Significant Terms
A form of the Hebrew name of God used in the Bible.
What is Yahweh?
Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. He is a central figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, known for his leadership during the Exodus and his role as a divine messenger.
Who is Moses?
A weekly day of rest and worship observed in Judaism, Christianity, and other religions. The word derives from the Hebrew meaning "to rest" or "to cease".
What is Sabbath?
The third king of the United Kingdom of Israel, traditionally believed to have ruled during the 10th century BCE. His reign is remembered as a "golden age" for Israel, marked by great wisdom, wealth, and the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.
Who is King Solomon?
A period of severe food shortage, often viewed as having both natural and divine causes.
What is famine?
The place where Moses received the Ten Commandments and where God established the covenant with the Israelites.
What is Mt. Sinai?
Who is Isaac?
A community center for a variety of communal needs, such as reading the Torah, teaching, and other gatherings
What is synagogue?
The belief in a single all-powerful God.
What is monotheism?
The central place of worship for ancient Israel, serving as a physical symbol of God's presence among the people
What is the Temple of Jerusalem?
Also known as the Decalogue, these are religious and ethical directives given by God to Moses. They serve as the foundation of the covenant between God and the Israelites.
What is the Ten Commandments?
The people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, often serving as an early ethnic designation for the group later known as the Israelites
What is Hebrew?
A solemn and binding agreement that established a relationship between two parties. The most significant one structured Israel's history and their relationship with God.
What is a covenant?
The first king of ancient Israel, ruling in the late 11th century BC and leading the transition from a tribal society to a unified monarchy under a central government, according to the Hebrew Bible.
Who is King Saul?
The seminal event in ancient Israelite history, referring to the departure of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses.
What is the Exodus?
The gold covered wooden chest commanded by God for the Israelites to hold the Ten Commandments and Aaron's rod.
What is the Ark of the Covenant?
A son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the twin brother of Esau. After wrestling with God, he was renamed Israel, signifying his new identity as the father of the twelve tribes of the Hebrew nation
Who is Jacob?
It means"instruction," "teaching," or "law". It refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, which are traditionally believed to have been dictated by God to Moses on Mount Sinai
What is the Torah?
Non-Israelite people who settled in the coastal plain of ancient Canaan, organized into a powerful confederation of five city-states. They were a major military and cultural rival to the Israelites during the period of the Judges and the early monarchy.
Who are the Philistines?
The scattering or dispersion of the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland of Israel.
What is Diaspora?
The land of Canaan, which God promised to Abraham and his descendants.
What is the Promised Land?
The first great patriarch and traditional founder of the Hebrew nation, revered in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for his foundational role and covenant with God. His name means "father of many," reflecting God's promise.
Who is Abraham?
The central and most authoritative text of Rabbinic Judaism, serving as the primary source of Jewish religious law and theology. The word means "learning" or "study" in Hebrew.
What is the Talmud?
The king of the United Kingdom of Israel and a central figure in Jewish history. In both the Hebrew Bible and Jewish tradition, he is celebrated for uniting the tribes of Israel, expanding its territory, and establishing Jerusalem as its political and religious capital.
Who is King David?
The supreme legislative, judicial, and religious council of the Jews in ancient Israel.
What is the Sanhedrin?