The Tower of Babel 2247BC

About 100 years after the flood, the Tower of Babel was built. Noah would still have been alive. Many believe that the Tower of Babel was commissioned by Nimrod (mentioned in Gen 10:8-12). Nimrod is attributed with founding and building the cities of Babel (Babylon), Erech (close to Ur), Akkad (an early Mesopotamian power) and Calah (named Nimrud after its ruler).

The People Dispersed – New Languages

In the story of the Tower of Babel, the language is confused and because people could no longer understand each other, they disperse to the ends of the earth. Interestingly, linguistic experts (those who study language) show some evidence of this occurring because they propose that there are about 70—90 original language families and this is the same number of families named in Genesis 10.

What About All the Different Skin Colours?

Modern genetics shows that when a large, freely interbreeding group is suddenly broken into many smaller groups which from then on breed only among themselves (as the Biblical description of the language dispersion at Babel would imply), different racial characteristics will arise very rapidly.

A New Earth, Cave Men and an Ice Age

After the flood the world looked different. It was probably a lot harsher. Man’s lifespan decreased rapidly. Even the age they started having children was much earlier. They had no homes to live in. They had to start from scratch.

Where might they have sheltered? Could it be in caves? Cave art, jewellery, weapons and tools have all been discovered from people who lived in caves. Were they living there just after the flood? Were they really primitive!

Many creation scientists believe that the Ice Age began soon after the flood and could have lasted more than 500 years. Up to 30% of the world’s surface was covered with ice.

Questions to Ask

1. What are Noah’s instructions as soon as he leaves the ark? 2. What are they now allowed to eat as food that they couldn’t before? 3. What was the BIG change in the relationship between man and animals after the flood? 4. This is the first mention of the word “covenant” in the Bible. What is a covenant? What are the terms of God’s covenant with Noah? 5. What is the significance of the rainbow? 6. What foolish thing did Noah do? 7. How do the reactions of his sons differ? 8. What is the consequence of Ham’s disrespect for his father? 9. Why did they want to build the tower? Who did they want to glorify? 10. How does God react to the ambitions of men? Note the use of us! 11. What happened? What two changes did God make among men?

Our Dates

• The People Dispersed –2247BC

Hands On Optional Activities

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 5: The Era of the Patriarchs

History Maker: Abraham & Isaac

Scripture: Genesis 12—25

• Tell the story of Abraham. • With Abraham we start to get a more detailed description of the life of one man. 13 chapters of Genesis are devoted to his life and struggles. He is also mentioned another 30 times in the New Testament.

Highlighted Story: Genesis 17: 1 - 22

Timeline Figure: Abraham

Lesson Notes:

The aim of this study is to see that God blesses Abraham and his descendants.

Through Abraham, God’s plan for redemption continues. From Abraham we see the curse of Ham’s son Canaan start to take shape. Abraham, a direct descendant of Shem, takes possession of Canaan’s land—The Land of Canaan.

Did Abraham and Isaac Meet Shem?

Shem didn’t die till 1846 BC, Abraham was 150 and Isaac was 50 years old.

Could Abraham have been given the old books and genealogies to keep safe?

Did Shem still have Adam’s book or Noah’s book?

Could Abraham write?

Writing was around during Abraham’s time. Ur, his bithplace was a literate culture. The Code of Hammurabi which was written within 200 years of Abraham’s lifetime and before Moses, is from Ur.

From Shem to Abraham

Note the decreasing age span and age that they first have children. Arphaxed was born when Shem was 102 Shem lived to 600

Salah was born when Arphaxed was 35 Arphaxed lived to 438

Eber was born when Salah was 30 Salah lived to 433

Peleg was born when Eber was 34 Eber lived to 464

Rue was born when Peleg was 30 Peleg lived 239

Serug was born when Rue was 32 Rue lived to 239

Nahor was born when Serug was 30 Serug lived to 230

Terah was born when Nahor was 29 Nahor lived to 148

* Abram was born after Terah was 70 Terah lived to 205

* When reading Genesis 11:27 it states Terah became a father of three children in the year he was 70. Abram is listed as one of those children. However, it is more commonly thought this date is only the year his firstborn child Haran is born. In Genesis 11: 32 Abraham’s father Terah dies at 205 years old, then it says that Abram was 75 when he left the place Haran. Acts 7: 4 it states this is after his father died.

Abraham on a Journey

To understand Abraham’s life we will journey with him on a map, discuss key events and highlight key scriptures.

1. Abraham in Ur

Ur, is a town in Mesopotamia close to the Persian Gulf. It is one of the earliest cities known in the archaeological record of mankind. It had a large Ziggurat and the people worshipped a moon goddess.

Abraham was born and lived in Ur for many years. When Abraham was a man, his father Terah gathered the family and set out for Canaan and settled in Haran, which is about halfway between Ur and Canaan if you travel via the river.

Abraham sent a servant back to this town in later years to find a wife (Rebekah) for his son Isaac. Jacob also finds his wives Leah and Rachel in Haran.

2. God calls Abram—Abraham leaves Haran

At 75 years old God calls Abraham to leave his father’s family that had settled in Haran and continue the original journey to Canaan.

Genesis 12:1—3

3. Abraham arrives in Canaan but moves on to Egypt

Abraham arrives in Canaan shortly after that but he doesn’t stay long because there is a severe famine in the land so he moves on to Egypt. Abraham meets Pharaoh because of Sarah’s beauty but when he finds out Sarah is Abraham’s wife and not his sister as Abraham had led him to believe, he sends them away.

Note: The word for sister in Hebrew could also be referring to a relative such as a cousin or someone who grew up in the family home (like a sister). Although Sarah’s father is not specifically given in the Bible she does seem to be related to him. Some believe she may have been his half-sister.

4. Abraham goes back to Canaan in Negev

Negev is in the southern desert region on the outskirts of the Land of Canaan— Judea.

Abraham and his nephew Lot have become a large group of people. Abraham and Lot separate here. Lot settles in the Jordan Valley near Sodom (where wicked men were sinning greatly against the Lord).

5. Abraham moves to Hebron

Abraham moves to the hill country near Hebron. Here he builds an altar to the Lord and settles in this region for the next 24 years.

Today Hebron is considered one of the Four Holy Cities of the world. It is now under Palestinian control and is about 30km from Jerusalem. The most famous historic site in Hebron that you can visit today is the Cave of the Patriarchs where Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah are buried.

6. Civil War in the Jordan Valley—Lot taken prisoner

The kings of the Jordan valley and surrounding valleys are at war and Lot is taken prisoner. When Abraham hears of this, he goes to rescue Lot.

On his return back to Hebron, Abraham meets Melchizedech (Jewish tradition says this was Shem; whoever he was he was King of Salem, Priest of the Most High God). Melchizedech blessed Abraham and Abraham tithed to him.

7. God Promises Abram will be the father of many nations.

Sarah is childless. Ten years after God’s promise of a child to Abraham she becomes impatient to see the promise fulfilled. She is desperate for a child and convinces Abraham to make her Egyptian servant Hagar pregnant and Sarah and Abraham will bring up the child as their own. A son is born and they name him Ishmael but the plan backfires and Hagar despises Sarah.

Again God promises a son to Abraham when he is now 90 years old through Sarah. He laughs as does Sarah later on.

Genesis 17

God promises Abraham he will be the father of many nations. He establishes a covenant with Abraham and gives the Land of Canaan as an everlasting possession for Abraham and his descendants.

Another 10 years pass and Sarah who was 90 finally had her promised son Isaac.

8. Abraham moves to Beersheba

Abraham dwelt in Beersheba which was on the outskirts of the Promised Land. Abraham called upon The Eternal God here. Hagar, Isaac, and Jacob also had significant encounters with God at this place. During this time God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice his young son, Isaac. Abraham was obedient but God stopped him at the last minute and provided a ram instead.

Archaeologist Leonard Woolley

In 1927 archaeologist Leonard Woolley found an inscription on a ziggurat in Southern Iraq that said, “This was at Ur.” He also found the statue shown of a “ram caught in the thicket.” It was made primarily out of gold and silver. From an inscription a date of 2500BC could be determined. Was this inspired by Abraham’s sacrifice?

9. Sarah dies, Isaac Marries Ram in a Thicket British Museum Sarah dies in Hebron, at 127 years old, when Isaac is 37. Abraham buys the first plot of land in Canaan—a tomb for his wife. Abraham sends a servant back to the region of Haran to find a wife (Rebekah) for Isaac.

10. Rebekah gives birth to Jacob and Esau

After 19 years of barrenness Rebekah finally has twins. Isaac is 60 years old.

11. Abraham dies

When the twins were about 15, Abraham died and was buried at Hebron, with Sarah.

Ancient Kingdoms and Civilisations Begin

The descendants of Ham have moved to Egypt and the Kingdom of Pharaohs has begun.

Abraham meets Pharaoh. This was probably during the Egyptian Old Kingdom or early middle Kingdom.

When cross referencing dates of Egyptian history Pharaoh's reigns are speculative. Egyptologists start Egypt’s timeline at 5000BC which is a very arbitrary date. These dates have been disputed by other archaeologists such as David Rohl due to dual Pharaohs in power rather than individual rules consecutively.

Other ancient kingdoms dating back to around this time are the Hindus in India, Minoans and Mycenaean in Greece and Xia Dynasty in China.

Questions to Ask

1. Where was Abraham born? 2. Where is Ur? 3. Why did Abraham leave Ur? 4. How old was Abraham when Isaac was born? 5. Could Abraham have met Shem? Who was Shem? 6. Could Isaac have met Shem? 7. Could Jacob and Esau have met Abraham?

Our Dates

Abraham in Ur

• 1996BC Abraham is born • 1921BC Abraham leaves Haran • 1896BC Isaac is born • 1859BC Sarah dies • 1856BC Isaac marries

• 1846 BC Shem died • 1836BC Rebekah gives birth to Jacob and Esau • 1821BC Abraham dies

Hands On Optional Activities

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 6: The Tribes of Israel

History Makers: Jacob & His Sons

Scripture: Genesis 25—35

Highlighted Story: This period of history includes 10 chapters of Genesis. Here are three key passages.

• Genesis 25: 19 – 34 Isaac’s twin sons born • Genesis 29: 1 – 30 Jacob’s marriages • Genesis 35: 22 – 28 The sons of Jacob.

Timeline Figure: Jacob Returns to Canaan

Lesson Notes:

• The aim of this chapter is to see the blessing of Abraham continued through to Jacob via Isaac. • Jacob has 12 sons. These sons are the basis of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Jacob and Esau struggle in the womb.

God knows our character even when we are just little babies in our mother’s womb. Although Esau was born first and had the birthright, he despised it and instead gave it to Jacob.

Jacob deceives Esau

Like father, like son! Abraham, Isaac and Jacob chose to act deceitfully, and they are still the patriarchs of the Judeo-Christian faith. Why? Is it not wrong to lie!

Each time I read about these deceptions I wonder why these men got away with it? But did they? God still accomplished his purpose but did these men add much

heartache to their lives by not surrendering to God’s plan. God in all his mercy works out his will in spite of our disobedience.

Sowing and Reaping—Jacob finds a wife.

Blessed by Isaac, after impersonating Esau, Jacob leaves Beersheba and goes back to Haran to find a wife amongst his mother’s relatives. He never sees his mother again.

In Haran, he falls in love with Rachel. Laban, Rachel’s father (his mother’s brother) agrees to give Rachel as a wife to Jacob. Jacob is tricked and ends up marrying Leah, Rachel’s older sister. Laban agrees to allow Rachel to be Jacob’s wife the next week but the condition is that Jacob must work for Laban another seven years. The deceiver is himself deceived!

After 20 years in Haran, Jacob leaves secretly with his family and children to go back to the land of Canaan. He was now a very wealthy man with 11 sons and many livestock and many possessions. (Benjamin his 12th son was born in the land of Canaan at Bethlehem). When Jacob left Laban was furious; for much blessing had come his way while Jacob dwelt with them. He pursued Jacob and tried to get him to stay but Jacob was determined to go.

