hebrews

The Hebrew people , or Hebrew, also known as Israelites or Jews, is part of one of the most important civilizations of antiquity – the Hebrew civilization.

Also prominent in ancient civilization are the Persians and Phoenicians.

Origin

These people who initially lived in Mesopotamia, were a nomadic people and lived in search of favorable soil for raising their livestock.

Around 2000 BC went to Palestine, present-day Israel, under the guidance of Abraham, in search of the Promised Land – Canaan.

Years later, as a result of the drought that hit Palestine, the Hebrews went to Egypt, where, after some time, they began to be enslaved, being freed from slavery by Moses in the well-known biblical episode of the crossing of the Red Sea in which Moses opens a passage and divides the sea for the Hebrews to flee back to Palestine.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, there are many accounts of this ancient people, of Semitic origin. See the excerpt from the Book of Exodus about the crossing:

Economy

While they dedicated themselves to livestock, the Hebrew people were a nomadic people, but back in Palestine they began to dedicate themselves to agriculture, handicrafts and commerce, thus becoming a sedentary people.

Religion

Judaism is the name of the religion of this people. The Hebrews were monotheists and worshiped Yahweh. Their religion was based on the Ten Commandments, written by God on the Tablets of the Law and given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Society

The governance of the Hebrew people went through three periods:patriarchs, then judges, and finally kings.

Patriarchs :Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Judges :Samson, Othniel, Gideon and Samuel
Kings :Saul, David and Solomon

After the death of King Solomon, and following the people's revolt against social inequality resulting from the payment of high taxes, Palestine was divided into two kingdoms, formed by 10 tribes of Israel and 2 tribes of Judah.

Years later, the kingdoms were conquered by the Assyrians and Babylonians, respectively. The Babylonian Captivity dates from this time. Centuries later, Jerusalem is destroyed and the Jews are forced to disperse. It is the well-known Jewish Diaspora.

Cultural heritage

Since Christianity originates from the Jewish religion, the Hebrew civilization has largely influenced contemporary civilization.

The Hebrews built great palaces and temples, the largest of which was the Temple of Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans, leaving only a wall, which is now known as the Wailing Wall that makes up the World Heritage Site.

Continue your search:

• Persians
• Phoenicians
• Mesopotamian Civilization
• People of Mesopotamia