Following the Covenant
As part of the covenant with God, Abraham, his family, and their herds made their way to Canaan. Then, around 1650 BCE, the descendants of Abraham were forced to migrate to Egypt. The Hebrew Bible says the Israelites migrated to Egypt because of a drought or threat of famine. Originally, the Israelites were given places of honor in the Egyptian kingdom.
According to the Hebrew Bible, the descendants of Abraham had lived in Egypt for centuries, during which time they grew into a great nation. The Egyptians began to see them as a threat and tightened their control on them, forcing them to work as slaves. Eventually, in an attempt to reduce numbers, newborn Israelite babies were commanded to be drowned in the River Nile. The bible says that the Israelites asked God for help and that he sent them a leader: Moses.
Enter Moses
In order to escape death, Moses’ mother placed him in a basket when he was still a baby and set him adrift on the River Nile. She left his fate up to God’s will. The infant Moses was rescued by an Egyptian princess who found and adopted him. When God commanded him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he obeyed.
“Let My People Go”
The Torah says that Moses led the Israelites out of slavery sometime between 1300 and 1200 BCE. While the Israelites were traveling across the Sinai Peninsula in an attempt to return to the Holy Land God had promised them, Moses climbed to the top of Mount Sinai to pray. The Hebrew Bible says he spoke with God. When he returned from Mount Sinai, he brought down two stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments. These commandments along with other teachings Moses delivered to the people became the basis for the civil and religious laws of Judaism. The Israelites believed these new laws to be a new covenant between God and the Israelite people.
As part of the covenant with God, Abraham, his family, and their herds made their way to Canaan. Then, around 1650 BCE, the descendants of Abraham were forced to migrate to Egypt. The Hebrew Bible says the Israelites migrated to Egypt because of a drought or threat of famine. Originally, the Israelites were given places of honor in the Egyptian kingdom.
According to the Hebrew Bible, the descendants of Abraham had lived in Egypt for centuries, during which time they grew into a great nation. The Egyptians began to see them as a threat and tightened their control on them, forcing them to work as slaves. Eventually, in an attempt to reduce numbers, newborn Israelite babies were commanded to be drowned in the River Nile. The bible says that the Israelites asked God for help and that he sent them a leader: Moses.
Enter Moses
In order to escape death, Moses’ mother placed him in a basket when he was still a baby and set him adrift on the River Nile. She left his fate up to God’s will. The infant Moses was rescued by an Egyptian princess who found and adopted him. When God commanded him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he obeyed.
“Let My People Go”
The Torah says that Moses led the Israelites out of slavery sometime between 1300 and 1200 BCE. While the Israelites were traveling across the Sinai Peninsula in an attempt to return to the Holy Land God had promised them, Moses climbed to the top of Mount Sinai to pray. The Hebrew Bible says he spoke with God. When he returned from Mount Sinai, he brought down two stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments. These commandments along with other teachings Moses delivered to the people became the basis for the civil and religious laws of Judaism. The Israelites believed these new laws to be a new covenant between God and the Israelite people.
Back to Canaan
After the death of Moses, the Israelites returned to Canaan where Abraham once lived. In Canaan, the Israelites made a change from a nomadic, tribal society to settled herders, farmers, and city dwellers. At this point, the Israelites were loosely organized into twelve tribes. These tribes lived in separate territories and were self-governing. However, in times of emergency, the Hebrew Bible tells that God would raise up judges who would unite the tribes and provide leadership during a crisis. |