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Week 3 Overview
Judaism and Christianity
What is meant by the phrase Judeo-Christian ethic? Does that term still relevant in a society as diverse as
that which most Western countries experience today? The term Judeo-Christian has its roots in both the
Hebrew and Christian traditions found in the Hebrew Bible—also refered to the Old Testament of the
Christian Bible. Most of what the U.S. population understands of Judaism comes from these sources,
from God's covenant with Abraham to Moses and the Promised Land. These stories have become part of
our culture, whether we are religious or not. The story is one of revelation, covenant and nationhood and
also one of disobedience, repentance, and forgiveness.
Christian tradition tells us that Jesus Christ was born of Jewish parents. His mission was to reform the
Jews but they rejected him and he was put to death. He was buried and was resurrected from the dead.
As part of the realization of God’s covenant with Abraham, Moses was given the Ten Commandments,
some of which are having no other gods, keeping the Sabbath, not murdering, and not committing
adultery. The Ten Commandments are considered to be part of the Torah, or “teachings” of the Hebrew
Bible. These ancient pillars of religious and moral standards have withstood cultural, political and social
change for thousands of years. They continue to be the basis of our secular and religious laws today
The Ten Commandments are considered to be part of the Torah, or “teachings” of the Hebrew Bible.
These ancient pillars of religious and moral standards have withstood cultural, political and social change
for thousands of years. They continue to be the basis of our secular and religious laws today.
Other parts of the Hebrew Bible include The Prophets and the Writings. The Prophets calls on the
Hebrew people to return to their covenant with God and outlines how they have fallen short of the
expectations of that covenant. The Writings contain a number of literary forms including Psalms,
Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah and
Chronicles.
There is little painting or sculpture that can be categorized as Jewish because of the biblical injunction
against “graven images.” The Temple of Jerusalem is the most important piece of Jewish architecture, a
symbolic residence of God; it was meant to reassure the Jewish people that God was with them.
Based on the Messianic hopes of Judaism, Christianity rose as a new covenant to replace the covenant
established with Moses. What we know of the life of Jesus is contained in the Gospels, which portray
Jesus as a teacher, miracle worker and friend of sinners. He is seen as associating with the poor, the
outcasts, and the socially unacceptable. His message was revolutionary and upset the status-quo of
Jewish society.
Before he was put to death, Jesus commanded his apostles to carry the message forth to all nations.
Within a generation the movement was formalized and the followers of Jesus Christ were known as
Christians. In the early days of Christianity, Jews and Jewish Christians practiced the same religion and
worshiped in the same temple.
The Gospels of the New Testament were written within 100 years of the death of Christ and scholars feel
certain that none of the writers knew Christ during his lifetime. Christian theology is contained in the
letters, or epistles of the New Testament, most of which were written by St. Paul. The book of Revelation
or Apocalypse is the final part of the New Testament and deals with the end of times.
Christianity survived because it built on the familiar. It was an extension of Judaism and appealed to the
Roman mind. In most cases, members of the aristocracy were converted first and the religion then spread
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from the top down. Because there was buy-in by the upper classes, mass conversions were much easier
than they might have been otherwise. Christians were sometimes persecuted because they refused to
worship the emperor, but Constantine put a stop to this when he made Christianity the favored religion of
Rome.
The first Christian art consisted of the Chi Rho and the Icthus, symbols that identified one Christian to
another. However, by the late Roman period Christian art and architecture had developed into substantial
art forms. After much debate about how or whether to graphically represent Christ, most sculpture and
two-dimensional arts depicted a symbolic lamb or shepherd, rather than a lifelike representation.
When Christianity became the official religion of Rome, there was a need for many places of worship. The
architectural style that emerged was an adaptation of an existing Roman style of government building
called a basilica. Even though Rome was declining by the 3rd Century nothing was spared in lavish
construction. The Basilica of Constantine and Old St. Peters in Rome are early examples.
The primacy of Rome has long been a point of controversy. The bishops of Rome claimed supremacy
because they were the heirs to the power believed to have been vested in St. Peter by Christ himself, and
because their city was the capital of the Empire. This argument became known as “The Petrine Theory.”
Pope Leo I is responsible for institutionalizing the Papacy in Rome when he declared that because all
other apostles were subordinate to Peter, all bishops were subordinate to the bishop of Rome.
As the Empire declined, Christianity ascended. The predominant literature of the time was The Bible and
the music of the time was the religious hymn. From the earliest time, music played a part in Christian
worship. Early Church music, introduced in the 4th Century, was a mixture of unaccompanied chant and
traditional Jewish songs.
