The ancient Israelites believed that God was actively involved in their lives and recorded important events and laws in the Torah. According to tradition, Abraham migrated to Canaan around 2000 BC and is considered the founder of the Israelite nation. Over centuries, the Israelites established a kingdom and temple in Jerusalem but faced division and exile before eventually developing into the religion of Judaism with a focus on monotheism and the Ten Commandments given by God through Moses.