Land of Israel in Mesopotamia

Many people in the world trace their identity as a people to a man named Abram. Abram was born in the Sumerian city of Ur and lived much of his life in Haran. Most Mesopotamians worshipped many gods. But, Abram worshipped one God. That means he was a "monotheist." Abram believed that his God was all powerful and he said that he spoke with his God and was told, "Leave your home and go to the land...I will show you."

Question: Most Mesopotamians believed in many gods. But Abram believed in one, so what was he?

• Abram, like most Mesopotamians believed in many gods. So, he was a Polytheist.

• Abram, because he believed in one, all-powerful god, was a Monotheist.

• Abram did not believe in anything spiritual. So, he was an outcast.

Abram obeyed his God without question. He soon left the main part of Mesopotamia and traveled west with his wife Sarah and many family members. Around 2000 B.C., they came to a region of hills, valleys, and coastal plains along the Mediterranean Sea. This region was known as Canaan.

Question: Where was Canaan located in ancient Mesopotamia?

• Canaan was located just a few miles away from Abram's birthplace in Ur.

• Canaan was located to the east of Mesopotamia and near the border of ancient Persia.

• Canaan was located in a coastal plains area along the Mediterranean Sea.

Abram and his family traveled through Canaan until they reached a place called Shechem. It was there that Abram heard his God say, "I will give this land to your children." So, Abram made a covenant (agreement) with his God. As a sign of his promise, Abram changed his name to Abraham which means, "father of many nations." Abraham became the leader of the Jewish people and many of the Arab people.

Question: What does the name Abraham mean?

• Abraham means, "father of many nations."

• Abraham means, a guy named Abra who eats a lot of ham.

• Abraham doesn't really mean anything. It was just a common name for the times that he lived in.

Abraham's son Isaac had a son who was named Jacob. Later, Jacob was called Israel, and his descendents were called Israelites. When it was hard to get food in Canaan, many Israelites moved to Egypt where they found work and food. They were later made slaves by the Egyptians. Around 1280 B.C., Moses led his Israel people back toward Canaan, and was said to have received the Ten Commandments (a set of laws) from his God. These laws became an important part of the religion called Judaism.

Question: Jacob, son of Issac, was called Israel. So, what were his people called and what religion did they believe in?

• The people of Isaac (Israel) were known as Muslims and were known as Islamics.

• The people of Isaac (Israel) were known as Israelites and they believed in Judaism.

• The people of Issac (Israel) were known as Zoros and there religion was Zoroasrtianism.

Three religions in Mesopotamia and Persia were originated by the Israelite religion of Judaism. The three religions in Mesopotamia and Persia were, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Islam, all of which were monotheists.

Question: What were the three religions that came from Judaism?

• The three religions are Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Islam.

• No religions came directly from Judaism.

• The three religions are Osiris from Egypt, the Greek gods, and the believers of Marduk.

Most religions have a book that gives people the history of their beliefs, and the rules of their beliefs. Christianity has the Bible, Islam has the Quran, and Judaism has the Torah.

What book did the Israelites follow.

• The Torah

• The Quran

• The Bible