The Jewish people

1. Section 3: The Jewish
People
This map shows the Kingdom of Israel. Image taken from:
bibleresources.americanbible.org.

2. WARRIOR JUDGES
 In the time of distress, judges, or leaders who
were able to rally the Israelites together to
defend their land, were called upon to lead
the people.
 Judges were often prophets or warriors.
 The only woman judge was Deborah.
Deborah was known for her ability to rally
the people to fight. She is credited with
inspiring an army to win a great battle.

3. David and Solomon
 David was the second king of the Israelites.
 He was able to capture the city of Jerusalem and
make it the Israel’s capital.
 He is believed to have been a contributor to the
psalms found in the Bible.
 Solomon was David’s son.
 He became king after David died.
 He built the first Great Temple in Jerusalem.
 Solomon is known for his many wise saying sayings in
the Bible’s Book of Proverbs.

4. The Kingdom Divides and
Foreigners Take Over
 After the death of Solomon the Kingdom of
Israel divided in two.
 To the south the descendants of Solomon ruled
the kingdom of Judah. The Kingdom of Judah
lasted about 100 years, until Nebuchadnezzar
conquered them, destroying the city of
Jerusalem and the Great Temple.
 To the north, the rest of the Israelites created the
kingdom if Israel. The Assyrians eventually took
them over. The Assyrians were cruel leaders and
thus sent the Israelites as slaves throughout the
world, only some were able to escape to Judah.

5. The Diaspora
 Communities of Jews living outside the ancient
homeland were known as Diaspora, because
they were being scattered or dispersed
throughout the Fertile Crescent.
 The Jewish people were scattered throughout
Babylon, Southwest Asia, the Persian Empire,
Egypt, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia.
 Esther was a Jewish woman, who married a
Persian emperor. The emperor’s advisors
planned to kill all Jewish people, but she
managed to save her people by convincing her
husband not to listen to his advisor. She saved
thousands of Jewish people’s lives by this act.

6. THE DIASPORA
CONTINUED
 While away from their homelan, the Jewish
people gathered at meeting places called
synagogues. They often prayed, discussed the
Hebrew Bible, and Scriptures. The leader of the
synagogue is called a rabbi, who is a teacher of
the Hebrew Bible.
 The Maccabees were a family living in Greece.
They rebelled against their Greek rulers who tried
to ban important parts of Judaism. The Jewish
holiday Hanukkah is celebrated in
remembrance of Maccabees victory and their
reclaiming of the Jewish Temple.

7. Legacy of Judaism
 The Jewish people has left a lasting impression
on the people of this world.
 Their belief in one God has been the foundation
for the monotheistic religions.
 Their belief in seeking justice and treating others,
as you would want to be treated has become a
universal way of life.
 Finally, their belief that every human is an
individual and thus equality should be have for
all is a constant in most democratic nations.