Download Origins of Judaism - Wando High School

Origins of Judaism
What is Judaism?
•“A 4000 year old tradition with
ideas about what it means to be
human and how to make the
world a holy place”
(Rabbi Harold Kushner, To Life)
•A “covenant relationship”
between God and the Hebrew
people
•A faith, a people, a way of life…
Beliefs of
Judaism…
•In one God, creator of the universe,
personal but non-corporeal
•In prophets of old – especially
Moses, through whom Torah was
revealed to the Hebrew people
•In Torah (first five books of the
Bible), containing religious, moral
and social law which guides the life
of a Jew
the Hebrew Bible does not include the New
Testament
History
•The Torah - 1st five books of the
Hebrew Bible – tells early history
•1st monotheistic religion (one
God)
•Yahweh is one and only god
•Promised Land-Canaan,
Palestine, “Land of Milk and
Honey”, Israel, (region at eastern
end of Mediterranean Sea)
The Story of Abraham
•God chose Abraham to
be “father” of Jewish
people
•2000 B.C. - Abraham
moves family and herds
from Ur to Canaan-”the
promised land”
The covenant between God and
Abraham
•Covenant- formal
agreement between two
sides
•Abraham promises to
obey God
•Yahweh promises to
protect Abraham
So…
•Abraham—Isaac—Jacob—Joseph
•Joseph sold into slavery in Egypt and
• Became a leader to the pharaoh in Egypt
•Hebrews went to Egypt because of a drought
and famine. At first they were honored …..later
forced into slavery .
Moses
•Considered one of the greatest
figures in Jewish history
•At birth, left on banks of Nile by
mother
•Found and raised by Egyptian
princess
•God commands him to lead
Jews out of Egypt (burning
bush)
Moses and the Exodus
•1300-1200 B.C. Moses
leads the Hebrews out of
Egypt
•Event called the
“Exodus” ; after plagues
•Remembered during the
festival of Passover
A New Covenant
•Moses received the
Ten Commandments
on Mount Sinai
•Basis for Hebrew
civil and religious
laws
The Land and the People
•The Hebrews wandered
Sinai Desert for 40 years
•Return to Canaan as 12
loosely organized tribes
(Largest tribe was Judah)
•Judges provide leadership
(One was a woman-Deborah)
Hebrew Law
•Men and women have
separate roles and
responsibilities
•Laws provided strict
justice softened by mercy.
•Prophets interpret laws &
teach people to live moral
lives.
The Kingdom of Israel
•Hebrews expand north
and south
•Hebrews came to be
called Jews and religion
called Judaism
The “new” kingdom of Israel
B/n 1020 to 922 B.C., the
Hebrews unite under three
able kings and call the
kingdom Israel. The kings are
the following:
•Saul
•David
•Solomon
Saul
Chosen b/c he drove
out the Philistines
David
•Popular leader
•Defeats Goliath
•Establishes Jerusalem as the
capital
•Saul’s son in law
•United tribes
•Wrote many of the Bible
Psalms
Solomon
•Built trading empire
•Built temple and royal
palace in Jerusalem
•Bible story of Solomon’s
wisdom
•Son of David
•Raised taxes
Solomon’s Temple
•Bronze pillars at
entrance
•Stone on outside
•Inner walls made of
cedar covered in gold
•Main hall decorated w/
brass & gold
Kingdom Divides
•Solomon’s building projects
required high taxes and
forced labor lead Jews in
north to revolt
•By 922 B.C. kingdom
divides in two
•Israel to north
•Judah to south
The Babylonian Captivity
•In 738 B.C. Israel and Judah pay tribute to Assyrians
•By 722 B.C. Assyrians take over Israel (N)
•586 B. C. Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar
take over Judah (S); he destroys Solomon’s temple
•In 539 B.C. Persians under King Cyrus conquer
Babylon
• 40,000 Jews return to Jerusalem
• Temple, walls rebuilt
• Land later ruled by Greeks, Romans
• 70 AD Romans destroy the 2nd temple and the
Hebrews are dispersed (Diaspora)
• 1948 AD Israel
The Spiritual Dimension of Israel
Yahweh = God
Monotheistic
Covenant
Law: 10
Commandments
(religious and civil laws)
Prophets: Religious
teachers
Jews did not accept other
gods of their conquerors
Judaism Today
•Star of David
•Yarmulke
•The Torah Scroll
•Western Wall
•Kosher laws
•Synagogue
Western Wall
The Jews attribute it to a
promise made by God that
some part of the holy
Temple would be left
standing as a sign of
God's unbroken bond with
the Jewish people in spite
of the catastrophes which
had befallen them.