What many often fail to remember today is that Christianity is built on the foundation of Judaism. The
Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is an important part of Christian religion. According to Christian belief,
Jesus came to fulfill the Messianic prophecy, and is considered the Son of God, and one person in the
Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) that make up one God. Jews, however, reject the Trinity, believe that
Jesus was only a prophet, and did not fulfill Messianic prophecy. Islam incorporates some of the Jewish
and Christian history and theology, but believes Jesus was only a prophet, and rejects the Trinity and the
Hebrew claim that Isaac was the chosen son of Abraham. Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet and
that there is only one God figure (rather than the Trinity).
Timeline of World Religions – Judaism to Protestantism
This timeline outlines the historic sequence of the development of major world religions to through the
advent of Protestantism.
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2,085 C.E. – Judaism-Abraham
1,500 C.E. – Hinduism- no specific founder
560 C.E. – Buddhism- Gautama Buddha
550 C.E. – Taoism - Lao Tzu
599 C.E. – Jainism, Mahavira
30 C.E. – Christianity: Jesus Christ
50-100 C.E. – Gnosticism
590 C.E. – Roman Catholicism: Pope Gregory
610 C.E. – Islam: Mohammed
1515 C.E. – Protestantism: (Reformers) Martin Luther, Zwingli, Calvin
1534 C.E. – Church of England: Henry VIII
Continuing Study of Judaism and Christianity
The discovery of the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946–47 began a period of study and discovery of
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biblical text. In 1955 and 56, ten additional caves were discovered, all in the same vicinity, Wadi Qumran,
as the cave that yielded the original scrolls. The study of the scrolls yields insight and heretofore missing
information about Jewish history. Learn more about these treasures of the Holy Land by visiting
www.oi.uchicago.edu.
The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE) was established in 1993 as a nonprofit 501(c) (3),
nonpartisan organization to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship by emphasizing the fundamentals of
the alliance—the shared values of the two nations. One of the “Shared Value Initiatives” of this enterprise
is the Jewish virtual library. To learn more about the history of Judaism visit the Jewish virtual library at
www.us-israel.org. Here you can see elements of worship and ancient writings. Another fascinating and
informative website is the Virtual Shetl (a shetl is a small Jewish town) www.ibiblio.org/yiddish/shtetl.html.
This site has links to images of synagogues, artwork, music and literature that will broaden your
understanding of the influence of Judaism and the Jewish community on the Humanities.
One of the many roles of The Vatican is the preservation of historical Christian and Catholic manuscripts,
art, and artifacts. www.vatican.va contains the text of ancient manuscripts, while www.christusrex.org
yields images of early Christian art and artifacts.
Byzantium and Islam
In prior weeks, you have discussed the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the historical period
known as The Dark Ages in Europe. This week you examine how the Emperor Constantine’s move to
create two capitals of the Roman Empire set the stage for Byzantium and the formation of Islam.
Constantine made the city of Byzantium the second capital of the Roman Empire and renamed it
Constantinople. The location of the city made it a strategic bridge between Europe and Asia, creating a
convergence of trade, learning, and the arts. By the time Rome fell to the Goth’s in 476, it had long since
passed the torch of Roman civilization to Constantinople where learning, classical thought and the arts
were thriving. Although it is easy to think of Constantinople as part of the east, its relationship with
Western culture is strong and it continued as the easternmost outpost of Western culture until 1453, when
it fell to Muslim Turks.
When the barbarian conquerors carved up the Western Empire, Constantinople gained instant political
supremacy. In addition, during the 4th and 5th centuries, ideological differences caused religious friction
in the Church, leading to a separation of East from West. The Eastern Empire was governed by an
absolute monarchy and its church used the Greek language in writing and rituals.
One of the legacies of the Byzantine Empire and the Orthodox Church is the art of Iconography. In the
Eastern Church, icons are not considered art in the accepted sense of the word, but a method of prayer.
The iconographer builds his painting in layers on a plaster panel. The darkest colors are applied first with
lighter colors following. In older Greek and Russian Orthodox churches, icons appear very dark. Icons are
painted in bright colors and the dark appearance is the result of ageing. Iconographers are rare today.
When a new Orthodox Church is constructed, the iconographer often spends years decorating the new
structure, using the old methods and placing each figure according to prescribed order. The art was all
but snuffed out under communism but, since 1989, a number of talented new iconographers have
emerged, mainly self-taught, to revive this important art form.
In the 7th century, C.E., a new religion was created and quickly grew in prominence in the Arabian
Peninsula. The Arabs in that region were farmers and traders and had worshiped many gods prior to the
preaching of the Prophet Mohammed.
Muhammad was a respected Arabian citizen in 610 when, at the age of forty, the angel Gabriel appeared
to him and told him to preach in the name of the Lord of creation. Muhammad, the prophet of Islam,
began preaching in Mecca shortly thereafter, but his teachings were not immediately accepted. He and
his followers retreated to Medina where he founded the first Islamic community. Muslim dates are all
calculated from this journey in 622. Missionary, political, and military activity established Islam as the faith
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of the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.
