The Israelites emerged as a group of herders between 2000-1500 BC in the Middle East. According to their sacred text, the Torah, their founding father Abraham migrated from Ur to Canaan in 2000 BC due to famine. His descendants later migrated to Egypt but were enslaved by the Pharaoh. In 1200 BC, Moses demanded the Pharaoh free the Israelites, who fled Egypt in what was known as the Exodus. During this journey, Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, establishing a moral code and monotheistic religion for the Israelites. They eventually conquered Canaan and settled there in scattered communities without a central government.

2. Early History
 The Israelites or Hebrews
recorded events and laws in
the Torah, their most sacred
text.
 They were a group of
herders that appeared
sometime between 2000 and
1500 BC.

3. Nomadic People
 2000 B.C. According to the
Torah, Abraham who lived near
Ur, migrated with his sheep-herding
family into a region named Canaan. He
is considered to be the founding father of
the Israelite nation.
 Because of famine, they had to move
out Canaan and left for Egypt, where
they lived well. Their numbers grew into
great numbers. Therefore, the Pharaoh
enslaved them out of fear.

4. Nomadic People
 1200 B.C. According to the
Hebrew Bible, a leader
named Moses appeared
among the Israelites.
 He appeared before the
Pharaoh and demanded
his people be freed. He
refused.
 Soon a series of plagues
struck the land of Egypt
and out of fear and
superstition, the Pharaoh
freed them.
 The journey out of Egypt
back to Canaan was called
the Exodus.
 They believed that God
had chosen them as their
special people and set

5. Law and Morals
 According to the Hebrew
Bible, during the
Exodus, Moses received from
God two stone tablets at Mount
Sinai:
 These included a code of
moral laws.
 They are known as The Ten
Commandments.
 With these laws they agreed to
value human life, self-control
and justice.
 Also the commitment to only
one God.

6. Monotheism
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you
out of the house of bondage. You shall have
no other gods beside Me.”
 This promise of a unique relationship with God
helped shape the history of the Israelites, later
known as the Jews. Their early religion evolved into
Judaism.

7. Return to Canaan
 Eventually they reached
the land of Canaan. Once
there, they fought against
people living there to gain
control of the land, before
they could settle.
 Afterwards they built
their own society.
 In Canaan they lived in
scattered
communities, with no
central government!
 Instead they chose
judges to enforce laws
and settle disputes

8. Ask Yourselves
 Identify:
 Who was Abraham? Where did he come from and where did he
move to?
 Sequence:
 Briefly detail the events that led to the Exodus.
 Infer:
 Knowing the geography of the Middle East, which natural features do
you think Abraham might have followed into Canaan? (draw a map
with the answer given in class)
 Recall:
 According to the Hebrew Bible, what code of morals did God give to
Moses?
 Explain:
 How did the Ten Commandments shape Israelite life?

9. Bibliography
 Burstein, S. M., & Shek, R. (2012). World History
(Teacher´s Edition) (1st Edition ed.). (H.
McDougal, Ed.) Orlando, Florida, US.: Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
 Images taken from Google.com