Download Monotheism WHAP/Napp “The story of Judaism, as recorded in

Monotheism
WHAP/Napp
“The story of Judaism, as recorded in Hebrew Scriptures, begins some 3800 years ago
with one man’s vision of a single, unique God of all creation. They tell us that God and
Abraham sealed a covenant stating that Abraham’s descendants would forever revere and
worship that God, and God, in return, would forever watch over and protect them. From
then until now Judaism has remained a relatively small, family-based religion, with
branches throughout the world, but focused in part in Israel, the land that Jews believe
God promised to Abraham. Our knowledge of early Jewish history comes from the
scriptures known collectively as the TaNaKh: Torah (the first five books of the Bible),
Nevi’im (the Books of the Prophets), and Ketuvim (additional historical, poetic, and
philosophic writings). Christians have incorporated the entire TaNaKh into their Bible,
referring to these scriptures collectively as the ‘Old Testament.’ Because the New
Testament is written in Greek and the Old Testament in Hebrew, the TaNaKh is often
referred to as the Hebrew Bible.
The narratives of the five books of the Torah abound with miracles, as God intervenes
continuously in the history of the Jews. The Torah begins with God’s creating the world
and contracting his covenant with Abraham. Over the next several generations, the Torah
continues, famine struck Israel (then called Canaan), the land God promised to Abraham.
Abraham’s grandson and his family traveled to the Nile valley of Egypt in search of food.
At first invited by the pharaoh to remain as permanent residents, they were later enslaved.
About 1200 B.C.E., after 400 years of slavery, the Jews won their freedom and escaped
from Egypt under the leadership of Moses through the miraculous intervention of God.
During their journey back to Israel through the wilderness of the Sinai Desert, the
contentious group of ex-slaves was forged into a small but militant nation. The Torah
records a dramatic miracle at Mount Sinai in which God revealed a set of religious and
civil laws [i.e. the Ten Commandments] for them to follow.” ~ The World’s History
1. The Hebrews
(A) Were settled agriculturalists.
(B) Were led out of Palestine by Abraham.
(C) Were always monotheists.
(D) Were the first Indo-Europeans to settle
in southwest Asia.
(E) None of the above.
2. The religious beliefs of the Israelites after
Moses included
(A) The worship of Mesopotamian gods.
(B) Monotheism.
(C) The worship of Allah.
(D) The building of ziggurats.
(E) None of the above.
3. A contract between the Hebrews and
their God was called a
(A) Mitzvah
(B) Covenant
(C) Yarmulke
(D) Commandment
4. The Hebrews trace themselves to an
ancestor named
(A) Adam
(B) Abraham
(C) Abel
(D) Noah
5. All of the following are monotheistic
faiths except
(A) Judaism
(B) Christianity
(C) Islam
(D) Shinto
Key Words
/Questions
Reflections:
I. Zoroastrianism – The Rise of Monotheism
A. During height of Achaemenid Persian Empire (550 – 330 BCE)
B. Zarathustra (Zoroaster to the Greeks) was a Persian prophet
C. Ideas received state support during the Achaemenid dynasty
D. Beliefs
1. Single god, Ahura Mazda, ruled the world, the source of truth,
light, and goodness
2. But Ahura Mazda was in a cosmic struggle with the forces of evil
3. Evil was embodied in the supernatural figure of Angra Mainyu
4. Ahura Mazda would eventually triumph when a final Savior
would arrive and restore the world to its earlier purity and peace
a) At the day of judgment, those who had joined with Ahura
Mazda would be granted new resurrected bodies and eternal
life in Paradise while those who sided with evil were
condemned to everlasting punishment
E. After the Prophet
1. Zoroastrianism was accepted within the Persian heartland
and found followers in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia
2. But never a missionary religion
3. However, the arrival of Islam led to its final decline in Persia
4. A few believers fled to India where they became known as
Parsis (Persians) and continued to practice their faith
F. Contributions to World Religions
1. Cosmic Struggle – Conflict between good and evil
2. Idea of a last judgment and resurrected bodies
3. Belief in final defeat of evil – Arrival of a savior (Messiah)
II. Judaism
A. History
1. A prophet, Abraham, led his people from Mesopotamia to
Palestine
2. Over time, some Hebrews moved to Egypt where they were
enslaved but miraculously escaped to return to Palestine
3. By around 1000 BCE, the Hebrews established a small state
a) Split into kingdom called Israel and kingdom called Judah
4. Israel was conquered by Assyria in 722 BCE
a) Many inhabitants were deported to other regions
5. In 586 BCE, kingdom of Judah came under Babylonian rule
and its elite class was shipped off to exile
a) Exiles, now calling themselves Jews, retained their identity
and later were able to return to homeland
B. Beliefs
1. Divine was singular, transcendent, and personal
2. Divine demanded social justice/moral righteousness
C. Influenced Christianity and Islam
1. Which of the following was NOT a
Zoroastrian teaching?
