Journey Across Time National Edition

Chapter 3: The Ancient Israelites

Web Activity Lesson Plans

Introduction
In this chapter students have learned about the history of the ancient Israelites and the birth of Jewish religion. After the death of Solomon, fights broke out and ten of the twelve tribes set up their own nation in the north. They called their new nation the kingdom of Israel. In the south, the other two tribes founded the smaller kingdom of Judah. After the Assyrians conquered Israel in 722 B.C., the ten tribes were scattered across their empire. Over time, the Israelites who were forced to move lost their religion and way of life. They are often called the “lost tribes of Israel”. Students will read through the Web site below to learn more about these lost tribes and their supposed journeys.

Destination Title: The Ten Lost Tribes

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Lesson Description:
In this activity, students will learn about the ongoing hunt to find these lost ten tribes. Students will visit this PBS Web site to gain a better understanding of this discovery. After reading the exclusive, students will answer four questions and compare and contrast the Lemba tribe traditions with those of everyday Jewish traditions.

Instructional Objectives

• Students will explain the history of the "Lost Tribes of Israel".
• Students will analyze the account and search for evidence of these lost tribes in today's modern world and will compare and contrast a found tribe with today’s Jewish culture.

Student Web Activity Answers

• Jacob's twelve sons each became a father of each of the twelve tribes.
• After the death of Solomon, the tribes were divided along territorial and political lines, with the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south and the rest of the tribes in the north.
• Bartholeme de Las Casas
• A southern African tribe with claims to an ancient Jewish heritage.
• Answers will vary.