Introduction

The Hebrews were the ancient ancestors of the Jewish people. They were a Semitic people of the
Middle East. According to the Hebrew Bible (which Christians call the Old Testament), the
Hebrews originated in the early 2nd millennium bc. They were the descendants of the patriarchs
of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The homeland of the Hebrews was Canaan, as Palestine was then called. According to the Bible,
God told Abraham to leave his home in Mesopotamia and journey to a new land that God would
show him. There, God promised, Abraham would become the founder of a new nation. Abraham
obeyed God’s call. He traveled to Canaan, where he and his descendents established what would
eventually become the nation of Israel.

Organization
The Hebrews were organized into 12 tribes by Jacob, Abraham’s grandson. Late in Jacob’s life, a
famine forced him and his sons to migrate from Canaan to Egypt. At first the Egyptians
welcomed the Hebrews. As the Hebrew population multiplied, however, the pharaoh saw them
as a threat and decided to enslave them. After more than 400 years the Hebrews were freed from
slavery under the leadership of Moses, who led them back to Canaan. The Hebrews’ escape from
Egypt is believed to have taken place in the 13th century BC. It is recounted in the Bible in the
book called Exodus in English, or Shemot in Hebrew.

After the death of Moses, Joshua became leader of the Hebrews. He was a warrior who took
Canaan from its inhabitants, the Canaanites, and distributed its lands among the 12 Hebrew
tribes. Following the conquest, biblical scholars begin referring to the Hebrews as Israelites.
Around 1000 BC the tribes were united in the kingdom of Israel under the powerful kings
Saul, David, and Solomon.

After Solomon’s death, the kingdom was divided into two parts. The 10 tribes of the north
formed a second kingdom called Israel, and the two tribes of the south formed the kingdom of
Judah. The northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians late in the 8th century BC, and its
population was eventually absorbed by other peoples. The southern kingdom was conquered by
the Babylonians early in the 6th century BC, and many of its people were deported to Babylon.
The Babylonian Captivity. or Babylonian Exile, formally ended in 538 BC. In that year the
Persian conqueror of Babylonia, Cyrus the Great, gave the Israelites permission to return to their
homeland. From that time on, the Israelites became known as Jews.
Location

Coming from the Middle East, the Hebrews installed themselves in Palestine, directly to the
south of Phoenicia. In other words, between the Mediterranean Sea, the river Jordan, the Dead
Sea, the mountains of Lebanon and the Sinai Peninsula. Their placement, in a territory which is
not very fertile, presents plains apt for shepherding and cultivation (principal activities), which is
a characteristic desired by their neighbors in the desert.

Cultural Customs in the Ancient Hebrew Civilization

They valued music and employed it in religious ceremonies. The shofar was a typical Hebrew
instrument, the horn of a ram used to convene ritual ceremonies. They also used zithers, timbrels
(tambourines) and flutes to mention only the most popular. There were no paintings nor
sculptures for fear that they would fall into idolatry. The Bible mentions music, dance, and
poetry, being three disciplines which are intimately related and which were used in worship, as a
demonstration of joy and in order to honor the Creator. In the time of king David, music and
dancing, athletic and free, were under the charge of the religious. Dancing was later excluded,
but music and hymns remained a part of the ceremonies.

The Hebrews dedicated themselves to agriculture and raising livestock. The characteristic crops
were olives and grapevines, and they also obtained legumes and lentils. The shepherding of
sheep, oxen, goats, horses and camels accompanied their agricultural activity. They also worked
in ceramics and made numerous textiles of wool and linen.