(A) the cosmic conflict between Ahura
Mazda and Angra Mainyu
(B) the idea that individual souls would
undergo future judgment
(C) ascetic renunciation of the world in
favor of a future heavenly existence
(D) the idea that the forces of good would
ultimately prevail
2. From the mid-seventh century,
Zoroastrianism lost its popularity because
(A) Zoroastrians were converting to Islam.
(B) It was outlawed by the Persian
government.
(C) More and more people turned to belief
in Christianity.
(D) None of these answers is correct.
3. Jewish monotheism
(A) Was spread actively by Jewish
missionaries throughout the Middle East.
(B) Emphasized the power and abstraction
of God.
(C) Included worship of various lesser gods.
(D) Emerged as the high point of Sumerian
civilization.
(D) Rejected the idea that men were
ethically responsible for their behavior.
4. Which of these is not a major belief of
Judaism?
(A) Human beings are born with two
impulses: to do good and to do evil
(B) Yahweh and Jesus are two
representations of God
(C) Love of and meditation upon God and
Torah will keep one’s heart pure
(D) Life is a gift and humanity is meant to
mirror God’s qualities
5. “Leave your land, your relatives, and
your father’s home. Go to the land that I
will show you.”
Who followed this quote to begin a new
religion?
(A) Gilgamesh
(B) Zoroaster
(C) Hammurabi
(D) Abraham
6. Followers of Zoroastrianism today are
known as what?
(A) Parsis
(B) Kshatriyas
(C) Rastafarians
(D) Daoists
7. The Avesta
(A) Is Zoroastrian scripture.
(B) Is a body of liturgical texts used by the
magi.
(C) Contains themes found in Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
(D) All of the above.
8. According to Zoroastrianism what will
happen at the end of the world?
(A) The struggle between good and evil will
continue in a new creation
(B) All traces of evil will be wiped out
(C)The angles will become the guardians of
humanity
(D) Evil people will be sent to hell forever
9. Which of the following is NOT related to
the Jewish faith?
(A) a belief that a Messiah would appear
and free them from oppression
(B) the Torah
(C) monotheism
(D) the Eightfold Path
(E) the Tanakh
Comparative Thesis Practice:
A- Identify one similarity in the tenets [beliefs] of Zoroastrianism and Judaism.
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B- Identify one difference in the tenets [beliefs] of Zoroastrianism and Judaism.
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C- Write a comparative thesis statement for Zoroastrianism and Judaism.
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D- Write a body paragraph with either a similarity or a difference and provide
historical evidence and analysis.
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“Zoroastrians are famous for their tradition of exposure or ‘laying out the dead’. In
Mumbai the Zoroastrian ‘Towers of Silence’ have been a focus of interest because it is one
of the few places in the world where this tradition can still be upheld.
Zoroastrians believe that as soon as the breath has left it, the body becomes impure. Death
is considered to be the work of Angra Mainyu, the embodiment of all that is evil, whereas
the earth and all that is beautiful is considered to be the pure work of God. Contaminating
the elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water) with decaying matter such as a corpse is
considered sacrilege. Thus, instead of burying the corpse, Zoroastrians traditionally laid it
out on a purpose built tower (dokhma or ‘Tower of Silence’) to be exposed to the sun and
eaten by birds of prey such as vultures. In Mumbai, where more than half of India’s
seventy thousand Parsis live, huge towers have been built and set within fifty-seven acres of
forest gardens. In western countries where exposure is either impractical or illegal,
Zoroastrians usually opt for cremation. In the future, unfortunately, this practice may
have to end. With a rapid decline in the population of vultures and the changing times of
India, modern Zoroastrians are having to rethink how they are to keep this ancient
tradition alive.” ~ BBC
How does the Zoroastrian funeral ceremony reveal its religious beliefs?
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