Jacob’s name is changed to Israel

Jacob, fearful of his brother’s wrath, sends gifts to his brother Esau as he travels back into Canaan. Here he wrestled with God and his name was changed to Israel. God puts his stamp on Israel as a nation.

Isaac died 23 years after Jacob returned and was buried by his two sons in Hebron.

Jacob has Twelve Sons—The Twelve Tribes of Israel

The 12 tribes of Israel are named after the 12 sons of Israel. There is no tribe of Joseph but rather two half tribes with Joseph’s son’s names, Manasseh and Ephraim. 30 Bible History Makers by Michelle Morrow © 2020

This tribal identification had very special significance for the Hebrews. The tribe of Levi was the only tribe allowed to be priests and they were not allowed to own land. Moses and Aaron were from this tribe.

Jacob blesses Judah and prophesies of Jesus' birth.

The tribe of Judah was the tribe of Kings. David and Solomon were from this tribe and all of the kings of Southern Israel were from the House of David. Jesus is also from the House of David, the tribe of Judah.

Genesis 49:9—12

Questions to Ask

1. Was Jacob an honest man? Did his dishonesty work well for him? 2. How many sons did Jacob have? 3. What was Jacob’s name changed to? 4. What is special about the tribes Manasseh and Ephraim? 5. What was the name of Jacob’s grandfather? 6. Could Jacob have been given the books from Shem from his family?

7. Do you think Jacob knew how to read and write?

Our Dates

• 1836BC Jacob and Esau struggle in the womb. • 1821BC Abraham dies. • 1760BC Jacob deceives Esau. • 1759BC Jacob finds a wife. • 1739BC Jacob returns to Canaan and his name is changed to Israel. • 1731BC Mephramuthosis is thought to be the Pharaoh in Egypt. • 1728BC Joseph is sold into slavery. • 1716BC Isaac dies at 180 years old. • 1708BC The seven years of famine in Pharaoh’s dream begin.

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson. Illustrate a picture from the story of Jacob’s life. It could be how many children he had, him wrestling with an angel, getting married to two women. You choose.

Lesson 7: Joseph in Egypt

History Maker: Joseph

Scripture: Genesis 37—50

Highlighted Story:

• Genesis 37 Joseph has a dream and his brothers sell him into slavery • Genesis 45 Joseph reveals himself to his brothers

Timeline Figure: Joseph

Lesson Notes:

• The aim of this lesson is to see how God looked after the Israelites by sending Joseph ahead of them to provide a place of refuge in Egypt where they could grow and prosper. • At the conclusion of Genesis, 2369 years of Bible history ends. Joseph’s family tree can be traced all the way back to Adam and we can count the years from Jacob to Adam. So much of Joseph’s story is remarkable and you might choose to summarise his life or focus on one event.

“And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” Genesis 50:20

Joseph is sent before Israel to Egypt 1728AD (Rohl 1683AD)

Joseph was the ultimate rags to riches story. Sold as a slave at around 17 by his brothers, he rises to a position that places him second in charge of a mighty nation at around the age of 30. Joseph went through so much it can often seem like it’s just a good story, but Joseph was a real man. Scholars speculate that Joseph reined for 80

years during the Middle Kingdom (Twelfth Dynasty) of Egypt. He lived to be 110 years old.

A Famine in Egypt and Canaan

God is omnipotent. That means he knows all things. He knew that the famine was coming to Egypt. He interpreted Pharaoh’s dream for him. He told Joseph that his brothers would bow down to him. God had a plan and Joseph was listening.

The Land of Goshen

Israel was reluctant at first to move to Egypt but again God reaffirmed his promise to him. Jacob goes to Beersheba and makes a sacrifice to God. Here God speaks to him and says,

“I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” Genesis 46:3-4.

Goshen is situated at the north eastern region of the Nile Delta (find it on the map). It was a choice piece of real estate, the best of the land of Egypt, according to Pharaoh—that’s a pretty high recommendation. This was perfect for Israel’s family who were just seen as herdsmen and shepherds. Seventy people moved into Goshen. When they left, years later, approximately 3000 people go???

It is not clear exactly how many years the Hebrews stayed in Goshen, for there are two interpretations of when the Israelites were first in Egypt; One from Abraham’s sojourn there, and the other from Jacob’s arrival. The range therefore is from 215— 430 years.

One verse in defence of James Ussher's chronology, Galatians 3:16-17 seems to make reference to a 430 year period from Abraham leaving Haran to Moses receiving "The Law".

Joseph dies and is embalmed. He requests his bones would also be buried in Hebron (which Moses takes with him to the promised land Exodus 13:19).

Genesis Closes 1635BC (1590BC Rohl)

Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years and died at the age of 147. Joseph ordered Jacob’s body to be embalmed (the practice used for preserving mummies). The Egyptians mourned for him for 70 days. Jacob had made his sons promise that his body was to be buried in Hebron-Beersheba. This is where Abraham, Sarah, Rachael, Rebekah, Isaac, and Leah were all buried.

This ends the era of the patriarchs and the book of Genesis.

Questions to Ask

1. Can you find Egypt on a map? How close is it to Israel? 2. Who was Joseph’s father? How many brothers did Joseph have? 3. Why did Joseph go to Egypt? 4. What happened to Joseph when he got to Egypt? 5. Why didn’t his brothers recognise him when they met him in Egypt? 6. Why did Joseph’s family move to Egypt? 7. Where is the Land of Goshen? Is it good land?

Our Dates

• 1728BC Joseph sold into slavery • 1635BC Israel moves to Egypt. Genesis finishes.

Hands On Optional Activities

Lesson 8: Moses – Part A

Note: This is a long lesson and has been broken down into two parts. If this lesson comes close to Easter you could also use it as part of an Easter lesson. You may like to split it over 2 weeks.

History Maker: Moses and the Exodus

Scriptures: Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers and Leviticus

Highlighted Story: This period of history includes 4 books of the Bible. Here are three key passages.

• Exodus 2: Moses is born • Exodus 3: Moses is sent to save the people • Exodus 12: The Passover and the people leave Egypt.

Timeline Figure: Moses and the Ten Commandments

Lesson Notes

• Between 200 and 400 years have passed since Joseph’s death. • Moses was the leader who brought the people out of Egypt. • The celebration of the Passover dates from this time.

The Exodus

The story of Moses is a whole new era for the Hebrew people. Whilst the Hebrews are still in Egypt, in the region of Goshen, the blessings and favour that they found under Joseph’s pharaoh have been removed. They are now slaves.

Moses is born at a time when a ruthless Pharaoh orders the murder of all the male babies born to the Hebrew women.

Why does nobody remember Joseph?

Scripture says, “The pharaohs did not remember Joseph”. Why? Egyptian history tells us that the Egyptian kings had many takeovers and civil wars. It is possible that the dynasty ruling Egypt when Moses was born is a completely different dynasty (family line) to the Pharaoh of Jacob’s time.

Moses and Miracles

Moses is a testimony to the great power of God. His life is surrounded by many miraculous acts such as;

• He is saved by Pharaoh’s daughter (or sister) when he is taken from his basket as a baby. • He meets God at the burning bush. • He sends plagues on the Egyptians. • He parts the Red Sea. • He strikes the rock and water flows. • He meets God face to face and Moses’ face is so bright that he wears a veil.

The Passover and Easter

The Passover referred to the Angel of Death passing over each Jewish household. The Jews were instructed by Moses to place the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the doorpost of their house so as to avoid the death of their firstborn son. This historical one off event was to be remembered and celebrated by the Jewish people every year from then on.

This event had many symbolic features that refer not only to this event in history but also to Jesus. The sacrifice of an innocent lamb year by year also looked forward to the death of Jesus Christ some fifteen hundred years later. In God's continuing revelation to His people the eternal concept unfolded of one individual becoming a "lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53). Naturally, Christians understood this of Jesus Christ and wanted to remember it, as Jesus instructed the disciples.

Jesus was called "the Lamb of God" by John the Baptist (John 1:29, 36), and the New Testament verifies the symbolism. Paul, for example, wrote "Christ our Passover [lamb] is sacrificed for us" (I Corinthians 5:7).

It is no coincidence that Jesus died during the time of Passover! This is why Easter and Passover coincide.

What do all the plagues mean?

Some scholars believe that each of the plagues attacked a different Egyptian God.

Plagues Nile Blood Hapi god of the Nile, Isis goddess of the Nile and Khnum, guardian of the Nile. Frogs Heqet, goddess of birth usually depicted with a frog head. Gnats Set, the God of the desert. Flies Re, the sun god, whose symbol may have been a fly. Livestock death Hathor, goddess with a cows head and Apis the bull God. Boils Sekhmet who had power over disease, Sanu, the god of pestilence and Isis the goddess of healing. Hail Nut the goddess of the sky, Osiris god of crops and fertility and Set the God of storms. Locusts Nut the goddess of the sky and Osiris god of crops and fertility. Darkness Horus & Re the sun gods, Hathor a sky god and Nut the goddess of the sky. First Born Min the God of reproduction, Hequet, goddess associated with childbirth. Isis, goddess who protects children. Pharaoh’s firstborn—a god himself.

Questions to Ask

1. Name some of the miracles Moses performed. 2. Name some of the plagues on the Egyptians. 3. What was the reason for the Passover? 4. From what tribe were Moses & Aaron?

Lesson 9 Moses – Part B

History Maker: Moses and the Exodus

Scriptures: Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers and Leviticus

Highlighted Story: This period of history includes 4 books of the Bible. Here are three key passages.

• Exodus 13: 12 – 14:31 Israel comes to Mount Sinai • Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments are given • Numbers 13: The Promised Land

Lesson Notes

• Moses wrote, or edited, 5 books of the Bible. • The books of Exodus and Deuteronomy record the travelling through the wilderness and the giving of the Law.

Moses writes the Pentateuch

The term " Pentateuch” refers to the Five Books of Moses; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Old Testament authors affirm Mosaic authorship, as do numerous New Testament writers and the early church fathers. This does not mean that Moses didn't use other documents to write his books. Some scholars believe that Moses compiled a group of books of antiquity into one book—Genesis. They believe Moses also made a few editorial comments while doing this such, as mentioning the names used at the time of writing and the names used when Moses was writing. They also cite the closing signature sentences of the authors as evidence. If this is true we are reading the eyewitness accounts of these great men of the Old Testament. Moses death is also recorded in these books so someone had to have added that. Was it the writer of Joshua, the next book in the Old Testament - ?

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments is a set of rules written by the finger of God on two stone tablets and given to Moses for the people of Israel. How many of these commandments do you know?

Exodus 20:2-17

Exploring Canaan—The Land of Milk and Honey (Numbers 13:26).

Of the 12 spies who entered Canaan only Caleb and Joshua wanted to go in. Even though the Israelites had seen so much of God’s miraculous interventions in their lives they still refused to trust God. Because of this rebellion, God told them they were to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

Numbers 14:34-35

Life in the Wilderness.

While the Israelites wandered through the wilderness God provided for them and gave them food (manna). He also instructed them as to how they were to live and worship now that they had been separated unto Him. That is what the book of Leviticus is about.

The Tabernacle and Worship

Detailed instructions are given in Exodus for The Tabernacle (a transportable tent for worship and the glory of God) and how the people are to worship the Lord. Many rules were set down as to how the people should sacrifice to Lord and how the Tabernacle should be set up. 40 Bible History Makers by Michelle Morrow © 2020

There is much to study on this topic and it is really worth its own lesson, which we don’t have time for here.

A Holy Priesthood –The Levites

According to 1 Chronicles 6:1-3 Moses and Aaron were Levi’s great grandsons. Aaron, Moses’s brother, is appointed as the High Priest for the Israelites. The tribe of Levi is then set apart as the priests for the Jewish people.

Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement

Paul said the Jewish feasts and celebrations were a shadow of the things to come through Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:16-17

Yom Kippur is the most important date in the Jewish calendar. It is the time the high priest can enter the Holy of Holies. At this time two identical goats are brought to the Temple. One is sacrificed for the sins of all the Jews so they can be reconciled to God, the other goat (the scapegoat) is released into the wilderness to symbolically take away the sins of the people.

