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The Ancient Hebrews

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The Ancient Hebrews 1 Please study the Ancient Jewish History Timeline in your notebooks and read this brief overview of a few of the major events in the Ancient History of the Jewish People. It will help in your preparation to learn in the lecture on Rabbinic Judais The Ancient Hebrews The biblical stories of the Bible first tell us of the Creation of the World and all that exists on and around the earth. The stories of Adam and Eve, the flood, the spread of human existence and development of societies of tribes lead to the Hebrews and Abraham, the first monotheist. In Genesis 15, Abraham receives a message from God in which he forms a covenant with The Almighty. He is promised that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and that they would receive the land on which he stood, the land we now know as Israel. The Israelites' name came from Abraham's grandson, Jacob, whose name was changed to "Israel" (God‐ Wrestler) after a mysterious struggle with an angel of God, as told in Genesis 32:22‐31. For centuries the Hebrew people, like all humans on earth, led tribal agricultural lives. Through a series of events, the Israelite people became enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. Moses, a part of the ancient tribe of Hebrews, rose up with the guidance of God to lead his people out of Egypt and eventually to the land promised to Abraham. The Torah was given to the Israelitest at Sinai, bu then followed forty years of wandering in the desert during which a new generation was born. Moses died before entering the Promised Land, but the people, led by Joshua, entered the land of Israel, where they remained for the next 1500 years. As the Israelites grew in number, they formed a society based on the ethical teachings of Torah and guided by Judges and Kings. They also fought to defend their land from other nations seeking access to Israel's favorable location. As with many other primitive cultures, animal sacrifice was an important part of religious expression. It was only allowed at the Temple built by King Solomon in Jerusalem (950 BCE). With the destruction of the First Temple (586 BCE) by the Babylonians and the exile to Babylonia, a rich new approach of study and prayer was begun. After 70 years, the Edict of Cyrus allowed many of the Israelites to return to their land and the building of the Second Temple was completed by King Herod. By that time, prayer was beginning to replace sacrifice and places of worship were being built throughout the land. In 70 CE, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, and the Israelites advancede into th era of Rabbinic Judaism, when prayer was formalized and many of our most sacred texts were codified. 2 3 History of Jewish People Timeline 2000 BCE: Abraham leaves Ur to travel first to Haran, and then to Canaan 1800 BCE: Reign of Hammurabi in Babylon; Hammurabi writes major law code 1600 BCE: Hittites invade Babylon and end the Hammurabi dynasty; Joseph goes down to Egypt 1600‐1400 BCE: Hittites war with Egypt Sometime between 15001300 ‐ BCE: Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt 1200 ‐ 1050 BCE: Settlement of Canaan by Israelites, according to Bible 1200‐1100 BCE: The period of Joshua, Judges, and the conquest of Canaan 1279‐1212 BCE: Reign of Ramses II, known for waging numerous wars as well as his great building enterprises 1029‐1007 BCE: Reign of King Saul 1000 BCE: David anointed as the king of a unified Israel 967 BCE: Death of king David; beginning of the rule of Solomon 965 BCE: Solomon begins building the Temple in Jerusalem; it is completed several years later About 950 BCE: First Temple built 928 BCE: Death of King Solomon; Kingdom of Israel divided into two mini states: Israel and Judah 776 BCE: World History: First Olympic Games held in Greece 722 BCE: Northern Kingdom of Israel destroyed by Assyrians; exile of the "Ten Lost Tribes" 701 BCE: Siege of Jerusalem by Assyria, failed 597 BCE: Siege of Jerusalem by Babylonia; resulted in a Babylonian supervised government in Judea 586 BCE: Judah defeated by Babylonians; Jerusalem and Temple burned to the ground; exile of the leaders of the Judean community 539 BCE: Babylonian Empire falls to Persians 538 BCE: Cyrus, King of Persia, decrees that the Jews may return to Judea About 516 BCE: Second Temple dedicated in Jerusalem 4 458 BCE: Ezra the Scribe organizes a mass aliyah of Jews to Judea and becomes their leader along with Nehemiah 445 BCE: Nehemiah travels to Jerusalem; helps Jews rebuild Judah 331 BCE: Alexander the Great conquers Jerusalem 323 BCE: Alexander dies; Egypt and Judea placed under control of Ptolemy 250 BCE: King Ptolemy II