Exodus c. 1450? 1250? BC• “The Departure” (from Egypt)• Jacob (Israel) had 12 sons, progenitors of 12 tribes

of Israel• Joseph sold to Egyptian slavers by brothers,

interprets Pharaoh’s dream, saves Egypt and others from famine

• Hebrews settle in Egypt, made slaves, multiply• Moses escapes order to kill male Hebrew children,

adopted by Princess of Egypt but but raised by Hebrew mother

• Moses shows loyalties by killing taskmaster beating slave, forced to flee Egypt

Exodus• Moses, settles down, marries, meets God in

burning Bush• What is your name? (Which god are you?)– “I am” = play on the name Yahweh.–The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

• Moses reluctant–Poor public speaker - brother Aaron will

do the talking–Miracles for credibility

The Ten Plagues• Makes Pharaoh let the Israelites go• God hardens Pharaoh’s heart so he can pour out

full measure of his wrath• Demonstrates Yahweh’s power and spreads his

Name• Loot• Last Plague = Angel of death, kills firstborn• Escape across parted Red Sea, Pharaoh & army

drowned when waters close• Song of Moses– Yahweh is a Man of War– Who is like you, O Yahweh, among the gods?

Passover• Named from Angel of death “passing over”

Hebrew houses

• Celebration of the Exodus from Egypt– Defining event - God as deliverer

– “I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of Egypt”

• Passover Lamb - blood on doorposts protected from Angel of Death

• Unleavened bread - haste

• Bitter Herbs - slavery

Passover• Originally eaten in haste, dressed to travel, bloody

doorpostsModernizations• Other boiled meat (lamb substitute)• Pebbly mixture of walnuts, apples, cinnamon,

wine - mortar of slaves• Vegetables - parsley, celery or potato dipped in

salt water (tears)• Roasted Egg - mourns destruction of temple where

special Passover sacrifice made• Find the matza game for kids, gifts

Amalekite Ambush

• Attack from the rear, where old, sick, defenseless are

• God promises revenge, carries out 400 years later under Saul

The Ten Commandments

• Not the only commandments, just really important ones

• Engraved on tablet’s by God

• Originals destroyed by Moses, replacement set put in Ark of the Covenant

The Ten Commandments1. No other gods2. No idols3. Don’t misuse “Yahweh”4. Sabbath (no work on Saturday)5. Honor parents6. No murder7. No adultery8. No stealing9. No perjury10. No coveting (only internal attitude)

The Ark of the Covenant

• Written on 2 stone tablet’s by God’s finger

• Replacement set put in ark

• Only priests could carry

40 Years in the Wilderness

• Caleb’s recon mission

• Faithless Israelites

• Moses loses his temper

• Miriam struck with leprosy - why?

• Blessings and Cursings

Kosher

• Large land animals– Split or cloven hooves

– Chew the cud

• Fish– Gills, fins and scales

– No shellfish!

• Birds: No predatory birds scavengers

Yom KippurThe Day of Atonement

• Sacrificial goat

• Scapegoat (Azazel)

• Excess sins transferred from people to priest to goat, who is driven into the desert

• Today: Time of repentance, reflection, resolution to do better in the coming year

The Invasion of Canaan

• Why is Canaan the “Promised Land”?

• The “Ban”

• Achan’s Sin

• Moral Implications

Samson

• Judge of renowned strength

• Nazarite Vow

• Weakness: Foreign Women

• The Woman of Timnah - Philistine

Samson

• Interracial marriage was interfaith marriage

• When you marry a foreigner, you marry her gods

• Samson & Solomon shared same weakness

Samson

• The Sovereignty and Providence of God: Yahweh uses human weakness to accomplish his purposes

• “…for Yahweh sought an opportunity against the Philistines”

Samson

• Nazarite vow• The lion and the riddle• “Out of the eater came something to eat; out of

the strong came something sweet.”• Philistine extortion, cheating, fiancé conspires

against him, marries best man• Samson wages one-man war against the

Philistines.

Delilah

• Another Philistine• No marriage plans this

time• Nags him night and

day for the secret of his strength

• Samson finally betrayed, hair cut in his sleep

The Capture of Samson - Reubens

Samson

• Eyes put out

• Chained between pillars at Temple of Dagon

• Samson “killed more Philistines in death, than he did in life”

The Monarchy

• Under Judges Israel was a loose confederation of tribes

• Secular explanation: no united military defense, no standing army

• Religious explanation: God was punishing them for worshiping idols

Saul

• First King - tall, charismatic, good commander, but insubordinate

• Makes a sacrifice reserved for Levites (Priests)

• Botches the Amalekite genocide

• Resorts to necromancy (séance to bring up Samuel)

• Commits suicide, body mutilated, cremated

David

• Good King, makes Saul look like a false start

• Promised an everlasting Kingdom, model for the Messiah

• Sin with Bathsheba results in personal and political consequences

• Nathan’s parable of the pet lamb

Solomon

• Asks God for wisdom, given riches as well

• Weakness for foreign women, builds temples to their gods

• Because of his Father, retains Kingdom, but his son loses it

• 922 B.C. Israel split into Northern and Southern Kingdoms

The Divided Kingdom

• Secular explanation: Reheboam’s rash threats, regional conflicts and resentment over Solomon’s building projects

• “My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!”

• Religious explanation for split: God is punishing Solomon for idolatry

Successive Conquest

• The Split of the Kingdom into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms in 922 B.C.

• Israel falls to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.• Judah falls to the Babylonians in 587 B.C.• The Babylonian Captivity

– Temple system and sacrifice less important– Emphasis on study of scripture and prayer on Sabbath at local house of

worship (synagogue)– Importance of Teacher schooled in Scripture & Tradition (Rabbi)

Successive Conquest

• The Persians Defeat the Babylonians, Jews return to Judah, rebuild Jerusalem

• The Greek Conquest and Maccabean Revolt• Hanukkah• Roman Rule• Rebellion and the Diaspora 70, 130 A.D.• The Holocaust and Restoration of Israel in

1948

Other Themes of the Tanakh

• Life After Death

• The Messiah

• Job and the Problem of Evil