EARLIEST MAJOR RELIGION

WORLD’S 1ST MONOTHEISTIC RELGION

MONOTHEISM: BELIEF IN JUST ONE GODUP TO THIS TIME, PEOPLE WORSHIPPED MANY GODSROCKS, RIVERS, ANIMALS, THUNDER, SUPERNATURAL BEINGS, MOUNTAINS, ETC.

ALL BEGINS WITH: ABRAHAM

LIVED ~1800 B.C.

UR IN MESOPOTAMIA—THE “FERTILE CRESCENT”

GOD CAME TO ABRAHAM AND TESTED HIM

THE TEST: SACRIFICE YOUR ONLY SON TO ME

HE PASSED THE TESTGOD MADE A COVENANT(PROMISE)W/ HIMIF ABRAHAM AND HIS PEOPLE WOULD ONLY WORSHIP JEH_VAH, THEN GOD WOULD RICHLY BLESS HIS DESCENDANTS

DESCENDANTS WILL BE “MORE NUMEROUS THAN STARS”

HOW TO WORSHIP AND LOVE JEHOVAH?

THE “SHEMA”: (DEUT. 6: 4-9) IS THE CORE OF JUDAISM

AND IS CENTRAL TO TWO OTHER MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS

THE SHEMA

“HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD IS OUR GOD. THE LORD IS ONE . . . AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD W/ ALL YOUR HEART . . . ALL YOUR SOUL . . . ALL YOUR MIGHT”

HOW TO WORSHIP CONT.THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

GIVEN TO MOSES (1391 BC-1291 BC) AT MT. SINAI BY GOD

TEN COMMANDMENTS

TWO MAIN HOLY BOOKS“TORAH”: 1ST FIVE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE (COVER LIFE OF MOSES)“TALMUD”: VIEWS & INTERPRETATIONS OF RABBIS TO HELP JEWS STAY ON THE PATH

3 DIFFERENT SECTS OF JUDAISM

REFORM JEWS: MAJORITY OF JEWSCONSIDERED SECULAR: NON-RELIGIOUSREJECT TALMUD AND RITUALBELIEVE LIVING MORAL LIFE IS MOST IMPORTANT

DIFFERENT SECTS OF JUDAISM CONT.

CONSERVATIVE JEWS: JUDAISM CAN BE CHANGED SLIGHTLY TO FIT THE TIMES

BEGAN ~ 1880’S

LESS FOLLOWERS THAN REFORM, WAY MORE THAN ORTHODOX

DIFFERENT SECTS OF JUDAISM CONT.ORTHODOX OR HASIDICJEWS:VERY STRICT: “ORIGINAL” JEWSPRAY 3X DAILYSABBATH: CAN’T WORK, LEAVE HOUSE, COOK, HEAT, TURN ON LIGHTS

HASIDIC JEWS CONT.KOSHER DIET: CERTAIN ANIMALS (AND CERTAIN PARTS!) MUST BE KILLED & CLEANED IN CERTAIN WAYON LAND:CLOVEN HOOVES, CHEW CUDNO:

KOSHER

HASIDIC JEWS CONT.IN SEA, LAKES, RIVERS, PONDS,: ONLY THOSE ANIMALS WITH FINS & SCALES!

NO-NO’S!

OTHER NO-NO’S

ONLY FISH IN GREAT LAKES THAT IS A NO-NO!!

IN AIR: NO SCAVENGERS, BIRDS OF PREY

NO REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, RODENTS, INSECTS (KIND OF)

NO-NO’S (NOT THAT YOU WOULD)

HASIDIC JEWS CONT.PLANTS BASICALLY OK, BUT MUST BE WELL-WASHED!NO MEAT AND DAIRY TOGETHER—HAVE TO USE SEPARATE PLATES EVEN!ALCOHOL/WINE OK W/ LIMITS

KOSHER CONT.

HASIDIC JEWS CONT. CLOTHES AND BODY

NO FACE SHAVING OR SIDES OF HEAD (=PAYOTES)

WHITE SHIRTS, BLACK PANTS/JACKETS/SHOES

MUST HAVE HEAD COVERED!

FRINGES ON CLOTHES!

DRESS CONT.

OTHER STUFF:SYNAGOGUE: PLACE OF WORSHIP

WAILING WALL: #1 SACRED SITE IN OLD JERUSALEM

ONLY REMAINS LEFT OF KING SOLOMON’S TEMPLE

O. STUFF CONT.DIASPORA: FORCED REMOVAL OF

JEWS BY ROMANS 70 AD.

JEWS PERSECUTED HISTORICALLY

HAVE BEEN FORCED TO :

LIVE CERTAIN PLACES ( ), WORK CERTAIN JOBS, WEAR CERTAIN SYMBOLS

DIASPORA, GHETTOS, WORK

O. STUFF:CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM ARE CLOSELY LINKED TO JUDAISM

REMEMBER: JESUS WAS A JEW

~ 13 MILLION JEWS TODAY—HALF LIVE IN ISRAEL