Yom Kippur is celebrated on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishri (September or October).

Leviticus 16:8-34; 23:27-32.

Jesus and Yom Kippur

The tabernacle and the temple clearly shows us how sin separates us from God. The veil (or thick curtain) between the Holy of Holies is the barriers of sin. When Jesus died on the cross this veil was ripped in two signifying the removal of the barrier through Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice.

Matthew 27:51

Jesus Christ became our High Priest once and for all. He entered heaven (the Holy of Holies), not from a goat sacrifice, but by his own precious blood on the cross. He obtained eternal redemption for us! As Christians we believe the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the completion of Yom Kippur, the final atonement for sin.

Hebrews 8--9

When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D the sacrifice could no longer be presented so the day became a day of repentance, self-denial, charitable works, prayer and fasting.

Questions to Ask

1. Name as many of the 10 Commandments that you can think of. 2. From what tribe was the Messiah promised? (Judah) 3. What is Yom Kippur? 4. What is a scapegoat? 5. What separates the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple?

Our Dates 1571—1451 BC

• 1571 BC Moses was born • Troy, Athens and Thebes were founded during these times. • Thothmes III, The Great, became Pharoah of Egypt and reigned 40 years. • Joshua, son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, was born. • Moses escaped Egypt and settled in Midian. • 1491 BC Moses goes back to Egypt.

Hands On

Own Picture Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 10: Joshua

History Maker: Joshua

Scripture: Numbers 13-14 and Joshua Chapters 1—24

Highlighted Story: Jericho

• Joshua 1: God appoints Joshua to lead the people into the promised land • Joshua 2: Rahab helps the spies • Joshua 5:13 –6: 27: Joshua captures Jericho

Timeline Figure: Joshua & Jericho

Lesson Notes:

• Focus your story on the accomplishments of Joshua. • The aim of this lesson is to understand that the book of Joshua is about conquering the land of Canaan. • We will see why this land is so important to “spreading the good news.” • The Israelites take possession of the land BUT they were not obedient to God’s command to drive out all the people of Canaan and this became a continual problem for them.

Who was Joshua?

Joshua was Moses assistant. Joshua went up the mountain with Moses when he received the Ten Commandments. He was one of the 12 spies who went into Canaan to see the land. Joshua and Caleb were the only spies who wanted to enter the land.

Why do you think God Choose this Place—The Promised Land?

Do you remember Noah cursed his son of Ham (Gen 9:24—29)? The people dwelling in Canaan were the descendants of Ham’s son Canaan. The invasion from the Israelites (descendants of Shem) was a fulfilment of the curse of Noah.

Canaan was the land promised to Abraham and his descendants.

Genesis 13:15

This was good land, the “land of milk and honey”. It was also a strategic location. It is located between Africa, Asia and Europe and would have been a common travelling route. It was a trade route and would not have been a backwater in the middle of nowhere.

Canaan was perfectly set up as a place to spread the word of God, in the days of Moses and in the days of Jesus. Today that land is called Israel.

Taking Possession of the Land – Joshua 6

The first battle we read of is The Battle of Jericho. God does a complete miracle in crumbling the walls of Jericho. Rahab, a woman in Jericho, helps the men who come to spy out the land. She acknowledges the Lord and is saved when the city is destroyed. She goes to live with the Israelites and is even mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus.

Rahab was King David’s Great, Great, Great Grandma.

Boaz ------Ruth

Jesse

King David

Jesus

Archaeologists Excavate Jericho

In the 1950's, archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon supervised excavation of the ruins of Jericho. She did not give much credence to the Biblical account of Joshua and Jericho, describing it as a 'folk tale' that was fabricated after the destruction of Jericho. The original dating seemed to refute the Biblical timeline of Jericho. The finds were dated again after it was discovered that Kenyon had committed an error in her own dating, the fall of the city was found to be around 1400 BC, consistent with the Bible.

The walls of the city were virtually indestructible. The city was surrounded by two walls both 8 meters high.

The Bible, states that the wall 'fell beneath itself' and the Israelites burned the city and everything in it. Findings indicate that is what happened. A mud brick retaining wall fell against a stone wall and it collapsed at the base. The evidence also showed a great fire leaving the city desolate.

More and more as archaeology develops, people discover that the finds they bring up support the Bible, the ruins of Jericho are among them.

Joshua makes a covenant with the Gibeonites

In Joshua, Chapter 9, The Gibeonites (Canaanites) deceive Joshua into making a treaty to not war with them. Joshua agrees. This is a direct disobedience to what God had asked of the Israelites. Do you think Joshua should have honoured his promise to the Gibeonites?

What was so bad about the Canaanites anyway?

God specifically told them to drive out all the inhabitants of the land.

Joshua 17:12-14

Driving Out the Nations

In Judges Chapter One we read how the tribes took possession of areas but failed to drive out all the Canaanites.

Judges 2:1-4

When Jesus came they were expecting a warrior to fight for their oppressors. Instead He showed them a better way. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Israel was called to be a Holy and Pure nation dedicated to God. If the people converted to worship and follow God would they have been spared? Rahab and Ruth both did and they are both in the lineage of Jesus.

Questions to Ask

1. What was so special about the land of Canaan? 2. Why didn’t Israel need to be afraid in battle? 3. What were the Israelites commanded to do when they fought the present people of Canaan? 4. Why did God want all of the Canaanites to be driven out of the land?

Our Dates

• 1451 BC Moses died and Joshua was made the leader of the Israelites. • Israel entered Canaan 41 years after the Exodus from Egypt. • Jericho was taken and the invasion of Palestine began. • 1451 BC Joshua defeated the five kings of Canaan. (Joshua 10) • 1413 BC The Book of Joshua concludes and the period of the Judges begins.

Hands On

Own Picture Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 11: The Judge Deborah

History Maker: Deborah—The Judge

Scripture: Judges 4 and 5

Highlighted Story: Judges 4: Focus your story on Deborah. It is a murder scene described in verse 21. Please pre read.

Timeline Figure: Deborah and Barak

Lesson Notes

• After Joshua died, the nation of Israel lacked leadership and many fell away from God and followed the God’s of other nations. They had not driven out the other nations completely as commanded. • A pattern develops that continue throughout the history of the Old Testament. The people wander from God and then they get oppressed, they cry out and God delivers.

The Time of the Judges

“A generation who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done.” Judges 2:10b

After Joshua died a group of elders who were around in Joshua’s lifetime continued to rule. But after they died the next generation did not continue to follow God and they started to follow the gods of Canaan along with the Lord.

Judges 3:1—6

Deborah A Mother in Israel -- the Fourth Judge

Deborah became known as “a mother in Israel”. She was regarded by the people as a woman of exceptional character, who used her skills to help the people and to

defend her nation. She identified with the people and her strong leadership aroused the leaders of the tribes of Israel to resist their oppressors, fight for their nation.

Judges 4: 1—4

Judges 5:7—Deborah’s Song

The Theme of Judges is Sin, Punishment, Repentance and Deliverance

The book of Judges runs over an approximate time of 300 years.

Israel rebellion leads to their suffering. And each time God sends a deliver to save them.

Sin: After Ehud died Israel again did evil in the site of the Lord

Punishment: The Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan.

Repentance: Cried to the Lord

Deliverance: God uses the woman Deborah to deliver the people.

Archaeology

A cuneiform tablet was found in Merneptah’s mortuary temple in Thebes, Egypt. It is dated to this period (1200 BC). The tablet is a eulogy to pharaoh Merneptah, who ruled Egypt after Rameses the Great. Of significance to Biblical studies is a short section at the end of the poem describing a campaign to Canaan by Merneptah in the first few years of his reign. One line mentions Israel: “Israel is laid waste, its seed is not.” Here we have the earliest mention of Israel outside the Bible. Two other cities that are mentioned in the Bible are also mentioned on this Tablet.

In 1992 a cuneiform tablet fragment was found at Hazor, addressed to a king named Jabin. The royal document indicats the name of Jabin was dynastic and in long use.

This is the name of the King mentioned in Judges during the time of Deborah.

Questions to Ask

1. Why did the next generation after Joshua not know God? a. NOTE: Can you see how important it is for us to not just rely on our parent’s faith in God? We have to know God for ourselves. 2. How did the people sin? 3. Why would they cry out to the Lord? 4. What did God do?

Our Dates

The chronology of the Judges is very uncertain because we are not told where overlapping of particular judges occurs. This is one possible alignment.

• 1417 BC Israel oppressed by Mesopotamia (Syria). It lasted for eight years. • 1405 BC The first judge, Othniel, ruled for 40 years. • 1325 BC Israel's second servitude by Elgon, king of Moab, lasted 18 years. Israel's second judge was Ehud. • 1285 BC Fourth Judge was Deborah and Barak and lasted for 40 years • 1245 BC.Fifth Judge, Gideon, ruled for 40 years.

Hands On

Own Picture Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 12: Last Judge

History Maker: Samuel the Prophet

Scripture: Samuel 1

Highlighted Story:

• 1 Samuel 3: Samuel called by God.

Timeline Figure: Samuel

Lesson Notes

• Samuel and Samson (Judges 13 – 17) were contemporaries. • Samuel was the last Judge of Israel • Samuel is thought to have written Judges, Ruth and most of Samuel I.

The Place of Samuel in Relationship to the Book of Judges.

It should be noted that the opening events recorded in 1 Samuel overlap historically with the end of the period in the Book of Judges. Samuel and Samson may have been judges around the same time. Saul began to reign approximately 35 years after Samson died (1051BC).

Samuel was a Prophet and a Nazarite—He heard God’s audible voice from his childhood.

Samuel, like Samson, was a Nazarite but the story of Samuel is far more of a success than Samson’s life. Samuel listened to God and he passed on God’s messages. He was a prophet.

I Samuel 3 tells the story of Samuel first hearing God’s voice. Even though what God told him was going to make Eli the priest sad, he still faithfully delivered God’s message. Throughout Samuel’s life he had to deliver both good and bad messages 50 Bible History Makers by Michelle Morrow © 2020

to the people of Israel. He chose King Saul. Later on he had to rebuke him and tell him that God had now rejected him as King. He anointed David as the next King of Israel.

A prophet is someone who speaks the word of God to people. In Old Testament days only certain people were anointed with the Holy Spirit to prophesy. Now, since we can all receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, it is available to all Christians. We can all hear from God.

Samuel was the last judge of Israel

With Samuel we see the end of the judges and move into the United Kingdom of Israel. He appointed his sons to be judges after him but his sons were not like their father. They were not honest and upright. The people requested a king and Samuel found one. His name was Saul. Samuel also found the second King of Israel. His name was David.

God and Samuel were disappointed with this request. The people were rejecting Samuel’s sons and God but God grants their request. 1 Samuel 12:14-15

Questions to Ask

1. About how old was Samuel when he first started to hear God talk to him? 2. Samuel was a Nazarite like Samson. Who can tell me something about a Nazarite? 3. Why did Israel want a king?

Lesson 13: The First King of Israel

History Maker: King Saul

Scripture: 1 Samuel 9—2 Samuel 4

Highlighted Story:

• 1 Samuel 8: Israel asks for a king • 1 Samuel 9 - 10: Saul becomes king • 1 Samuel 13: Saul rejected as king

Lesson Notes

• Saul was the first king in the United Kingdom of Israel. • Saul was rejected by God as king for his disobedience and David was put in his place.

Timeline Figure: King Saul

Israel requests a king

Up until Samuel’s time the Israelites had no king. They had to listen to God and Israel was ruled through a system of judges (a theocracy). The people were not doing a very good job of listening. Having a king, they thought, would make them “like everyone else” and help them in battle.

Again the people reject God and want to follow the ways of those around them. Was that a good desire? 1 Samuel 8:19-20

God was displeased with Israel for their request and Samuel the prophet told them. But again God promised that if they continued to serve the Lord faithfully he would continue to do great things among them.

