Yeshivat Noam’s 6th graders have been studying the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and noticed that these empires extended into the Land of Israel. Using their textbooks and Tanach, the students learned Jewish history from a new angle as they studied the experiences of the Jewish people under the rule of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. The Assyrians destroyed the Kingdom of Israel and formed an unsuccessful siege around Jerusalem, and the Babylonians destroyed the Beit Hamikdash and the Kingdom of Judah.  In order to experience how artifacts help us understand history, each student studied one of five artifacts from this time period: the Lachish Relief, Chizkiyahu’s Tunnels, Sennacherib’s Annals, the House of Ahiel, or clay bullae. The students researched the artifacts using historical articles as well as pesukim in Tanach. Once the research was complete, each student wrote a small informative piece, which will appear next to the artifact in our “Bayit Rishon Museum.” The students are currently busy creating their artifacts, and what they have created so far is wonderful.

By Aliza Peyser, Middle School Social Studies Teacher