The Dawn of Israel #1 Who are the Jewish people? Where did they come from, and why do we care? We’re talking about a scant 13.9 million, one out of every 457 people in the world being Jewish. That's a sliver of a sliver. Yet, the influence of the Jewish people is beyond measure. Let’s go back to the "cradle of civilization," ancient Mesopotamia, and consider the life and times of ancient Israel's first great patriarch – Abraham. Dr. Kenneth Hanson http://drkenhanson.com/