With the establishment of human kings to rule, Israel’s theocracy ended and the Jewish monarchy began.

King Saul was foolish—he pretended to obey God.

1 Samuel 15:25-26

Saul was 30 years old when he became king and he ruled Israel for 40 years. He was extremely handsome and tall; just the type of king that you would want to see on the cover of a magazine.

However, Saul was foolish and thought that now that he was king he didn’t have to obey God’s laws anymore. Saul glossed over his sins and did what he wanted and hoped it would be OK—he was king after all! He offered sacrifices to God—even though he knew it was the priest’s job—because he was impatient for Samuel to arrive. He thought God would be OK with his impatience. The sacrifices were offered Saul said, wasn’t that the point. NO! Sacrifices were a job for the priest. Would it be OK for the groom to conduct a wedding ceremony if the minister wasn’t there?

Saul also disobeyed God when fighting with the Amalekites. God told Saul he was to destroy everything that belonged to the Amalakites but after the battle Saul kept their livestock and their king. When challenged by God he said, “but we sacrificed the best animals to the Lord”. If your parents told you not to take any biscuits out of the jar would it be OK to do it if you saved the biggest one for them?

When we fail to listen to God and start to make up our own rules everything draws us further away, and we find it harder to obey and easier to be tempted to do wrong. Saul changed God’s rules to suit himself and God rejected him as king.

After Saul was rejected by God he lost his confidence. Now he blatantly disobeyed God. Just before Saul’s death he even tried witchcraft to ask God what to do. At night he disguised himself and went to see a witch so she could tell him the future.

Saul fights David

Saul knows he has lost God’s favour and God has already chosen his successor David the shepherd boy from Bethlehem.

David is employed to play the harp for Saul. Saul recognises David’s favour with God and he becomes jealous and tries to murder David. For the last years of Saul’s life he spends much of his time pursuing David trying to kill him. In the end Saul falls on his sword after he is wounded in battle in a fight against the Philistines. Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, is made king by Saul’s chief army commander. Civil war between Israel’s tribes ensues. After two years Ishbosheth is assassinated and Saul’s kingdom is no more.

The Amarna Letters could be from this time in history.

Ancient letters, written to a Pharaoh, found in Armana, seem to pinpoint a Hebrew revolt in the central hill country of Palestine at the beginning of King Saul's reign and ending with the assault upon Jerusalem in the eighth year of King David. David Rohl, an Egyptologist, has matched the cuneiform names used in the letters with Hebrew names; Labaya (this name means lion, a name David often referred to Saul as) with Saul, Mutbaal with Saul's son Ishbosheth (both have the same meaning), Habiru with Hebrews, Dadua with David, Ayab with Joab David’s Commander, and Yishaya with Jesse/Yishai David’s father.

Questions to Ask

1. Why did Israel want a king? 2. Was Saul a good king or a bad king? 3. What are some things that Saul did? 4. How many of the tribes of Israel followed King Saul? 5. Why did God reject Saul as king? 6. How long was Saul a king? 54 Bible History Makers by Michelle Morrow © 2020

Our Dates

• 1125BC Saul born • 1095BC Israel requests a king. • 1063BC Saul rejected as king • 1055BC Saul dies

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 14: The Second King of Israel

History Maker: King David

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16, 2 Samuel—1 Kings 2

History Makers: King David

Scripture: 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 Kings & 1 Chronicles

Highlighted Story: King David

• 1 Samuel 16: David anointed as a king • 1 Samuel 17: David and Goliath • 2 Samuel 5: David becomes King over Israel

Timeline Figure: King David

Lesson Notes

• Tell the story of King David. • David was the greatest earthly king of Israel. • David wrote many psalms. • He was from the tribe of Judah and was the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel. • His Kingdom would have no end—this is fulfilled when Jesus comes.

The Son of Jesse

David was born in Bethlehem. He was Boaz and Ruth’s great grandson. This region is often referred to as the City of David, as is Jerusalem which is only 10km away.

God looks at the heart

Acts 13:22

David is chosen by God to be the next king of Israel after King Saul is rejected for his disobedience to God. Samuel is sent by God to Jesse’s house (Boaz and Ruth’s grandson) to find the next king of Israel. God chooses David, Jesse’s eighth son, a shepherd, and Samuel anoints him in a private ceremony.

God begins David’s training in Leadership

Shortly after this ceremony David is sent to the royal palace to be a harpist for Saul. He must have been pretty good! During this time he would have learnt about matters of the palace while living there.

David is Trained as a Warrior

On a visit home his father sends him to the Philistine warfront to give his brothers some food. While there he volunteers to fight Goliath the Philistine. All the other men of Israel are afraid of this giant warrior.

David is not fearful and chooses to fight Goliath with only a few stones and his slingshot.

1 Samuel 17:45-47

David is skilled in fighting.

1 Samuel 18:12-15

David enters the Royal family

David marries one of Saul’s daughters Michal. She is the first of his wives. He eventually has seven or more. At first, she loves him but when he becomes king she despises him. (I wonder if it had anything to do with the extra wives?).

David acts honourably

Shortly after David’s marriage to his daughter, Saul realises that David has the favour of God on his life and he becomes jealous. Saul begins a campaign to kill David. So David flees and for many years he lives as a fugitive in the hills around Israel with a growing group of followers. On two occasions David has the opportunity to kill Saul but he does not.

David becomes king

After Saul dies David is declared king by his tribe Judah. The rest of Israel follows Ishbosheth (Saul’s son) for two years until he is assassinated. David is then made King over all Israel. He was king over Israel for 40 years. He died at the age of 71. God promised to establish his kingdom forever. This was fulfilled when Jesus came. For Jesus was from the tribe of Judah and the House of David.

David makes Jerusalem the capital (2 Samuel 5-6)

David conquered ancient Jerusalem in approximately 1048-1046 BC and it became known as Israel’s capital. He also brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

Today Jerusalem is considered the holiest city in Judaism and Christianity and has been the spiritual centre of the Jewish people since King David.

The Old City is home to sites of key religious importance, among them the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.

The old walled city is divided into four quarters; the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters. In the course of its history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.

David prepared for a tabernacle to God (2 Samuel 7-8; 1 Chronicles 22)

David was a worshipper. Many of the Bible’s psalms are written by him. Perhaps his most famous is Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

David prepared all the materials for a tabernacle but God didn’t allow him to build it because he was a man of war.

1 Chronicles 22:7-10

David was not perfect (2 Samuel 11-19)

David was a mighty man but he was not perfect. Although David already had many wives he chose to steal another man’s wife called Bathsheba. When he found out that he had made her pregnant, he organised for her husband to be killed in battle. He then married Bathsheba.

When David’s sin was exposed to him by Nathan the prophet, he was very sorry and repented (Psalm 51). However there were consequences—the baby died and his own sons were rebellious and showed disrespect to each other. One tried to take over his kingdom.

In His mercy God gave Bathsheba and David another son, Solomon. He was the next King of Israel.

David had at least 8 wives and concubines.

Questions to Ask

1. Where was David born? Who else was born there? 2. Why did God choose David to be king? 3. How did David know he would beat Goliath? 4. Was David a good or bad king? 5. Where did David make the capital city of Israel? 6. Why didn’t David build the tabernacle to God. 7. Who became king after David?

8. How long did King David rule?

Our Dates

• 1085 BC David born • 1055 BC Saul Dies • 1053 BC Civil war in Israel • 1048 BC David King of United Israel • 1048 BC David makes Jerusalem the Capital • 1034 BC Solomon son of Bathsheba and David born • 1015 BC David dies

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 15: The Last King of United Israel

History Maker: King Solomon

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 22—Kings 11

Highlighted Story:

• I Kings 2: 1—12 Solomon becomes king • I Kings 3: 1—15 Solomon asks for wisdom • I Kings 3: 16—38 Solomon judges wisely • 1 Kings 11: 1—12 Solomon turns away from God

Timeline Figure: King Solomon

Lesson Notes

• At the end of this lesson the children should understand that King Solomon was the last king of the United Kingdom of Israel.

Solomon becomes King

King David had many sons; two of them, Absalom and Adjonijah felt that they had a right to the throne and tried to claim it from David when he was old. However Solomon, another son, was God’s choice and he was crowned and made King by his father. He reigned for 40 years and died around the age of 60.

Solomon’s Wisdom

As a young King, Solomon loved the Lord. One day he sacrificed “a thousand burnt offerings” to God. God was pleased and he appeared to Solomon in a dream inviting him to make a request. Solomon responds humbly by asking for wisdom to rule the kingdom. God was impressed—he not only promised wisdom, he also granted Solomon riches and honour that would be unequalled in his lifetime.

The Wisdom Literature in the Bible includes Ecclesiastics, Song of Songs and Proverbs. Solomon is thought to be the author of these books (some of Proverbs is written by other authors).

His great wisdom meant that Israel was established as a great power in his time. Solomon was respected by the surrounding kingdoms and his fame grew. One recorded royal visit was with the Queen of Sheba (possibly Ethiopia).

NOTE: Solomon did make some bad choices but later on in his life he repented and made his peace with God. This is recorded in the book of Ecclesiastics (if Solomon is the author).

1 Kings 10:23-29

He made many alliances with other countries and he also fortified key Israeli cities and developed extensive military defences that protected his kingdom.

Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 5-6; 7:15-51; 2 Chronicles 2-4)

David had wanted to build a permanent dwelling place for God in Jerusalem. He was forbidden by God because he was a warrior. God instructed David that his son would do it. So David collected many items for the temple and passed on to Solomon the written plans that had been revealed to him by the Spirit of God (1 Chron. 28:11, 12, 19).

Solomon began building the temple in the fourth year of his reign (1 Kings 6:1). It was completed seven years later (1 Kings 6:38). Solomon spared no expense. The temple built of stone was panelled with cedar and overlaid with gold. Although twice the size of Moses’ tabernacle it was similar in layout with two divisions: the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies which would house the Ark of the Covenant.

After its construction Solomon’s temple was the primary place for Jewish worship and sacrifices for over 400 years until it was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in 588BC. On the same site 70 years later, a second temple was built in the time of Ezra, and sacrifices again resumed. During the time of Jesus, King Herod greatly

enlarged and expanded the temple. The second temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD, by Titus.

To this day, traditional Jews pray three times a day for the Temple's restoration. During the centuries the Muslims controlled Palestine, two mosques were built on the site of the Jewish Temple. (This was no coincidence; it is a common Islamic custom to build mosques on the sites of other people's holy places.) Since any attempt to level these mosques would lead to an international Muslim holy war (jihad) against Israel, the Temple cannot be rebuilt in the foreseeable future.

The Wailing Wall—Kotel ha-Ma'aravi (the Western Wall)

The second Temple was destroyed by Rome in 70AD. (As Jesus predicted Matthew 24:1-2). Only one outer wall remained, this was not a part of the temple but it surrounded the Temple Mount. The Romans probably would have destroyed this section also but it seemed insignificant. This Western Wall is the only remnant of the Temple and it soon became a sacred holy hub of Jewish worship and prayer.

Many Jews made the pilgrimage to Palestine to pray at the Western Wall (Kotel ha- Ma’arvi in Hebrew). Their prayers were so heart felt that non-Jews called it the Wailing Wall—not a name the Jews use.

Over the years the Western Wall has been a place of continued hostility for the Jews. During Muslim rule Arabs used it as a garbage dump. After WWII the Wall was under the control of Jordan. Even though Jordanians had signed an agreement to give the Jewish people access to the wall, none had been allowed.

In 1967 The Six Day Israeli War allowed access again. The Israeli Defence Minister was one of the first men to get to the Wall. Here he revived the old tradition of inserting a prayer into the crack of the wall. His prayer was that peace would come to Israel.

Inserting prayers in cracks of the wall is so important to many Jews that Jewish newspapers in America offer services to place prayers in the Western Wall on behalf of others.

