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JUDAISM HISTORICAL BACKGROUND MAJOR TEXTS • Judaism doesn’t AT A TIME OF UPHEAVAL happen over night. It grows. • A tiny band of nomads milling around upper Arabian desert. Ancient Israelite Religion • 1600 BCE – 530s BCE: evolved • Some stable texts 3 PHASES • Priesthood & temples • Popular Practice – homes, altars, “high places” Second Temple Judaism • 530s BCE – 70 CE • Most texts compiled • Factions – Political, Religious, Philosophical • Beginning of Diaspora Judaism Now • C. 100 CE – now • Diasporic • Stable Text • Talmud as key to life • Home & Synagogue Household/ Tribal Religion c. 16001200 BCE distinctive group of Canaanites named “Israelites” HISTORICAL TIMELINE: ISRAELITE RELIGION 12001000 BCE •“Israel” becomes a regional power in Canaan •Temple built Kingdom Kingdom Religion Religion 1000500s BCE Kingdom Religion Persian Period 538-400 BCE •Rebuilt the Temple •“Reformed practice •Synagogues appear • Israel conflict w Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians • Israel/ Judah Diasporic Religion •Prophetic Literature •Diaspora begins Diasporic Religion •Conflict with Greeks • Hasmonean Dynasty (Independent) Roman Period 63 BCE – 135 CE • Romans control Palestine • Factions emerge • Temple destroyed in 70 CE JUDAISM Begins • Household Religion • Henotheist (select one God from many) STAGES • Authority figure: Patriarch • Space: Household with altars • Tribal Religion • Henotheist • Patriarchs (Ancestors), sacred stories, periodic “response to crisis” leaders; Space: Altars, household, “Tabernacle” • Religion of a Kingdom • Theology: Strict Henotheism • Authority: Law, Sacred stories, King, Prophets, priests • “Ethnically” Israelites: religious identity = ethnic & civil identity • Space: The Temple, households • Religion in Diaspora • Theology: Strict Monotheism (sociological “need”) • Authority: Law/Sacred Text; Teachers (Rabbis) • Any ethnically Jewish family, regardless of location • Space: Synagogues Exile: 586-538 BCE Post-Exilic/2nd Temple Period: 6th c. BCE – 100 CE THE TEMPLES • 1st Temple • Built by King Solomon c. 800s BCE; • Destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II 587 BCE • 2nd Temple • Built after return from exile in Babylon • Completed 500s CE • Rebuilt by Herod the Great in 1st c. BCE • Destroyed by Romans in 70 CE JEWISH DIASPORA • Before fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, Jews spread out of Israel A community in Babylon and strong communities in Alexandria, Egypt, and Syria • By late Roman period, Jews lived in many parts of the Empire Frontline, From Jesus to Christ. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/jewish.html THE TANAKH An authoritative set of scriptures decided upon by a community. The Jewish Canon set by Rabbis after destruction of Temple 70 CE. sections date back to the Babylonian Exile (580s BCE) • Torah – the Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy • Nevi’im – The Prophets: major and minor; e.g. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) • Ketuvim – Wisdom literature Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job; poetry like Song of Songs and the Psalms ROUGH DATES: CANONIZATION PROCESS • 400 BCE – The Torah (Genesis – Deuteronomy) achieved sacred status • 200 BCE – the Nevi’im , (Prophets), were canonical • Former Prophets – Joshua, Judges, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings • Latter Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, & the 12 minor prophets • 100 CE – Ketuvim achieved canonical status • Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, lamentations, 1&2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ruth, Esther, Daniel ISRAEL’S SACRED NARRATIVE • God calls people into covenant Covenant • God restores God’s people in relationship Forgiveness /Renewal Disobedience Punishment • Humans break the terms of covenant • God allows punishment (consequences) PATTERN REVEALED IN STORY • God creates the world and gives Humans “The Garden” • Humans break laws God gave them “Eat of the fruit of the tree” Covenant • God guides & protects humans Forgiveness /Renewal Disobedience Punishment • Humans are cast out of the Garden HISTORY REVEALED IN PATTERN • Covenant with Moses & Covenant with the Kings Covenant Forgiveness • God sends a savior (Cyrus) to rescue God’s people /Renewal Disobedience Punishment • Kings marry foreign wives, allow idols in the temple • Forget the widows and orphans • Assyrian and Babylonian Conquests/ Exile • After creating humans, man rebels and history requires God to intervene again and again with a new “covenant” • covenants (and signs) divide history into stages. • 1st covenant between God & all living creatures: sign of the rainbow • 2nd covenant is s with the descendants of Abraham: its sign is circumcision • Last is Exodus, and this covenant is with Israel alone: its sign is Sabbath. • Each covenant is mediated by a great leader (Noah, Abraham, Moses) • At each stage God progressively reveals himself ISRAEL’S SACRED NARRATIVE Patriarchs Sojourn in Egypt & Exodus Creation Disobedience (Abraham called to Covenant; stories of his sons) Wandering in the Desert Conquest of Canaan (Judges) Formation of the Monarchy Corruption of the Monarchy •Rise of the Prophets •Building of the Temple •Foreign wives & practices •Desecration of Temple Return from Exile 2nd Temple •Restoration of the Law Greek Tyranny Diaspora (Exile again?) Roman Tyranny The giving of the LAW EXILE • Prophets – “God is the God of the Universe” Destruction of the Temple IN RESPONSE TO TRAGEDY AND INSTABILITY, THE COMMUNITY COLLECTS, CODIFIES, ARRANGES STORIES OF THE PAST TO PRESERVE A CULTURAL HERITAGE 1. Important events in the history of a community 2. Stories fables, folk tales, songs, imagination 3. Older stories reinterpreted to fit needs & beliefs 4. Stories merge into traditions: shared