The covenant

• “You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you”
• “I will take you as my own people and I will be your God“
• “I will make you a great nation and I will bless you“
• First aspect of the convent = promised land
• second aspect of the covenant = promised people
• Brit Milah = external symbols of the covenent, it is the oldest Jewish ritual that has remained unchanged
• Brit Milah (circumsicion) is preformed by a trained person called a Mohel
• The circumsicion is a sign that the baby has joined the convenant
• The covenant between God and Abraham shows the distinctiveness that God placed on Jews
• The second covenant (Moses) is when God speaks to Moses, telling him to demand that the Pharaoh let the Israelites (Jews) go free
• There were 10 plagues that God inflicted on Egypt as the Pharoh for not letting the Israelites go
• Plague of blood ; turned the water in the river Nile to blood, fish died and the water stank
• Plague of Frogs; overrun with frogs, fell from the sky
• Plague of Flies; swarms of flies
• Plague of livestock; all the Egyptians animals died- horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats
• Plague of boils; boils broke out of the Egyptian and livestock
• Plague of locusts; Swarms settled in Egypt, ate anything left growing
• Plague of death - death of the firstborn son
• First Covenant; Abraham

  • Foundation of the religion,
  • God promises land, people and blessing,
  • Jews promise obedience and circumsicion (an obvious sign that they are Jewish),
  • Covenant shows that Jews are the chosen people, demonstrates tradition, and explains the close relationship with God
• Second covenant; Moses

  • the establishment of the Torah
  • Exodus tells the story
  • God promises they are his chosen people but they need to follow his rules
  • Jews promise to follow the rules/ commandment given to Moses
  • the covenant shows practical ways to lead a Jewish life