King Solomon’s Wealth

In 2006 archaeologists discovered King Solomon’s copper mines East of Jordan. The area of Khirbat en-Nahas – which means "ruins of copper" in Arabic – is located near the southern tip of the Dead Sea. This was once the land of Edom.

Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. Archaeological excavations show that Solomon had strong defences and chariot stables in cities surrounding Jerusalem. When Megiddo was excavated in the 1930’s they found stables built to house some of Solomon’s chariot force.

Solomon also developed trade relationships with his fleet of ships. Excavations in the region of Solomon’s harbor have uncovered shipping yards thought to be from Solomon’s time. The ships went as far as Ophir (possibly India or South Africa), stopping many times on the three year journey. On their voyage home they carried gold, silver, hardwood, precious stones, ivory, and animals.

Solomon’s Wives and Foreign Relations

To gain power and peace in a region, he would often make a treaty and part of the agreement usually included a royal wife. Whilst this may have been “wise to the world” it was not to God. These wives turned Solomon’s heart from God and angered God. 1 Kings 11:1-11

The Kingdom will be divided

Solomon’s unfaithfulness incurred God’s wrath. God told Solomon that the Kingdom of Israel would be ripped from his son’s hands and the united kingdom of Israel would be divided. 1 Kings 11:12-13

Questions to Ask

1. God came to Solomon in a dream and granted him a request. What did Solomon ask for? 2. Solomon says he will give him wisdom. What else does he promise to give him? 3. How many wives did Solomon have? 4. Was Solomon a good king or a bad king? 5. What did God tell Solomon would happen to Solomon’s son when he became King? 6. How long was Solomon king? 7. How many of the twelve tribes of Israel did Solomon rule?

Our Dates

• 1034BC Solomon, David's son by Bathsheba, was born. • 1015BC Solomon, son of David, became King of Israel. • 1004BC Solomon's Temple was built. (3000 years after Creation) • 975 BC Solomon died at age 60.

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 16: The Kingdom Divided

History Makers: Rehoboam and Jeroboam

Scripture: 1 Kings 12—14

Highlighted Story: 1 Kings 12: 1—24

Timeline Figure: Kingdom of Israel Divided

Lesson Notes:

• Tell the story of how Rehoboam lost most of his Kingdom to Jeroboam. • The aim of this lesson is to understand that the Kingdom of Israel is divided into two parts, the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

The Kingdom will be divided

Solomon’s unfaithfulness incurred God’s wrath. God told Solomon that the Kingdom of Israel would be ripped from his son’s hands. The kingdom of Israel would be divided.

Kings 11:12-13

The first King of Judah.

After the death of Solomon his son Rehoboam became king. Rehoboam’s mother was an Ammonite.

The people were unhappy with Solomon as he had placed heavy taxation on them during his reign. The people asked for some relief. Rehoboam decided to follow the advice of his young friends, instead of his elders and he increased the taxes in Israel and added more burdens on the people. This caused a rebellion in Israel and the kingdom became divided.

Ten tribes went and followed Jeroboam and moved northward to Galilee. They kept the name Israel, and are also referred to as the Northern Kingdom. Judah, and most of the tribe of Benjamin, stayed with Rehoboam and they became known as the Kingdom of Judah—the Southern Kingdom. Many of the Levites moved to the southern Kingdom from the rebelling northern kingdom.

1 Kings 12:13-14

Rehoboam was an evil king. During his 17 year reign he built high places, made idols and sacred objects and allowed perverted people to prosper in his kingdom.

Jeroboam I

The first King of the Northern Israel was not from the line of David.

Jeroboam was one of King Solomon’s servants, a mighty man of valour. One day he was leaving Jerusalem and a prophet came to him. The prophet took his own new garment and ripped it into 12 pieces. 1 Kings 11:31, 35-38

Now Solomon must have found out about this prophesy for he tried to kill Jeroboam but Jeroboam fled to Egypt. After Solomon’s death he returned to Israel and petitioned Rehoboam to ease the burdens on the people. When Rehoboam did not listen he lead a succession from the house of David and was crowned King of the Northern Kingdom Israel. The capital of Israel became Samaria.

He did not follow the Lord and was evil, as were the rest of the Kings of Northern Israel. He reigned for 22 years and set up golden calves (Baals), in Bethel and Dan, as images for people to worship, made priests of non Levite tribes and generally polluted Israel. Many priests returned to Judah, which at that time was not that much better. The Fourth king of Israel set up Samaria as the Capital.

The Kingdom of Judah

The tribe of Judah was the tribe of King David and Jesus. This was the blessing Judah received at the death of Jacob (Israel).

Genesis 49:8-12

The capital of Judah is Jerusalem.

The wealth of Solomon’s Temple is taken

Shishak the Pharoah, some say this is Rameses II, who invaded Judah stole much of the wealth of Solomon’s temple as part of a treaty with Rehoboam. Rehoboam replaced much of the gold with brass.

Archaeological digs have uncovered massive reliefs on the temple of Amun at Karnak. It depicts Shishak killing individuals, most likely Israelites, because the context includes a list of Israelite cites that were invaded.

Our Dates

• 975 BC Solomon died, Rehoboam becomes king and Israel divided. Jeroboam becomes King of Israel. • 971 BC Pharaoh Shishak invades Jerusalem • 958 BC Rehoboam dies. His son Abijah takes over. • 954 BC Jeroboam dies. His son Nadab takes over.

Questions to Ask

1. What is the reason the people rebel against Solomon’s son King Rehoboam? 2. How does Jeroboam realise that he will become King of Israel? 3. Was Rehoboam a good king? What did he do? 4. Was Jeroboam a good king? What did he do? 5. Israel is now divided into two kingdoms. On a map have a look at the split of the two kingdoms. 6. Which is the biggest kingdom the Northern or the Southern Kingdom? 7. What tribe is House of David from? What tribe is Jesus from?

Hands On

Own Picture Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 17: Northern Kingdom Israel

History Maker: Bad Kings of Israel

Scripture: 1 Kings 12-22; 2 Kings

Highlighted Story: We will focus on the worst King of Israel

• 1 Kings 16: 29—33 Ahab was a wicked king • 1 Kings 18: 1—46 Elijah defeats the prophets of Ahab and Jezebel (pre-read this story)

Timeline Figure: End of Israel

Lesson Notes:

• The focus of the story will be on Ahab, Jezebel and the prophet Elijah. • There were no good kings of Israel. • There were 19 kings of Northern Israel. • Israel’s kingdom ended after approximately 250 years. • The people were taken captive by Assyria and resettled.

The Kingdom of Israel

The united kingdom of Israel no longer exists and has now become divided into Northern and Southern Israel. The ten tribes who defected from the kingship of the House of David under Rehoboam make up the Northern Kingdom. They are usually referred to as Israel or Ephraim, since Jeroboam the man who led the revolt was from that tribe.

The Northern Kingdom was ruled by a total of 19 kings from 9 different dynasties. This kingdom was larger than Judah as it had the 10 tribes.

Not One Good King

Of the 19 kings of the Northern Kingdom Israel none were good. They were all bad. Israels monarchy suffered leadership takeovers, assassinations and suicides. One king lasted only 7 days. His name was Zimri.

The Northern Kingdom didn’t have Solomon’s temple to worship at, so Jeroboam set up some golden calves and shrines for the people to worship and told the people to worship these instead of going to the Temple. Over time the Israelites began to adopt many of the religious practices of the nearby people group, including sacrificing their children to the gods of these people.

Israel was morally corrupt and would not repent even though God kept trying to draw them back to him. The Kingdom of Israel lasts less than 250 years after they succeeded from the United Kingdom of Israel.

The Worst King of Israel Ahab and his Queen, Jezebel

King Ahab was one of Israel's most powerful and wicked kings. He was the son of King Omri who had reigned in Israel for 12 years. His wife Jezebel was despicably evil. She was a princess of Tyre (and a priestess of Baal), a neighbouring country, and persuaded Ahab to build an altar to Baal in Samaria and make Baal worship the “official religion”. 1Kings 16:30-33

This was a time of peace between Israel and Judah. One of Ahab’s daughter Athalia was married off to Prince Joram in Judah.

The well known story of Elijah killing all the prophets of Baal during the reign of King Ahab is an exciting story that shows how God was almighty. 1 Kings 18:20-40.

What Ahab wanted Ahab got, especially when Jezebel helped. When Naboth wouldn't sell his vineyard, Jezebel arranged for false accusations of blasphemy against the king. Naboth was executed and Ahab took possession of his fields. 1Kings 21:1-16

Ahab was so evil Elijah declared his entire family should be exterminated, but when Ahab repented God postponed the punishment until his death . Of his wife, God declared, "The dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel."

Ahab died in battle. As his chariot was being washed, dogs came and licked up his blood, a partial fulfilment of Elijah's prophecy in 1Kings 21:19. 1Kings 22:30-37

Archaeology of Ahab

The Moabite stone - "Omri, King of Israel" - King Ahab's father. Louvre Museum. (Figure 1).

The Seal of Jezebel. Israel Antiquities Authority Collection, exhibited at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. (Figure 2).

The Kurk Monolith/Stele of Shalmaneser mentions King Ahab. The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser mentions King Jehu. (Figure 3) Figure 1 Figure Figure 2 3

The Prophets of Israel

Elijah, Elisha, Amos and Micah were all prophets to the Northern Kingdoms of Israel. Even though the people and kings had totally turned their backs on God, He was trying to draw them back.

The prophet Jonah (the same Jonah who is swallowed by a whale) is also mentioned during the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25). He prophesied to King Jereboam II that Israel would recover its borders during his reign, and it did.

2 Kings 14:23-27

Jonah also goes to Nineveh the capital of Assyria to prophesy their destruction.

The End of the Kingdom of Israel.

Unfortunately Israel never repented and they were taken captive by the Assyrians, as prophesied by Hosea.

Hosea 11:3-5

Israel Kingdom ended 135 years earlier than The Kingdom of Judah.

After Israel Captured Samaria is Resettled

One other consequence of the Assyrian invasion of Israel involved the resettling of Israel by Assyrians. This group settled in the capital of Israel, Samaria, and to their new home they took their Assyrian gods and cultic practices.

The Assyrians resettlers (and a remnant of Israelis) became known as Samaritans and adopted the worship of Yahweh along with their Assyrian gods. Over the centuries they began to worship Yahweh exclusively. This greatly annoyed the Jews for two main reasons; one because the Samaritans were not of Hebrew origin and therefore were not the chosen people and two because they believed you could only sacrifice to Yahweh from the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Samaritan’s style of worship was still an issue during Jesus of Nazareth’s time. Hence the Samaritan woman saying to Jesus, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." John 4:19-20. The Samaritan people can still be found today around the region of Samaria.

Our Dates

The time frame of the reigns of the kings of Israel is difficult to determine with certainty. It seems that some kings co-ruled with their sons for a period of time and therefore the length of their reign can include the co-reign. Dates in Ussher often cross reference the reigns of the Kings of Judah.

Questions to Ask

1. On a map of Israel would you find the Kingdom of Israel in the North or South? 2. What is the capital of Israel? (Samaria) 3. Who did the people of Israel worship? 4. How many kings of the divided Israel were there? 5. How many of these Kings were good? 6. Name some prophets of Israel? 7. Who was the worst king of Israel? 8. Who are the Samaritans?

Our Dates

• 918 BC Ahab dies • 721 BC End of the Kingdom of Israel.

Hands On

Own Picture Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Map Work: Draw a picture of Southern and Northern Israel and label the capitals.

Lesson 18: Southern Kingdom Judah

History Maker: Kings of Judah and One Queen

Scripture: 1 Kings 12-22; 2 Kings; 1-2 Chronicles.

Highlighted Story:

• 2 Chronicles 22:10—24:2 Queen Athaliah and Joash • Consider reading some of the Messianic prophesies fulfilled by Jesus listed in this lesson.

Timeline Figure: End of Kingdom of Judah

Lesson Notes:

• Many of the stories of Kings and Chronicles overlap. This is because Kings I & II tell the stories of the kings of Israel and Judah. Chronicles focuses only on the kings of Judah. • All the kings of Judah were from the House of David. • There were 19 Kings and one Queen in the Kingdom of Judah. • Self proclaimed Queen Athaliah tried to kill off the House of David. • The Kingdom of Judah ended with the Babylonian invasion.