orders the Greek translation of the Bible, known as the Septuagint 200 BCE: Judea becomes part of the Seleucid Empire 175 BCE: Antiochus IV becomes king About 169 BCE: Antiochus IV invades Jerusalem; Jews rebel against Menelaus, the High Priest, and Antiochus Epiphanes, the Seleucid King 167 BCE: Beginning of the Maccabean revolt 164 BCE: Maccabees capture Jerusalem from Seleucids; Temple purified and rededicated; Death of Antiochus IV 141 BCE: Seleucids defeated by Hasmoneans; Judea independent again About 100 BCE: World History: Anasazi Native American culture first develops in what is now Arizona and New Mexico 76 BCE: Death of King Alexander Yannai; his widow, Salome Alexandra rules Judea 67 BCE: Death of Salome Alexandra; beginning of a civil war between her sons Hyrcanus II and Aristoblus II for control 63 BCE: Roman general Pompey makes Judea a Roman province 37 BCE: Romans name Herod "King of the Jews" 10 BCE: Hillel and Shammai teach in Jerusalem 6 CE: Zadok and Judah the Galilean lead tax revolt against Romans 43 CE: World History: City of London founded in Britain 66 CE: Roman procurator Florus robs Temple treasury; sparks Jewish revolt 70 CE: Roman army conquers Jerusalem; city and Temple destroyed 73 CE: Romans capture Masada; Jewish rebellion completely crushed 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Vayikra ‐ Leviticus 1:1 ‐ 5:26 Vayikra begins with G‐d instructing Moses to describe the various sacrifices to the Israelites. Remember that the mishkan has just been completed and the people are yearning to know what G‐d now wants of them. The five types of sacrifice are: 1) Olah, a burnt offering of a slaughtered animal‐‐‐this was the standard communal offering of thanks. 2) Minhah, a gift offering of unleavened meal, to be made with every burnt offering and accompanied with oil and salt. 3) Zevakh shelamim, a joyful offering eaten by the sacrificer and family after portions had been burnt on the altar and shared with the priests. 4) Hattat, a purification offering, to expiate unintentional wrongdoing. 5) Asham, a guilt offering, for misappropriation of property, requiring repayment plus an additional fine and a burnt offering. There are many, many discussions about the types and purposes these sacrifices were supposed to serve. The three most important points, in my opinion, are that 1) most clans or ethnic groups in the middle east at that time were sacrificial cults; 2) the sacrifices were determined to be within the means of the individual, thus preserving the dignity of the individual (those with herds were expected to give cattle, sheep or goats; those with less means could offer birds or grain offerings of meal prepared with salt and oil; 3) once the second temple was destroyed in 70 CE, the sacrificial cult was ended, prayer, Torah study and tzedakah replaced sacrifice. In the book, Studies in Vayikra by Nehama Leibowitz, it is suggested that sacrifice does not, in and of itself, appease G‐d for one's wrongdoing; rather "it serves merely as a symbol and expression of one’s desire to purify oneself and become reconciled with G‐d." With the end of the sacrificial period, rabbis began to reinterpret the Levitical priesthood as a priesthood for all Jews setting up a system of rules, behaviors and mores which would dictate Jewish life and observance. The home became a mikdash m’at, a miniature version of the tabernacle and the dining table became an altar for prayer and a place at which to observe the rituals of Shabbat and other holy days. Todaye th combination of home observance, the tradition of community prayer services, and the study of Torah and the codified writings, anchor Jews around the world to the continuity of the Jewish faith, ethnicity and culture. 16 KI TISSA ‐ Exodus 30:11 ‐ 34:35 REVIEW This portion contains one of the most often told stories of the Bible—particularly when the teller strives to give example of the waywardness of the Israelites and the mercy shown by God. The portion begins with God commanding that a census of the people be taken by collecting one half shekel from each male adult. Artisans of identified skill and workmanship are directed to create certain artifacts to be used by the priests in the Tent of Meeting. God then tells Moses to remind the Israelites to keep the Sabbath forever as a sign of the covenant between God and the people. Meanwhile, atop Mt Sinai, God has given Moses two tablets inscribed with The Law. But, the people, frightened by the length of time spent wailing for Moses to return, turn to Aaron, demanding a god to lead them and allay their fears. Gold jewelry is collected and melted down to form a Golden Calf to which the populace begins to offer sacrifices and celebration.
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