Judaism

An Ancient Religion

• Over 4000 years old• Founded by Abraham,

who once lived in Mesopotamia

• Jewish religion is closely tied to Christianity and Islam, and all 3 religions are based on the same stories

Important Terms

• Judaism – the religion of the Hebrews

• Monotheism – belief in one god

• Torah – Jewish religious text• Covenant – a solemn promise

between God and man• Exodus – Moses leading the

Jews out of Egypt• Patriarchs – the ancestral

fathers of Judaism (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)

• Diaspora – the scattering of Jews outside of Judah

Mythology • 2000 B.C.–God tells Abraham to abandon polytheism and leave Mesopotamia

• In return God made a covenant to Abraham to make his descendants a strong and mighty people

• Abraham’s family moved to a land called Canaan and lived there for many Generations

• His grandson had 12 sons, first Hebrews and founders of the12 tribes of Israel

Egypt and the Exodus

• The Hebrews had to leave Canaan because of a famine, so they entered Egypt

• The pharaoh of Egypt worried that the Hebrews might start an uprising, so he had them enslaved

• A leader named Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, an event called the Exodus

• The Hebrew wandered the desert for 40 years

The Ten Commandments

• Moses traveled to the top of Mount Sinai where he received the 10 Commandments from God

• They are a list of moral laws that stress life, self-control, and justice

Saul, David, and Solomon• Saul was Israel’s first king, he

was a strong military ruler, but he never won over the Hebrews because of internal struggles and jealousy

• David was an incredibly strong king who was very well-liked and united the people – he made Israel strong and centered the kingdom in Jerusalem

• Solomon, David’s son, ruled Israel at the height of its power – he was very wise and established trade with other civilizations

• He used the profits from trade to build a huge temple in Jerusalem

Division and Conquest

• When Solomon died, there was no clear heir to the throne and Israel was ripped into two lands by conflict

• Ten tribes formed Israel in the north and two tribes formed Judah in the south – they became the Jews

• When the Chaldeans destroyed Solomon’s temple and enslaved the Jews, the Diaspora - or scattering of the Jews started

• This period was also known as the Babylonian Captivity because the Jews were forced to move to Babylon as slaves

Basic Beliefs

• Judaism is monotheistic

• People must be treated kindly and fairly, Judaism has a strong code of ethics

• Jews must practice obedience to the law

Religious Texts

• Judaism does not have one religious leader; instead people use religious texts to guide their faith

• Torah – beliefs and history of the Jewish people, written in five books

• Talmud – written by Jewish scholars over several centuries; contains explanations and interpretations of the Torah and other religious writings

The Star of David

• Named after the ruler David

• Symbol represents the number 7

• Six days of work (the points on the star) and one day of rest (the center of the star)

• Wasn’t really used until the Middle Ages