The Kingdom of Judah-The House of David

The kingdom of Judah was ruled by 19 kings and one queen. Its capital was Jerusalem. This kingdom lasted for 400 years and all the kings were from the House of David. Here God details His promise of a kingship for the house of David. 2 Samuel 7:12-17

The family of David ruled over Israel for more than four centuries (around 468 years), but their continued unfaithfulness eventually led to its demise and overthrow by King Nebuchadnezzar. Yet God made a promise that out of the “stump of Jesse” He

would raise up a new branch that would reign forever and ever. That “stump of Jesse” is Jesus. Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 11:1-2 and Luke 1:31-33

The Good and Bad Kings of Judah

Judah’s Kingdom lasted longer than Israel’s mostly because of the faithful character of some of the kings.

Hezekiah and Josiah were the best kings of Judah. They both led great revivals in the land and called the people back to worshipping God. They cleansed and repaired the Temple and reinstituted the Passover.

Some of the kings were both good and bad. These kings disobeyed God and made foolish decisions during their reign.

• Asa – returned the temple to worship • Jehosophat –Great king. Made a treaty with King Ahab in the North • Joash- King at seven and started well but was foolish in the end. • Amaziah • Uzziah-Faithful but went to worship as the high priest when he shouldn’t have and was struck down with leprosy. • Jotham

Judah had many bad kings also. Perhaps the worse was Manasseh, the son of King Hezekiah. He reigned for 55 years, the longest in Judah's history. He is said to have burned his son as an offering, practiced sorcery and consulted witches. II Kings 21:6 & 2 Chron. 33:6

In his last days he seemed to have repented of his evil ways. 2 Chron. 33:12

Joram was also a bad king. He killed all his brothers to secure his place on the throne. He married King Ahab’s daughter Athalia.

The Illegitimate Queen of Judah

Queen Athaliah was the only queen who ruled in Judah. She was not from the House of David. She was from the northern tribe of Israel, her mother was Jezebel, and her father was Ahab—remember the worst king of Israel.

Athaliah had been married to Jehosophat’s son who became King Jehoram. Her son, Ahaziah, was now king of Judah. When he died in battle she attempted to murder all of her grandchildren and children. One baby prince, Joash, escaped thanks to Jehosheba, the sister of the dead King and the aunt of Joash.

After executing all her possible rivals for ruling (or so she thought), Athalia immediately seized power and proclaimed herself the Queen of Judah. She was a wicked queen and she ruled for 7 years.

Jehosheba had smuggled the baby Joash into the temple to be looked after and protected by the high priest Jehoida, her husband. They kept his survival a secret for 6 years.

When Joash was seven the high priest crowned him king of Judah, and had Athaliah killed in front of the temple. The high priest then made a covenant with the people of Judah, saying they would be only God's people. They tore down all the altars of Baal and killed the priests of Baal.

Athalia was foiled in her efforts to keep the throne. She tried to wipe out the line of David and thus destroy God's plan of redemption, as the Messiah was to come from the House of David.

The Prophets of Judah: Isaiah and Jeremiah

During the reign of the kings of Judah God speaks to the people through various prophets. Two well-known prophets during this period are Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Isaiah, the son of Amoz, was probably a member of the royal family. He made his first public appearance during King Uzziah's reign (Isaiah 6:1). He ministered to the

people for about ninety years, during the reigns of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

Isaiah was God's spokesman to Judah at a time when the nation was immersed in sin. He urged the people to return to God and repent or else judgement would come upon them. He gave hope of a coming Messiah.

Here are some of the prophesies Isaiah foretold about the Messiah;

• he will be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:18-25) • he will make the blind see, the deaf hear, etc. (Isaiah 35:5-6) • he will be beaten, mocked, and spat upon. (Isaiah 50:6 & Matthew 26:67) • people will hear and not believe in the Messiah (Isaiah 53:1& John 12:37,38) • he will be rejected. (Isaiah 53:3 & Matthew 27:20-25) • he will be killed. (Isaiah 53:5-9 & Matthew 27:50) • he will be crucified with criminals.( Isaiah 53:12 & Matthew 27:38) • the Messiah is part of the new and everlasting covenant. (Isaiah 55:3-4 and Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6-13)

During Jeremiah’s time he saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the holy Temple. He had incessantly warned the people of Judah to mend their ways before it was too late.

Here are some of the prophesies Jeremiah foretold;

• The Messiah would be a descendant of King David (Jeremiah 23:5) • that the Jews would be scattered from their homeland and persecuted. The Jews would survive Babylonian rule and return home (Jeremiah 32:36-37) • Babylon would rule Judah for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11- 12)

Babylon took control of Jerusalem and began taking Jews as captives to Babylon as early as 599 BC. Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 588 BC. When the catastrophe finally overwhelmed his people, he was the one who bitterly lamented Israel's terrible

fate in the Book of Lamentations. He also inspired hope and courage, pointing them to a day when restoration and redemption would come to the people.

Habakkuk also complained about the stubbornness of the Jews and prophesied that God would send the Chaldeans into Judah. Hab 1:5-6

Archaeology of the Kings of Judah

In 1931 in a Russian Orthodox monastery located on the Mount of Olives, a first century AD inscription was discovered bearing the name of King Uzziah. The inscription reads: “Here were brought the bones of Uzziah, King of Judah – do not open.”

Uzziah was a leper so he was not buried with the other kings, but “near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, ‘he had leprosy’” (2 Chr 26:23).

Psalm 137

This song was sung by the Hebrews as they were led away from Judah. Their hearts were heavy as they had just seen the destruction of their land and temple.

Questions to Ask

1. What is the capital of the Kingdom of Judah? 2. How many kings were there in the kingdom of Judah? 3. What tribes were all the kings from? What family? 4. What did Queen Athaliah do? 5. How long did the kingdom of Judah last? 6. Name some prophets of Judah?

Our Dates

The timeframe of the reigns of the kings of Judah is difficult to determine with certainty. It seems that some kings co-ruled with their sons for a period of time and therefore the length of their reign can include the co-reign. Dates in Ussher often cross reference the reigns of the Kings of Judah.

• 808BC Isaiah is a prophet in Judah • 588 BC Kingdom of Judah ends.

Hands On

Own Picture Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 19: The Kingdom of Babylon

History Maker: King Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel

Scripture: 2 Kings 24-25 and Daniel 1-4

Highlighted Story:

• Daniel 1: Kingdom of Judah destroyed and Daniel taken captive. • Daniel 2: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream • Daniel 3: The fiery furnace

Timeline Figure: Nebuchadnezzar

Lesson Notes

• Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon’s Temple and burnt the city. He took many of the people into captivity. • Nebuchadnezzar was instrumental in God’s judgement of the Jews for their continued rebellion against Him. • Nebuchadnezzar’s statue dream foretells the great kingdoms that will rule prior to the Messiah’s kingdom.

King Nebuchadnezzar and the Exile

Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon (modern day Iraq). He built a powerful empire in the Middle East. During his reign he conquered the Assyrians and Egypt and now Nebuchadnezzar set his sights on Judah.

The Babylonian king took all of the

treasure from Solomon’s Temple and moved all the learned men, artists and nobles from Israel. Daniel and Ezekiel (Bible prophets) were in that group. Kings 24:12-17

This period, which actually begins around 597BC, is called the Exile in Jewish history.

The Kingdom of Judah Ends

After Nebuchadnezzar took control of Judah he set up another king to rule Judah— Zedekiah. This king rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar after a few years and the consequence was the complete destruction of Jerusalem. Zedekiah was taken captive, and had his eyes cut out by order of the king of Babylon, who made him a prisoner for the remainder of his life. The walls of the city were broken down and the temple was burned. The rest of the inhabitants of the city were taken to Babylon and only the very poor were left in Jerusalem.

In 586 BC, Judah itself ceased to be an independent kingdom, and the earlier deportees found themselves without a homeland, without a state, and without a nation.

We don’t know what happened to the Ark after this. Modern day Jews place the Torah in a sacred place to symbolise the ark.

God’s Judgement on Judah

God had repeatedly warned the Israelites that their rebellion and worship of other God’s would lead to their captivity. Jeremiah 27:6-8

Seventy Years of Exile

During the period of Exile God promises to return his people to Israel. Ezekiel 34:13

Babylon would rule over Judah for 70 years. Jeremiah 25:11-12

God shows favour (Daniel 1)

Daniel and his friends were captives from the first invasion of Jerusalem. They were to be trained for the work in the king’s palace. These men chose to remain faithful to God by refusing the delicate (non kosher) foods of the Babylonians.

At the end of their training, Nebuchadnezzar found their wisdom and ability to interpret dreams to be 10 times better than his magicians and enchanters. He gave these men a high office in his kingdom. This set up a tradition of Jews being in high office in foreign lands, i.e. Mordecai, Queen Esther and Nehemiah.

The Dream of a Great Statue (Daniel 2)

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him and Daniel interpreted the dream. It was about four mighty kingdoms that would reign until the rock destroys them all.

It is generally accepted in Christian teaching that:

• Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian kingdom is the head of gold • The Medes and Persians kingdom is the chest of silver • Alexander the Great and the Greek Empire is the belly and thigh of bronze • The Roman Empire is the legs of iron and feet of clay • Jesus is the rock.

Daniel 2:31-35

The Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3)

Nebuchadnezzar obviously liked that dream and built a statue of gold which he expected the people to worship.

Archaeology of Nebuchadnezzar

There is a great deal of archaeological evidence to support the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Common artefacts discovered from that time are bricks stamped with Nebuchadnezzar’s name.

There are several cuneiform texts that illustrate King Jehoiachin's rations from Nebuchadnezzar. These documents, now in Berlin, are lists of deliveries of food and oil to important people, and prove that the king of Judah received substantial rations.

Our Dates

From the reign Nebuchadnezzar most secular and Christian historical dates tend to be generally in agreement.

• 599BC - First Exile to Babylon involving King Jeconiah • 587BC - Second Exile Jerusalem destroyed. Temple destroyed.

Questions to Ask

• What is the Exile? • Why did God let Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem? • Who gave Nebuchadnezzar such authority? • What sacrifice did Daniel and his friends make? How were they rewarded by this? • What was the Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about?

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 20: The Medes & Persians

History Makers: Belshazzar, Daniel and Darius the Mede

Scripture: Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah

Highlighted Story:

• Daniel 5: Writing on the wall • Daniel 6: Daniel and the lion’s den

Timeline Figure: Persian King Cyrus

Lesson Notes:

• The Babylonian kingdom ends • The end of Israel’s exile.

The Kings of Babylon & Belshazzar

Nebuchadnezzar died and his son Evilmerodach rules (Jeremiah 52:31). Secular historians believe he is then murdered by his brother-in-law Neriglassar, who then rules. Labashi-Marduk his son rules for 9 months. Nabonidus then rules. When Belshazzar takes over is uncertain. He may have only been a crown prince. Cyrus conquers Babylon, setting Darius on the throne as an under-king. The season of Babylonian rule ended.

King Belshazzar a king of Babylon held a feast and drank from cups taken from the Temple of Solomon. During the feast, a human hand appears and writes on the plaster of the palace wall. Daniel was brought in to interpret the writing. He told Belshazzar that the writing meant that Belshazzar’s reign as King had ended and that it was to be given to the Medes and the Persians. That night the king was slain and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.

Daniel Chapter 5

Evidence of Belshazzar

Belshazzar had been known only from the biblical Book of Daniel (chapters 5, 7–8) and from Xenophon’s Cyropaedia (another ancient Greek historian). However, in 1854 archaeologist Sir Henry Rawlinson found The Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar (pictured above), while excavating at ancient Ur.

It describes how Nabonidus repaired three temples and mentions his son Belshazzar. According to the translators the cylinder states:

"As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me from sinning against your great godhead and grant me as a present a life long of days, and as for Belshazzar, the eldest son -my offspring- instill reverence for your great godhead in his heart and may he not commit any cultic mistake, may he be sated with a life of plenitude."

