Download Chapter 11 The Origins of Judaism

Chapters 11 & 12
The Origins of Judaism &
Learning about World Religions:
Judaism
How did Judaism originate and develop?
What We Know About the Ancient Israelites
Important Jewish Leaders
The Life of Abraham: Father of the Jews
Abraham’s Descendants
The Life of Moses: Leader of the Israelites
The Exodus from Egypt
David Expands the Kingdom of Israel
Solomon Builds the Great Temple of Jerusalem
How did Judaism originate and develop?
• Historians rely on sources of information such as artifacts and
writings, including the Torah and the other parts of the Hebrew Bible.
From such sources, scholars have learned much about the ancient
Israelites and the development of Judaism.
• The Torah has the first five books of the Hebrew Bible and
commandments that direct Jewish life.
• Abraham, father of the Jews, introduced the belief in one God,
monotheism. He made a covenant with God to go to Canaan, and in
turn God made him the father of the Jews. The Jews believed they
should act in a way that would fulfill God’s covenant.
How did Judaism originate and develop?
• Moses led the Israelites on an Exodus out of slavery in Egypt. At
Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, basic laws
and teachings of Judaism. Moses united the Jews into a people who
worshiped one God.
• King David defeated the Philistines, united the Israelites in a new
nation called Israel, and made Jerusalem the capital and a holy city.
King Solomon, David’s son, built the First Temple in Jerusalem, signed
treaties, and increased trade. Both men were also poets with parts of
the Hebrew Bible attributed to them.
What are the central teachings of Judaism, and
why did they survive to modern day?
The Central Teachings of Judaism
Foreign Rule and the Jewish Diaspora
Rule by the Romans
Jewish Diaspora and
Preserving the Teachings of Judaism
What are the central teachings of Judaism, and
why did they survive to modern day?
• The central teachings of Judaism are monotheism, or the belief in one God,
equality, social justice, or fairness, the importance of studying the Hebrew
Bible, and following the Jewish teachings, like the Ten Commandments.
• After Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E., most Jews were exiled to
Babylon. When the Persians defeated Babylon in 539 B.C.E., many Jews
returned to Judah under Persia’s rule. Later, the Greeks and then the Romans
ruled Judah, now Judea. The Jews fought the Romans in 66 C.E. and in 135
C.E. The Romans put down these revolts and exiled most of the Jews.
• During the Jewish Diaspora, scattering, Jews wanted to preserve their
religion. The rabbis, or teachers, set up Jewish learning centers and
synagogues and created a new religious service. In 1948, the Jewish state of
Israel was created in lands once ruled by David and Solomon. These practices
preserved Judaism.