August 18, 1250 BC, One of the twelve tribes in Canaan

Moses and the Covenant actually managed to free us from the Egyptians slavery. We’ve been wandering for 40 years searching for a new home but we’ve finally settled back in Canaan. Our people have split into twelve tribes, ruled by three kings. So far there is peace throughout our lands, there are rumors of Assyrian invaders so we must stay cautious. I’m just happy that my people are finally free of years of torture and despair. Tonight, I shall pray to God that we never leave this land and that the Hebrew people are finally at peace.

November 17, 1650 BC, A Hebrew slave in Egypt

It’s been three years since my people migrated from Canaan to the land of Egypt due to famine and drought. We thought we would be safe here, continuing on with our day to day lives just like before, but we were dead wrong. Ever since we moved here we’ve been treated like animals while the Egyptians sit back and relax. They refuse to release us from this slavery and my people are to weak to rise up and resist their tyranny. A man by the name of Moses promises to free us from our torture but I don’t know if I believe him… I guess only time will tell.

Journal Entry 1:

November 3, 1650 B. C., a Hebrew who moved to Egypt

    My name is Ariella and I am a Hebrew. Judaism is a monotheistic religion as we only believe in one god, Yahweh. We believe that Abraham is our “father” and that Yahweh protects us because of a covenant between Yahweh and Abraham. I recently moved from my home in Canaan to Egypt due to a drought and the threat of famine. In this case our environment and our economic well-being are forcing us to move. The drought is an environmental hazard and the fear of famine ties in with the economic well-being of our people. I hoped that this new area would be just as nice as or better than Canaan. We left Canaan to escape starvation, but we were not prepared for the hardships that we would encounter in Egypt. Whereas Canaan was considered a cultural crossroad, Egypt was isolated and distant. When we first moved here we were treated as equals, even honored, but as time passed we have been forced into slavery. I am not really sure why this has happened and it is a bit traumatizing.

Journal Entry 1:

November 3, 1650 B. C., a Hebrew who moved to Egypt

    My name is Ariella and I am a Hebrew. Judaism is a monotheistic religion as we only believe in one god, Yahweh. We believe that Abraham is our “father” and that Yahweh protects us because of a covenant between Yahweh and Abraham. I recently moved from my home in Canaan to Egypt due to a drought and the threat of famine. In this case our environment and our economic well-being are forcing us to move. The drought is an environmental hazard and the fear of famine ties in with the economic well-being of our people. I hoped that this new area would be just as nice as or better than Canaan. We left Canaan to escape starvation, but we were not prepared for the hardships that we would encounter in Egypt. Whereas Canaan was considered a cultural crossroad, Egypt was isolated and distant. When we first moved here we were treated as equals, even honored, but as time passed we have been forced into slavery. I am not really sure why this has happened and it is a bit traumatizing.

Ten Commandments

Hebrew Torah

Sometime between 1300 and 1200 B.C.    A lady in Egypt during the Exodus
Journal Entry 2
We have now left Egypt. After so many years of suffering we have left for religious and economical reasons. We may have been  freed from slavery but we are alone in a dessert. We are lead by a man named Moses. He is the one that freed us from enslavement. It is told that he was told by god to lead all of us Jews away from Egypt. We followed him and cherished the sacred tablets that held our Ten Commandments. These helped us form a covenant between our people and our God. God is said to have promised to protect us in our nomadic ways as long as we keep the Ten Commandments.

Sometime between 1300 and 1200 B.C.    A lady in Egypt right before the Exodus Journal Entry 1
If I thought that living in Canaan through droughts and famine was bad, I clearly had no idea what would have come in the future. Living in Egypt is worse than anything that I could have gone through back in Canaan. We are forced into slavery and have to go through terrible situations. My people and I have been here a long time and there is word going around that we are going to flee our pain. The Egyptians, at first, held us high. We were beloved and everything was wonderful. Later, however, things took a turn for the worst when my people were forced into slavery. I'm not sure what will come of all of our pain and suffering but hopefully we will escape very soon in time.

April 18, 1249B.C.   A Hebrew woman in Canaan

It's been 51years since I last wrote and a lot has happened over time. Moses did lead us out of Egypt because god had commanded him to. We also needed to leave because of religious and economical problems occurring. While we were then traveling across the Sinai peninsula, Moses went off and climbed to the top of Mount Sinai to pray. When he came back he brought with him 2stone tablets on which Yahweh had written the Ten Commandments. These commandments then became the main part of our civil and religious laws. With these new laws in place we all believed that a new covenant had been formed. After that, we wandered around the Sinai Desert for 40years. Then when Moses died almost all of us returned to Canaan where the father of our people, Abraham, had lived. When we got there and had settled into this new way of life for most, we were then organized into 12tribes. Being in separate territories and being self-governing had led us into a new lifestyle that we like. Only once has god so far had to choose a judge and that was to just better unify the tribes, in case an emergency ever occurred and we would need one another. As I finish this up I realize that from all of these ups and downs my body has weakened. But at least I have lasted through major stories in our Hebrew past. I have survived through extreme conditions because our god has saved me for the story telling in my tribe. Now that all of my stories have been told, I don't fear of leaving this world. For I know it will soon be my time to go.

March 25, 1198B.C.    A Hebrew girl in Egypt

For a while now us Hebrews have settled into Egypt. We had very little choice in coming here, since if we had stayed the drought or possible famine would have killed us all. Here I have been praying to our one and only god Yahweh. According to the Torah god chose Abraham to be the father of my people. Abraham then promised to protect us forming a covenant. But lately Yahweh hasn't been protecting us well. Since the Egyptians are now forcing us into slavery. I don't understand this because when we first came here we were given places of honor in the Egyptian kingdom, yet now this. Making young girls like me do dreadful things to who ever wishes something done. My hands have been cut and my legs are sore every day. Now the best part of my day is washing off under cold water to rid my mind of the days work and praying to Yahweh. But now apparently a man is coming named Moses who will lead us out of slavery. So all we can do now is just hold on for a little while more until it happens.