Secular chronologies record the names of three more kings before Belshazzar. Some Bible critics believe that this is evidence that the Bible chronology is wrong. There are number possible explanations for this apparent error. One is that the word for father used by Daniel can also be used to describe ancestor, or predecessor.

Daniel

Daniel was taken from Jerusalem and was now an old man in the kingdom of Babylon. His wisdom had obviously spread throughout the region for he is mentioned by a contemporary prophet Ezekiel and known to Belshazzar.

Ezekiel 14:14, 20 & 28:3

At the time of the Persian conquest of Babylon, when Daniel could not have been less than 80 years old, he was still retained by the new regime in a position of high

responsibility. In fact, he was made one of the three presidents who superintended the respective governors of Persia’s 120 provinces.

Daniel 6:1-2

Darius the Mede

According to Josephus, Darius the Mede (not the Darius mentioned in Ezra) was a relative of Cyrus the King of Persia. Although this name is not found in Persian records some feel that he might be Gubaru (mentioned in Persian records), a Mede, who was appointed by King Cyrus to be ruler in Babylon at this time. Gubaru was born in 601BC which would make him 62 years old when he invaded Babylon. Exactly the age found in Daniel 5:31.

It is thought that Darius may have a title of honour (rather than a proper name), meaning Holder of the Sceptre or The Sceptre Holder (King) of the Medes.

Darius the Mede sends the captives back to Jerusalem. He was probably fulfilling the instructions as laid out by Cyrus.

Daniel 6:25-27

Daniel and the Lion’s Den

Other officials in the new Persian Kingdom were jealous of Daniel’s status and conspired to kill him by tricking King Darius to declare an edict to enforce a ban on praying to any god or man except Darius. The king agreed. Daniel was distressed at the edict but this did not stop him from praying. He was arrested by his enemies and taken to the king and thrown into a lion’s den. The King realising he had been tricked went home and fasted. The next morning he raced to the lion’s den and called to Daniel. He was thrilled that he was still alive. He had Daniel removed from the lion’s den and Daniel’s enemies were thrown in and the lions quickly gobbled them up.

Daniel 6

Herodotus and Xenophon (ancient Greek historians), and Cyrus' own account support Daniel’s report that the capture of Babylon was without resistance. According to these historians the city was engaged in a riotous festival at the time of the capture.

The Nabodinus Chronicle (pictured right), records that Nabodinus brought all of the gods from the other cities into Babylon to reinforce the city's defences - hence, the appropriateness of Belshazzar and company sitting around and praising the various gods.

Questions to Ask

1. What kingdom takes control of Babylon after Belshazzar? 2. What are the Jewish captives allowed to do according to Darius the Mede and Cyrus? 3. Why was Daniel thrown into the lion’s den? 4. What happened to Daniel’s accusers?

Our Dates

• 562BC Nebuchadnezzar dies. • 555BC Nabonidus rules. When Belshazzar takes over is uncertain. He may have only been a crown prince or co-regent. • 539BC Cyrus conquered Babylon, setting Darius on the throne as an under- king. The season of Babylonian rule ended.

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 21: The Temple Restored

History Maker: Zerubbabel, King Cyrus and King Darius

Scripture: The Book of Ezra 1-6

Highlighted Story: Ezra 3

Timeline Figure: Temple restored

Lesson Notes:

• King Cyrus returns the people to their homelands • A remnant returns to Israel to rebuild the temple • The temple in completed under King Darius.

Cyrus the Great

God works in mysterious ways. King Cyrus is not a Jew but he declares that he has been appointed by the LORD of Heaven to rebuild the temple.

Cyrus is a gentile, a non Jew, yet he still follows God.

Ezra 1:2-4

Cyrus was the great King of Persia who overtook Babylon. In the 5th century BC, Greek historian, Herodotus records the story of how Cyrus escaped death at the time of his birth and how he was brought up by a shepherd who wasn’t his father. Nearly 160 years before King Cyrus was even born, God declared to the prophet Isaiah that he would raise up this man, a shepherd, to rebuild his city. Even though at the time of Isaiah, Jerusalem was prospering and would not be destroyed for another 100 years by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon.

Isaiah 44:28 Ezra 1:1-4

The second part of Isaiah’s prophecy states that Cyrus would declare Jerusalem and the temple to be rebuilt.

Persians and Medes Chest of Silver

According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the Jews in Babylonian captivity showed Cyrus the prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures which contain his name and described his role in the scheme of God. Josephus says that it was this circumstance that motivated the ruler to fulfil what was written, and thus to issue his edict permitting Israel’s return to her homeland.

Archaeology Cyrus Cylinder

Excavations at Babylon (1879-82) led to the discovery of a clay barrel, known as the Cyrus Cylinder (pictured right).

The inscriptions on the barrel portray the benevolent policies of Cyrus in the following fashion:

“All of their peoples I gathered together and restored to their dwelling-places.”

The Exiles Return

It is approximately 70 years since the first set of Jews were taken to Babylon. The exiles return to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel was the governor (leader) of the children of Israel and he was also a descendant of King David. Zerubbabel was the man who led the first group of captives back to Jerusalem. We read about this return in the early chapters of Ezra.

About 50,000 people returned with Zerrubabel. The Bible calls this very small group a remnant. Fifty thousand people may seem like a large number, but it was not in comparison with the estimated 2 million Hebrews who came into the promised land with Joshua (see Numbers 26:51). The Remnant was less than 1% in size.

The Temple to be Rebuilt

When the Jews returned to the land, their first job was to rebuild the temple.

When the Jewish remnant returned to the city of Jerusalem nothing was left of the temple except ashes, heaps of stone and rubble. These Jews had a great work to do!

Opposition to Rebuilding

The Samaritans begin by wanting to help build the temple. They worship Yahweh as well they say. The Jews won’t let them help. The Samaritans try to stop the rebuilding. Their plans worked temporarily and the Jews had to stop building.

There was conflict in the Persian Kingdom during this time. Rulership changed a few times and it took a while to stabilise. One king orders the building to stop – Smerdis??

Building Restarts (Ezra 4)

This is the period of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The Jews reapply to start building the temple as guided by the prophets. King Darius blesses the project and they restart building.

No dates are given in the Bible as to how long they broke from building the temple. Dates have been worked out using secular Persian king’s chronology. The Bible’s account is matched with the secular Persian documents by historians. These matches are educated guesses and are not universally accepted.

A Mistake in the Bible—Chronology of the Kings in Ezra

The appearance of Artexerxes’ letter in Ezra 4 does not seem to fit in with the Persian kings lists, for Darius reigns after Artexerxes not before. Some have suggested that the King Artexerxes mentioned here might be King Cambysis or King Smerdis the Imposter. Both of these kings ruled prior to Darius. There is no

archaeological evidence to support this except that Persian kings went by a variety of names. Another suggestion is that the Ezra 4 letter to Artaxerxes was placed in Ezra 4 as a parenthetical comment since the topic of discussion was opposition to building. Both these explanations can explain the apparent mistake. (Cited Kingly Chronology in the Book of Ezra by Eric Lyons ©2005)

NOTE: Although most kids won’t care about this exegesis, I think that it is helpful for them to know that an apparent mistake usually has an explanation. Many mistakes in the Bible can be attributed to the conflict between secular findings and the Bible.

A New Temple

From the dimensions given in Ezra 6:3, the second temple appears to have been slightly larger than Solomon's Temple. However Haggai says that it was quite inferior in construction. (Hag 2:3)

The temple vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar were returned by Cyrus (Ezra 1:7, 5:14, 6:5) and used in the rebuilt temple. The Bible does not mention the Ark of the Covenant in relation to this temple. If it did still exist, it was not returned from Babylon. However, it may have been lost when the first temple was burned. Secular history confirms that the second temple did not contain the Ark.

Over the next 500 years, Zerrubabel's temple was also ransacked and defiled several times. This temple is the temple that Herod renovated around the time of Christ. It was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans.

Questions to Ask

1. What does King Cyrus say God has appointed him to do? 2. What did the Babylonians do to the temple (house of God) which Solomon had built (2 Chronicles 36:19)? 3. How many people returned to Jerusalem? 4. Who starts building the new temple? Why does the building of the temple stop? Why do they start again? 5. Who was Zerrubabel?

Our Dates

• 537BC First exiles return from 70 years of captivity. • 535BC Altar and foundation of the Temple begins • 529BC King Cyrus dies

Hands On

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 22: Israel’s Walls Rebuilt

History Maker: Ezra 7-10 and Nehemiah

Scripture: Ezra and Nehemiah (Originally just one book)

Highlighted Story:

• Nehemiah 1: 1 Nehemiah finds out about the state of Jerusalem • Nehemiah 2 – Nehemiah decides to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem

Timeline Figure: Jerusalem wall restored

Lesson Notes:

• Ezra returns to institute reforms • Nehemiah returns and the Jews work together to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem • The end of the Old Testament

The Second Return Under the Leadership Of Ezra (Ezra 7-8).

About 60—80 years after Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem, another group of Jews returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra the High Priest.

This was a much smaller group of people (about two thousand). They had permission from King Artaxerxes (possibly the son of King Xerxes—Queen Esther’s husband).

Ezra attempts to restore the spiritual state of Jerusalem. The Jews are told to get rid of any foreign wives and children (this is a hard one to explain). God wants a pure and holy nation. (You can take this opportunity to reemphasise the importance of choosing a Christian spouse if you want).

The Third Return to Jerusalem

The book of Nehemiah is a personal account of his journey back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city.

Points to emphasise in Nehemiah’s story are:

• He heard of the dire circumstances of the remnant who had returned to Jerusalem • He prayed and fasted to God • He asked the King if he could return • He surveyed the gates • He got everyone working together even when there was great opposition. • He desired to see a renewed devotion to the Lord. • He enforces the Sabbath and has Ezra read the law to the people.

Nehemiah 13:30 52 days to rebuild the walls.

Dealing and the Difficulties

Nehemiah’s project of restoring Jerusalem was fraught with difficulties. He had:

• to get to Jerusalem (Neh 1 & 2) • opposition from the Samaritans who did not want Israelites gaining power again (Neh 3 & 4) • to worry about the rich Jews taking advantage of the poor (Neh 5) • trickery of false prophets (Neh 6) Sanballat said you are trying to become King • to purify Israel (Neh 9-13)

Archaeology

In 200, Dr Eilat Mazar, one of Israel's top archaeologists claims to have found remnants of Nehemiah’s wall.

Nehemiah Returns and Israel Needs to Repent Again

Throughout the Old Testament we see the constant cycle of the people rebelling against God, calamity strikes and the people grieve over their sins and God comes to their rescue.

• Nehemiah leaves and goes back to Babylon. When he returns he finds that the people are again falling in to sin. • Elishab the priest has given Tobias a room in the Temple. • The Levites were being cheated and not being given their portions of wine, grain and oil and therefore they needed to go out to work instead of attending the temple (see Mal 8:6-12). • The Sabbaths were not being honoured. • Jews were again marrying non Jewish women. • As Nehemiah ends we see that the Jewish people have no king.

Malachi the Prophet

In Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, Israel’s unfaithfulness continues. The covenant of law and sacrifice is constantly being tested and the people of Israel find themselves unable to live up to the law.

The Jews are now on the lookout for The Second Elijah and who will proceed the Messiah. Malachi (4:5-6)

Jesus identifies John the Baptist as the one predicted. Matt 11:14—17:9-13

The End of Old Testament

Nehemiah is the last historical scripture of the Hebrew Canon. Although Esther is the last book that appears in the historical books in our Bibles the events of Esther happened before Nehemiah. So now we come to the end of Hebrew scripture. We do not have any more historical scripture in our Bibles until The New Testament.