Islam spread through the Middle East and North Africa in the 7th and 8th centuries, often by Arabian
merchants. After the death of Mohammed in 632, the Caliph Abu Bakr and his successors encouraged
holy war (Jihad) to expand the Muslim sphere of influence. Over the period of 100 years, the Islamic
empire stretched from Spain to India and Muslims were on the verge of conquering Europe until their
defeat at the hands of Charles Martel at the Battle of Portiers in 732.
The Koran, the Muslim holy book, was never translated from Arabic into other languages. Converts were
expected to become Arabs and submit to the laws and culture of the Muslim community. As a result,
conquering Arabs were not absorbed into the cultures of their conquered lands. During the early middle
ages, Muslims transmitted much of the classical knowledge of the ancient world to Europe.
The most prominent examples of Islamic architecture are the mosques, or temples of worship built by the
followers of Mohammed. In some cases, Muslims converted Byzantine churches into mosques by the
addition of minarets, or towers at each corner. The Dome of the Rock, located in Jerusalem, is the oldest
surviving mosque. It was built where Mohammed was to have stopped on his way to heaven. Mosques
new and old can be found in Muslim countries today and each day, five times a day, the Muslim “call to
prayer” echoes forth from the minarets. Mosques, though highly decorated with calligraphy, contain no
images of humans or animals. They have an outer fountain for purification and a large inner area for
prayer, bare of any seating. Muslim men kneel on prayer rugs placed on the floor and prostrate
themselves, facing Mecca, to carry out their prayer rituals.
Constantinople, known today as Istanbul, is located at a pivotal point where Islam, Roman Catholicism,
and Eastern Orthodoxy touch and where the Middle East, Europe, and Asia meet today. While once a
center for creative ingenuity and artistic life, it was also a flashpoint of contrasting cultures. Although
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam rest their theologies on revelation, disagreements over claims of
revelation have always caused great discord among the three.
Istanbul is a teeming mix of cultures on the glittering Bosporus. Visitors pour into the city in search of
ancient monuments and bargain shopping. Ruins of ancient city walls are still to be found. Topkapi
Palace offers an intriguing glimpse of opulent life in another time. Minarets and domes populate the
skyline, pinpointing the location of each mosque, many of which are unchanged for centuries. The call to
prayer still echoes across the city five times a day and Muslims still answer. The faithful come to the
mosque with prayer rugs to perform the rites of their religion while the stunning architecture with its gold
embellishments and calligraphic decoration intrigues the Western visitor.
The crowded central market offers bargains for the astute shopper as it has since ancient times. Rug
makers and leather workers still create exquisite hand made masterpieces and haggle with would-be
purchasers, but today this is as likely to take place in a modern glass retail center as it is in the market.
The city is a mixture of Christian and Muslim influences where East still meets West in a fascinating mix
of attitude and culture. Business suits and tunics, veils and mini skirts are all part of the daily scene of this
historic city today.
Timeline of Scientific and Technological advances during the rise of Byzantium
and Islam
The dates below will help you to put some of the major occurrences during the time of the Byzantine
Empire and the rise of Islam in an historical context.
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415 – A mob of rioters burned down the Library of Alexandria and much of the recorded knowledge of
the Western world was lost.
450 – 1000 The Dark Ages in Europe
313 – The Roman Emperor Constantine adopts Christianity; in 330, he builds new capital and names
it Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). Roman Empire gradually divides into western and eastern
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parts ("Byzantine Empire"), with capitals at Rome and Constantinople.
410 – Alaric, leader of the Visigoths, captures and sacks Rome. Decline of Rome: Attila king of the
Huns devastates much of its empire, reaches the gates of Constantinople and later (452) of Rome.
Beginning of Europe's "Dark Ages" which continue to the Renaissance: cities decay, trade, shipping,
literacy, scholarship, and life expectancy all decline.
622 – Mohammed flees to the city of Medina, marking the beginning of Islam (and the starting date of
the Moslem calendar). His followers conquer the Near East, North Africa, and Spain.
820 – Caliph Al Ma'mun establishes "House of Wisdom" in Baghdad
780-850 – Muza Al Khorezmi: measured the circumference of the earth
Opportunities for Further Study of Byzantium and Islam
Fordham University sponsors a comprehensive website for Byzantine Studies. For an in-depth look at
Byzantium, go to www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium. For links to other Byzantine Studies web sites see
www.fordham.edu/halsall/medweb.
The Metropolitan Museum has an impressive collection of Islamic art. One of the features of the museum
website is the portfolio a viewer can create, saving images to which you would like to return. You will see
manuscripts and miniatures, carpets, intricately decorated objects in several media, and architectural
elements from the 7th century onward at www.metmuseum.org.
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