Download Prepare to Read Section 5 Judaism

HOW_RVSG_CH02_1.qxd
5/24/05
1:20 PM
Page 28
PT
HA ER
C
12
2
Prepare to Read
Section 5 Judaism
Objectives
1. Learn about the basic beliefs of Judaism.
2. Find out about the impact that Judaism has had on other religions.
Target Reading Skill
Summarize When you summarize, you focus on the main points. You
leave out the less important details. A summary is shorter than the original text. When you summarize, keep the main ideas or facts in the correct
order.
Look at the following sentence: “At the same time, religious teachers
called on government leaders to temper the laws with justice and mercy.”
It could be summarized like this: “Religious leaders also called for justice
and mercy.”
As you read, pause to summarize the main ideas about Judaism.
Vocabulary Strategy
temper
28
Definitions
Examples
mood or state of mind
She is in a good temper today.
self-control
He lost his temper.
a tendency to get angry
What a temper you have!
anger or rage
She went into a temper.
to lessen or soften
He tries to temper justice with
mercy.
Reading and Vocabulary Study Guide
© Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
Using Context to Clarify Meaning Sometimes you may read a word you
recognize, but the word does not seem to make sense in the sentence.
Most words have more than one meaning. What a word means depends
on its context. Look for clues in the surrounding words or sentences. For
example, the word temper has many meanings. You cannot know what
meaning the author had in mind unless you look at the context.
Some of the most common meanings of temper are listed in the chart
below. The chart also has examples in context.
HOW_RVSG_CH02.qxd
10/5/06
3:38 PM
Page 29
Section 5 Summary
The Beliefs of Judaism
To the Israelites, history and religion were closely
linked. Each event showed God’s plan for the Israelite
people. These beliefs became the religion we know as
Judaism. It was always monotheistic. It differed in
5 other ways from the beliefs of nearby peoples.
Most ancient people thought that their gods were
connected to certain places or people. The Israelites
believed that God is present in all places. They
believed that God knows everything. They believed
10 that God has complete power.
The Torah says that God promised Abraham that
his people would become kings. God said they would
build nations. God made a covenant with Abraham.
The Israelites considered themselves to be God’s “chosen people.” Moses later renewed this covenant. He
told the Israelites that God would lead them to
Canaan. Canaan was the “promised land.” In return,
the Israelites had to obey God faithfully.
The Israelites believed God gave Moses the Ten
Commandments. They set religious duties toward
God. The Torah set many other laws. Some had to do
with everyday matters. Others had to do with crimes.
Like Hammurabi’s Code, many laws demanded an eye
for an eye. At the same time, religious teachers called
on government leaders to temper the laws with justice
and mercy.
Some laws protected women. For example, mothers
were to be treated with respect. But women were of
lower status than men. A man who was head of a fam30 ily owned his wife and children. Early on, there were
some women leaders, such as the judge Deborah, who
won honor and respect. But later, women were not
allowed to be religious leaders.
Target Reading Skill
Summarize the first bracketed
paragraph. Be sure to include the
key points. Also include the
important details about God’s
promise to the Israelites.
Key point: _____________________
Detail: ________________________
Detail: ________________________
Detail: ________________________
Vocabulary Strategy
The word temper is used in the
second bracketed paragraph. Find
it and circle it. How is it
Ma used here? Copy the
rk correct definition from
the chart at the
beginning of this
section.
TH
E
xt
Te
© Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
1
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
Key Terms
covenant (KUV uh nunt) n. a binding agreement
Moses (MOH zuz) n. an Israelite leader whom the Torah says led
the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan
Chapter 2 Section 5
29
HOW_RVSG_CH02_1.qxd
5/24/05
1:20 PM
Page 30
Reading Check
What did the prophets tell the
Israelites?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
Reading Check
Name four ways the Jews preserved their heritage.
1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________
4. _____________________________
The Effects of Judaism
People who follow Judaism are known as Jews. The
Romans drove the Jews out of their homeland in A.D.
135. The Jews then scattered to many parts of the
world. The Assyrians and Chaldeans had begun this
45 diaspora.
Wherever they lived, Jews preserved their heritage.
They lived in close communities. They obeyed their
religious laws. They worshiped at their temples. They
followed traditions such as Passover. These traditions
50 helped unite Jews. Judaism had an important effect on two later religions, Christianity and Islam. Both of these faiths came
from the same area. Both were monotheistic. Jews,
Christians, and people who follow Islam all honor
55 Abraham, Moses, and the prophets. They share the
Israelite moral point of view.
Review Questions
1. Why did the Israelites believe that they were God’s
chosen people?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
2. What religious laws did the Israelites follow?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Key Terms
prophet (PRAHF it) n. a religious teacher who people believe
speaks for God or a god
diaspora (dy AS pur uh) n. the scattering of people who have a
common background or beliefs
30
Reading and Vocabulary Study Guide
© Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
3. _____________________________
The history of the Israelites tells of prophets. They
35 told the Israelites what God wanted them to do.
Prophets urged the Israelites to live by the idea of right
and wrong. They called on the rich and powerful to
protect the poor and weak. All people were equal
before God. Kings were not gods. They had to obey
40 God’s law just like anyone else.