Grade 6, Lesson Outline: Chapter 10, Lesson 2

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Lesson at a Glance Outline

Chapter 10, Lesson 2, Kings, Prophets, and Priests (pp. 308-314)

I. The Monarchy

A. The second king of the Israelites, David, united the tribes of Israel, and established a dynasty that lasted over 400 years.

B. Under David's leadership, the Israelite empire extended from the Sinai Peninsula to Damascus, with Jerusalem as its capital.

C. David's son, Solomon, made treaties with neighboring nations, increased trade with others, and began a royal building program.

D. Solomon's main temple in Jerusalem became the center for the Israelites' religious life and a symbol of their faith.

E. After Solomon's death, Israel split into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah.

II. The Message of the Prophets

B. Jewish prophets, who interpreted the will of God, said the Jewish people were being punished for breaking their covenant with God.

C. The prophets preached that if the Jews obeyed the laws of God, they would someday be able to return to their homeland.

III. A People Governed by Priests

B. Without a king, leadership of the Jews fell to the priests, who oversaw the rebuilding of the temple, the celebration of religious holidays, and the following of laws.

C. In the 400s B.C., Ezra, a priest and scribe, collected the holy writings that became the Torah.

D. Some Jews came to believe that a messiah would someday free the people and restore Israel's independence.

IV. The Revolt of the Maccabees

B. A Jewish priest and his son, Judah Maccabee fought a two-year rebellion against the Syrians.

C. In 164 B.C., the Maccabees drove the Syrians out of the area around Jerusalem and restored independence to Judah.

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