The Hebrew culture was a civilization of ancient times that developed in the Middle East. From this culture the Arabs, the Israelites and the Jews originated.
This civilization was organized in the year 2000 a. C. and was established in the Mediterranean in 600 BC. C. Much of its history is narrated in sacred books, such as the Old Testament of the Bible and the Torah. These texts indicate that the Hebrews are descended from Abraham.
In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, it is told how Abraham was ordered to leave his land and go to an unknown country:
“Leave your native land and your father's house and go to the country that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you, I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will condemn those who curse you, and all the peoples of the earth will bless themselves by you ”(Genesis 12: 1-3).
In this way Abraham became the first Hebrew and led his people to the city of Canaan.
Location
The first Hebrew was Abraham, who was born in Ur, Mesopotamia. After it received God's command, the Hebrews were transformed into a nomadic people who crossed the deserts in search of the promised land: Canaan (today, Israel).
This territory was bordered to the north by Phenicia and Syria, to the south by the Sinai desert, to the east by the Arabian desert, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea.
In biblical times this territory was divided into three zones: Galilee (whose capital was Nazareth), Samaria (with its capital in Samaria) and Judea (with its capital in Jerusalem).
History
The history of the Hebrews is divided into three stages according to the figures who led the people: patriarchs, judges and kings.
1- Patriarchs
During this period the Hebrews were organized under the patriarchal system. The rulers were elders, whose experience gave them the wisdom necessary to guide the people.
The first patriarch was Abraham, who received the divine mandate to leave his homeland and go in search of the promised land.
This led his people to Canaan (Palestine), where they remained for 300 years. Centuries later, the Hebrews were taken as prisoners and turned into slaves.
The sufferings of the Hebrew people culminated with the arrival of Moses, who freed them and began the exodus to Canaan, the promised land.
During this journey the people crossed the Sinai desert; It was here that God issued the commandments that were to regulate the behavior of the Hebrew people.
Moses died before reaching Canaan and was succeeded by Joshua. However, when they reached the promised land they realized that it was occupied by other societies (the Canaanites and the Philistines), so it would be necessary to conquer the territory.
2- Judges
The Hebrews were not a warrior people. However, they had to be militarized in order to expel the Canaanites and Philistines from Canaan. This is how the figure of the judges emerged, who were a kind of military chiefs.
Under the rule of the judges, the Hebrews became a sedentary people and divided into twelve tribes. Each of these had a judge.
One of the best known judges was Samson, who was endowed with extraordinary strength associated with his hair.
The last of the judges was Samuel, who defeated the Philistines and united the Hebrews into one nation.
3- Kings
Although the judges allowed the defeat of the Philistine resistance, their mere existence meant the separation of the Hebrew people, since there were twelve tribes. In this way the figure of the king arises, under which the Hebrews organized themselves into a state.
Among the most prominent kings is Saul, who was the first king. David also stands out, famous for having defeated Goliath; and Solomon, recognized for his sense of justice.
With the death of King Solomon the Hebrew state was divided into the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judea. In the year 721 a. C. the people Israel was conquered by the Assyrians.
Two centuries later the Jews were conquered by the Babylonians. Thus, the Hebrew people were again enslaved.
Economy
When the Hebrews settled in Canaan and became a sedentary people, they began to practice various economic activities. Among these, agriculture, livestock and trade stood out.
The main crops were grapes, olives, lentils and other grains. With regard to livestock, they raised goats, sheep, camels and oxen. From these animals they obtained meat, leather, milk and wool.
The Hebrew economic activity par excellence was commerce. The territory of Canaan was a bridge between the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. Thus, they established a system for the export of goods between these cultures.
Religion
After the exodus led by Moses, the Hebrews became a monotheistic people, which means that they began to believe in a single god, creator of heaven, earth and the beings that inhabited it. This deity was called Yahweh.
The religion of the Hebrews was based on the fact that God had power over human beings because he had created them, but at the same time he facilitated the way to happiness.
The commandments of God's law
The covenant between the Hebrew people and God is specified through the commandments, which were dictated to Moses on Mount Sinai. These are a code of conduct in which it is established that:
1- You will love God above all things.
2- You will not pronounce the name of God in vain.
3- You will sanctify the holidays.
4- You will honor your father and your mother.
5- You will not kill.
6- You will not commit impure acts.
7- You will not steal.
8- You will not bear false testimony.
9- You will not want your neighbor's wife.
10- You will not covet the goods of others.
According to the Hebrew culture, God's law has more than ten commandments. However, these ten largely summarize the content of the other moral laws.
References
- Culture of Israel. Retrieved on November 2, 2017, from everyculture.com
- Hebrew Culture. Retrieved on November 2, 2017, from fll.unt.edu
- Hebrew culture. Retrieved on November 2, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org
- Jewish culture. Retrieved on November 2, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org
- The Ancient Hebrew Culture. Retrieved on November 2, 2017, from clarion-call.org
- The Ancient Hebrew Culture. Retrieved on November 2, 2017, from yehweh.org
- The Jewish people. Retrieved on November 2, 2017, from bl.uk