Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Reading Comprehension Worksheets
World Religion
The History of Judaism

World Religion
World Religion


The History of Judaism
Print The History of Judaism Reading Comprehension


Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 9 to 12
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   8.22

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    anti-Jewish, ashkenazim, deuteronomy, mid-16th, sefirot, sephardim, understanding, exodus, poignant, commandment, firstborn, annex, disgrace, sentiment, psychoanalysis, humanity
     content words:    Promised Land, Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, Even Disney, Red Sea, King David, Roman Empire, Since Jerusalem, Middle Ages, Ashkenazim Jews


The History of Judaism
By Colleen Messina
  

1     The Jewish people have faced severe persecution during their long history, but they have also demonstrated great strength. Judaism began about 3,500 years ago. Abraham, the first Jew, was a respectable 99 years old at the time. It is believed that God made a covenant with Abraham that Abraham's descendents would reach the "Promised Land" in exchange for their worship and obedience. Abraham believed in one God rather than many idols. Judaism became a major world religion. It is at the heart of both Christianity and Islam.
 
2     Abraham lived in present-day Iraq in 1800 B.C. His son, Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob, also became patriarchs of Judaism. Jacob's twelve sons became the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel. Their complicated story fills the Hebrew Bible, which is the Old Testament to Christians. Even Disney has made movies about Bible stories!
 
3     The story goes that the Hebrews went to Egypt because of a famine and later became Pharaoh's slaves. By 1200 B.C., the Pharaoh worried that the Hebrew people might rebel. He ordered his thugs to throw all Hebrew boys into the Nile! One boy's mother saved him by placing him in a covered basket in the river. Pharaoh's daughter rescued the baby, and she named him "Moses." This name means "one who was drawn out," and the story of Moses is a well-known Bible story.
 
4     Moses rejected his royal family when he grew up. Pharaoh was Moses' adopted grandfather so this must have taken great courage. Moses asked the Pharaoh to free the Hebrew slaves. Pharaoh said no, so God sent ten nasty plagues to the Egyptians. The Nile turned to blood, hoards of frogs hopped over the land, billions of bugs bothered the Egyptians, and then all the people got boils. With the death of all firstborn sons, including his own, the Pharaoh finally let his slaves go, but soon changed his mind and sent his soldiers after the Israelites. According to the Bible, the Red Sea split into walls of water. The Israelites escaped to Canaan, but the Pharaoh's soldiers never were able to "catch a wave" and died in the attempt. This exodus was only one of many that Jews had to make at different times in their history.

Paragraphs 5 to 15:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable



Weekly Reading Books

          Create Weekly Reading Books

Prepare for an entire week at once!


Feedback on The History of Judaism
Leave your feedback on The History of Judaism   (use this link if you found an error in the story)



World Religion
             World Religion


More Lessons
             High School Reading Comprehensions and High School Reading Lessons


Social Studies
             Social Studies


    United States History and Theme Units  
 
    American Government  
 
    Ancient America  
 
    Ancient China  
 
    Ancient Egypt  
 
    Ancient Greece  
 
    Ancient India  
 
    Ancient Mesopotamia  
 
    Ancient Rome  
 
    Biographies  
 
    Canadian Theme Unit  
 
    Country Theme Units  
 
    Crime and Terrorism  
 
    Economics  
 
    European History: 1600s-1800s  
 
 
    Explorers  
 
    Famous Educators  
 
    Geography  
 
    Grades 2-3 Social Studies Wendy's World Series  
 
    History of Books and Writing  
 
    History of Mathematics  
 
    How Can I Help?  
 
    Inventors and Inventions  
 
    Middle Ages  
 
    Renaissance  
 
    World Religion  
 
    World War I  
 
    World War II  
 
    World Wonders  
 



Copyright © 2018 edHelper