Achievements and Contributions to Humanity

The contribution to humanity which stands out most is their religion, as it dominated all aspects
of the Hebrew culture. The prohibition of representing the divinity stimulated literature and the
result was the Bible, also denominated the Holy Scriptures. The Old Testament is written for the
Hebrews. It speaks of the customs and moral thoughts of the Israelites. Later the Christians
added the New Testament with the arrival of Christ and the origins of Christianity. The first great
difference in the religion of the Hebrew people from the rest of the Near East is believing in only
one God. This God is just and good and demands from his people the fulfillment of a certain
morality. He does not have a human form, which means that he cannot be represented. Man is
inferior to Him, as God made him in his image, immortal, but as he has sinned he must be
punished.
Social Organization
Patriarchy
The nucleus of the Hebrew society was the patriarchal family, in which the father was the
highest authority. In the beginning, the Hebrews lived in family groups or clans directed by the
oldest, the patriarch, who administered justice, directed war and religious rites.
The Monarchy

Saul, a good warrior to face their enemies, was the first Hebrew king. In the year 1000 B.C.
David was chosen as Saul’s successor. The new king faced their enemies, conquered Jerusalem
and made it into the capital of the State.

They were divided into tribes, without forming one state; when they were attacked they would
eventually accept one chief, called a Judge, who was generally a military leader. This Judge
would unite various tribes under his authority. The death of Solomon unleashed a rivalry among
the twelve tribes which ended in the division of the kingdom into two different states:

a) the ten tribes of the north made up the Kingdom of Israel, larger and stronger, with its
capital in Samaria.

b) the two tribes of the south made up the Kingdom of Judah, with its capital in
Jerusalem. As a consequence of this division there was an economic and religious
decline.

Society

The Israelite society was intimately related to their religion. The nucleus of the Hebrew society is
the family, which is patriarchal. The father is the highest authority. Slaves also existed; they were
obtained by buying them or as prisoners of war. In their time as nomads, the Hebrews lived in
tents with little furniture. This way of life facilitated their movement in search of pastures for
their flocks. After settling in Palestine, they lived in houses made of stone, surrounded by
gardens, forming settlements.

Religion of the Hebrews:

Monotheistic religion (belief in only one God: Yahweh or Jehovah): The Hebrew people had the
conviction of believing in only one universal God, Jehovah, creator of all things. This was the
product of a long religious evolution, crystallized by Moses, who vigorously imposed
monotheism during the 40 years of life wandering through the desert, after the exodus.

What Did Ancient Hebrews Invent?

In the Iron age, about 950-900 BC, accommodations were small and unfortified,
requiring large public structures. Later, in Iron IIA 900-840/830 BCE, public
architecture increased with the palace's construction, residence, royal enclosures, high
places, and consolidation with walls and gates. Advancement in architecture reflected
growth and structure in their political and social structure. Israel's architectural
infrastructure grew enormously in the widening and consolidation of places like Dan,
Megiddo, and Hazor, including massive city walls, multi-towered city walls, and
multi-gate entryway systems.

Writing plays a vital role in the inventions, enabling political views, widening
economic strength, and enhancing the development of a scribal social class. The most
prominent evidence for writing in Hebrew was found in 1910. The findings uncovered
102 ostraca dated 865 to 735BCE(potsherds with writing), some stating the receipts of
the transmission of luxury goods, one displaying the shipment of wine, providing us
the insight into ancient Israel life using the written word as an invention for economic
and political purposes.

Another distinct invention is the olive-oil press, dating to the 8th century BCE. This
oil press comprises a round, detached crushing mortar with a round-cut press bed with
the exact measurement. The oil was collected in the rock. Another type of olive press
was also invented and used, and scholars recorded that the stones were most likely
used as equilibrium weight for a beam or lever press. Scholars agree that Israel
invented and used at least two types of olive-press technology to produce olive oil to
use and sell. They also had a wine press, and the winepress had huge, shallow basins.
Firstly grapes are placed in the basins, then they would stomp on it to press the juice,
and the juice would flow towards a lower basin, where it is collected in jars and
stored.

Israel invented horses and chariots and used them for its military technology, which
enabled it to become a significant regional power in the 9th and 8th centuries BCE.
There were many other inventions of ancient Israel during their iron age which made
them a powerful region.
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