CHAPTER 6

PREVIEW

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• Between 2000 B.C. and 500 B.C. small kingdoms arose in southwestern end of the fertile Crescent. The Israelites were one of those kingdoms and are ancestors of the present-day Jewish people.The Hebrew Bible is the main source for information about the Israelites that has been supplemented with archaeological evidence and other writing.

BEGINNING

• Most trace their origins as a people to Abraham.
• Mesopotamians worshipped many Gods including the sun,moon and winds. Abraham believed in one God(monotheism) and according to the bible,God spoke to Abraham telling him to leave Mesopotamia for Canaan.The Hebrew bible is the Old Testament and contains the story of creation, the history of the Israelites,poetry,propchis and short narratives.FYI, the Chanukah menorah is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight day holiday of Hanukkah,as opposed to the seven-branded menorah used in the ancient temple or as a symbol.One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the menorah,a seven-branched candelabrum used in the temple.

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