| A | B |
|---|
| Abraham | Directed by God to lead his followers out of Mesopotamia and to Canaan |
| Jacob | Abraham’s grandson; also known as Israel (“one who struggles with God”). |
| Rabbi | a Jewish teacher of the Torah |
| Philistines | Politically and militarily the strongest people living in Canaan around 1000 B.C.; not the Israelites. Israelites copied many Philistine ways. |
| Phoenicians | Canaanites who lived along the Mediterranean Sea, skilled sailors and traders |
| Tribes | separate family groupings. Jacob’s 12 descendents were divided into 12 tribes, led by Jacob’s 12 sons. |
| Zealots | wanted to fight the Romans for their freedom and drove the Romans out of Jerusalem |
| Moses | Led the Israelites out of Egypt; received the Torah and Ten Commandments from God |
| Mount Sinai | Where Moses received the Torah and Ten Commandments from God |
| Prophet | A person who claims to be instructed by God to share God’s words. |
| Torah | The Hebrew Bible |
| Johanan ben Zakkai | created the Talmud |
| Deborah | A woman judge and military adviser who helped command and defeat King Jabin of Canaan. |
| Jerusalem | a new capital for the Israelites, created by David |
| Polytheism | Belief in more than one god. |
| Alphabet | A group of letters that stand for sounds in language |
| Judea | a kingdom established in the south of Israel after Solomon’s death and a rebellion; the capital of Judah was Jerusalem |
| Saul | a warrior-farmer was anointed as king |
| Covenant | an agreement between the people of Israel and God |
| David | a shepherd-warrior who defeated a giant Philistine named Goliath. |
| Empire | a nation that rules over several other nations |
| Tribute | money, slaves, or other valuables that is given to a stronger ruler. |
| Solomon | King David’s son, built the temple in Jerusalem |
| Monotheism | The belief in only one god |
| King Herod | the most famous ruler of Judea; known for his cruelty and his changes to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. |
| Nebuchadnezzar: | Chaldean king who captured Jerusalem, forced 10,000 Jews to leave Jerusalem |
| Exile | forced to live in a foreign land |
| Babylon | the Mesopotamian city where the Jews were forced to live after being removed from Jerusalem |
| Sabbath | the weekly day of worship |
| Synagogues | Jewish houses of worship |
| Diaspora | Greek word meaning “the scattered” |
| Proverb | wise sayings, especailly of Solomon |
| Judas Maccabeus | led a group of Jews who rebelled against the Greek ruler Antiochus; drove the Greeks from Judah |
| Messiah | a deliver sent by God |