Note: The Apocrypha has some historical books written by Jews. I and II Maccabees records the Jewish rebellion against the Greeks. We will look at this historical period when we study the Greek Empire. The Apocrypha is not accepted as scripture in the Jewish Canon or Protestant Bibles but it does appear in Catholic Bibles. It was written in Greek not Hebrew.

Our Dates

• 486-465BC Persian King Xerxes I • 473BC Esther is Queen of Persia • 465-425BC Persian King Artaxerxes • 45 BC Second exile group returns to Jerusalem • 445BC Third exile group returns. Nehemiah Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem • 440BC Book of Ezra written • 433BC Nehemiah returns and institutes Reforms • Prophet Malachi

It is approximately 400 years before Jesus is born.

Questions to Ask

1. Who was Ezra? 2. Who was Nehemiah? 3. Were the people faithful to God after Nehemiah leaves? 4. Why did they need a wall? 5. Is it hard to obey God? 6. What is the last historical book in the Bible? 7. What is the name of the last prophet of the Old Testament?

Hands On Optional Activities

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 23: The Greek Empire

History Maker: Alexander the Great, Maccabeus and Cleopatra

Scripture: The Apocrypha Maccabeus I

Note: The Apocrypha is not accepted as scripture in the Jewish Canon or Protestant Bibles but it does appear in Catholic Bibles. It was written in Greek not Hebrew. For the purpose of this lesson we will only be using it as an historical reference document.

Highlighted Story:

• Maccabeus 1: The Greeks rule of Judah • Maccabeus 4:52 – 61 Rededication of the temple

Timeline Figure: Menorah

Lesson Notes: (PowerPoint Available)

• The intertestamental period • Greece, the third kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream begins • The Apocrypha • The hellenization of Israel • The Maccabean revolt and Hanukkah

The Intertestamental Period

The intertestamental period is a term used to refer to a period of time between the end of the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is traditionally considered to be around 400 years between the time of Malachi and John the Baptist.

I Maccabees is a book written during this period. It appears in the Apocrypha and it tells the story of how Jews fought for independence from their Greek overlords. It is highly regarded for its historical accuracy.

Septuagint and Apocrypha

The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament and the Apocryphal books. The Septuagint was commissioned around 300-200BC because many Hellenistic Jews who spoke Greek could not understand Hebrew. This Greek version was said to be compiled by about 70 Jewish scholars. The term septuagint means 70 in Latin.

The Apocrypha is a protestant term referring to a group of books that appeared in the Greek Septuagint but did not appear in the Hebrew canon. During the 16th century, Reformation Bible translators, such as Luther, believed that although these books were written by godly men, and were useful and good to read, they were not inspired by God. These books and passages were then put in a separate section of the Bible and labelled the Apocrypha. Today these books are left out of most protestant Bibles. In the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Church these books still appear.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Belly and Thigh of Bronze.

In Nebuchadnezzar’s statue the Greek empire is the belly and thigh of bronze.

Alexander The Great

Alexander the Great was a prince. He was born in Macedonia, a small country north of Greece, July 356BC. Alexander was taught by Aristotle, a Macedonian, who had lived for a very long time in Greece.

It was Aristotle, more than any other teacher, who taught Alexander to greatly respect the Greek way of life. Alexander spoke their language, worshipped their gods and knew their history. As a boy he dreamed of teaching everyone, everywhere, about the wonderful Greek culture he knew and loved so well.

As the son of a king, Alexander was trained to be a ruler and a warrior. He was taught that his job was to expand the Macedonian empire, and to rule at all times with a firm hand.

Alexander conquered many places in the Mediterranean, including Greece and Egypt.

In each conquered land he introduced Greek literature, myth, dance, language, money, medicine, art, and theatre. As he did with the Greeks, he allowed conquered people the opportunity to run their own country as long as they were loyal to Alexander. The people who refused were killed.

Alexander never lost a battle. Before his death, he had built over 70 cities, and had conquered the entire known world in the Mediterranean region. His empire stretched all the way to the Indus River (in Pakistan). He probably would have pushed on, perhaps even to China, but one day, while out boating, he became quite ill and died shortly after. It was only about a month before his 33rd birthday.

Hellenisation

Hellenisation is a term used to describe the spread of ancient Greek culture and language during the campaigns of Alexander the Great of Macedon. Countries that were under the rulership of Ancient Greece were encouraged to adopt Greek culture and practices. Due to Hellenistic reforms the Greek Language spread. This set the stage for a widespread communication through Greek language and literature.

The Maccabean Revolt

During the time of Greek dominance in Palestine the Jewish Temple was seized by Antiochus Epiphanes and dedicated to the worship of Zeus, the Greek God. The sanctuary itself was laid waste, Jewish sacrifices were forbidden and the altar was defiled, as pagan sacrifices such as pigs were slain there.

Greek soldiers then went throughout the Jewish villages forcing the people to bow down to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig (a practice forbidden by Jews). In a town near Jerusalem the high priest Mattathias refused to obey the edict. Another villager stepped forward and offered to participate. Mathathias was furious and he killed the villager and the Greek soldier.

Mathiathias and his family then fled into the hills of Jerusalem, many Jews joined them. This group led a guerrilla type war against the Syrian-Greeks soldiers. The rebels became known as the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans.

The Maccabees eventually gained control of Jerusalem and returned to the temple.

To cleanse the temple from its defilement they decided to burn holy oil in it. Some Jewish texts include add that their was only enough oil for one day of burning but they lit it anyway, to their surprise the oil burned for eight days. This is the miracle of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah-The Festival of Lights

In Hebrew, the word “hanukkah” means “dedication.”

Although not an important celebration on the Jewish Nine-branched menorah, known calendar it has become more popular due to its in Hebrew as the hanukiah closeness to Christmas. Jewish children receive gifts for the eight days of the festival. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November—December on the secular calendar.

Questions to Ask

1. Who was Alexander the Great? 2. What was Hellenisation? 3. Who was Judas Maccabes? 4. What is Hanukkah? 5. What is the Septuagint? 6. Who was Cleopatra? 7. What was the Apocrypha? 8. How was the Temple defiled? 9. What time of year do the Jews celebrate Hanukkah?

Our Dates

• 333BC - Alexander invades Israel • 332BC - Alexander takes Jerusalem & founds the city of Alexandria in Egypt • 323BC - Alexander dies in Babylon • 304BC - Ptolemy captured Jerusalem • 285-247BC - Ptolemy II Philadelphus, commissioned the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek - the Septuagint • 168BC - Antiochus IV Epiphanes prohibited Judaism and desecrated the Temple, this triggered the Maccabean Revolt • 165BC - Judas Maccabaeus rededicated the Temple • 51-31BC - Cleopatra VII, last ruler of the Ptolemeic (Greek dynasty)

Hands Up

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.

Lesson 24: The Romans

History Maker: Caesar, Cleopatra, Herod

Scripture: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John

Highlighted Story:

• Matthew 1: 1 – 17 Since this is the last lesson in this series you may like to read out the genealogy of Jesus as this mentions many of the people that have been studied in this resource. • Matthew 1: 18 – 2: 22

Timeline Figure: Jesus born

Lesson Notes:

• The Roman’s occupy Israel • Augustus Caesar orders a census • Jesus is born • The New Testament begins

Cleopatra and Octavian

After the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided up by four of his generals. Ptolemy, a Macedonian general, was the successor who acquired Egypt. From him the Ptolemaic Dynasty began and ruled for three centuries. Cleopatra VII was the last and generally most well-known of the Ptolemaic rulers (Greek Empire).

Although there were numerous Cleopatras, she is the one who made the name famous. Cleopatra reigned with the political support of the Roman leader Julius Caesar, with whom she had a son, Caesarion (Ptolemy XV). After Julius Caesar was assassinated in Rome, Cleopatra became involved with the Roman general Marc Antony—a love and power relationship that lasted for 10 years. It ended when the forces of Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian (Julius Caesar’s

nephew). After Cleopatra, 39, and Antony, 53, both committed suicide (she by having a poisonous snake bite her), Egypt was absorbed by the Roman Empire and Caesarion was killed by order of Octavian.

Augustus Caesar

Octavian, the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar, was born on 63BC in Rome. After Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, the 19 year old Octavian learned from his great uncle's will that he had both been adopted and made heir. Octavian, later became known as Caesar Augustus—is only mentioned once in the Bible, when he ordered that a census be taken of the Roman world. That census was instrumental in the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), rather than in Nazareth where Joseph and Mary lived. Luke 2:1-7

Nebuchadnezzar’s Legs of Iron and Feet of Clay—Rome

Rome, the fourth empire of Daniel’s prophecy, was rising in power from around 200BC. One by one the nations fell to Rome, first Macedonia, then Greece, Asia Minor, Europe and Britain.

Countries conquered were often allowed to have local government for a time which later would be replaced by Roman rulers. People seized in conquered countries were sold as slaves by the hundreds and thousands, all menial tasks were performed by these slaves. Roman conquest continued with the conquering of Palestine under the Roman general Pompeius who subdued Jerusalem in 63BC.

Herod the Great Takes Control of Jerusalem

Herod (the Great), son of Antipater and friend of Mark Antony, went to Rome and got himself appointed as a vassal king under Roman authority, called "King of the Jews" although he himself was of Edomite descent –from the family of Esau, Isaac’s son . Herod passed himself off as a Jew, and would not eat pork.

He was a cruel ruler. He murdered his favourite wife, her father and brother. He executed one of his most trusted friends, his barber, and 300 military leaders—on

one day! He also killed three of his sons, suspecting them of treason. Josephus tells us that "Herod inflicted such outrages upon (the Jews) as not even a beast could have done if it possessed the power to rule over men" (Antiquities of the Jews 17:310).

Temple Renovation

Herod's Temple was actually a major restoration and enlargement of Zerrubabel's temple. One source says that Herod put 10,000 men to work and trained 1000 priests as masons so that they could work on the most sacred parts of the temple. The main building work commenced in BC19, and finished 10 years later. However, decoration work continued for many years after that. In the time of Jesus, the building project had been in progress for 46 years (John 2:20). It was finally completed about AD64, six years before its destruction by the Romans.

On the day of the crucifixion of Jesus, an earthquake shook Jerusalem, including the Temple site. Other damage is not recorded, but Matthew does tell us that the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom (the entrance to the Holy of Holies). Matt 28:51-2

A generation later, in AD70, it was destroyed by the Roman army led by Titus and Vespasian. Just as Jesus said, "there was not one stone left upon another." (Matthew 24:1-2) To complete the destruction, the Roman General, Turnus Rufus, had the site ploughed. (Micah 3:12)

Josephus says that, in return for a promise of mercy, some of the golden vessels and instruments of the Temple were handed to Titus by one of the priests. They were taken to Rome, where they were installed in a "Temple Of Peace", built by Vespasian.

John the Baptist is born

Into this period of time God begins preparing the way for the birth of the Messiah. John the Baptist is born from an old barren wife and his father is a priest. John the Baptist, Jesus’ second cousin, begins his ministry heralding the way for Jesus.

Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 1:67-80, Matthew 17:11-13

• John baptised people for their sins (including Jesus) • He is beheaded by the order of Herod Antipas (Herod the Great’s son). • He is recorded in Jewish history by Josephus.

The New Testament Begins

With the coming of the Jesus a new covenant begins for the descendants of Abraham. John the Baptist is the herald. The new covenant did away with the old Jewish laws of sacrifices and genealogy. It focused on the spiritual descendents of Abraham, by way of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the prophets, and Jesus Christ (their prophet, priest, and king; Hebrews 1:1-4).

Everyone in Christ was a Levite in the new order (1 Peter 2:5), and not only Jerusalem, but the whole world was being sanctified by the miraculous outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit.

Questions to Ask

1. Who was the ruling power during the time of John the Baptist? 2. Who was Herod? Was Herod King of the Jews? 3. When does the New Testament begin?

Our Dates

• 100-44BC Julius Caesar • 63BC Roman occupation of Palestine. • 20BC Herod the Great starts to renovate and extend Jewish temple • 4BC Jesus is born

Hands Up

Own Picture: Have a child draw their own picture to illustrate the lesson.