Download pages 100–102

The Growth of Judaism
Get Ready to Read
Section Overview
This section focuses on the growth of
Judaism, including the challenges it
overcame and the setbacks it suffered.
The Growth of Judaism
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• The Jews continued their religion during
their exile in Babylon.
• Jews spread their beliefs to the Greek
world and regained control of Judah.
• Religion shaped the Jewish way of life.
• Under Roman rule, the Jews were
divided and rebellious. In response, the
Romans destroyed the temple and
exiled the Jews.
The Growth of Judaism
Exile and Return
• Exile occurs when people are forced to
leave their homeland.
• During the Israelites’ exile in Babylon,
their religion became what we call
Judaism.
• Jews met each week on the Sabbath, a
day of worship and rest, in a synagogue,
or house of worship.
(pages 94–95)
The Growth of Judaism
Exile and Return (cont.)
• After the Persians defeated the
Chaldeans and took control of Babylon,
the Persian king, Cyrus, allowed the Jews
to return to Judah.
• Persian officials still controlled the Jews in
Judah, so Jews looked to their religious
leaders to run society.
(pages 94–95)
The Growth of Judaism
Exile and Return (cont.)
• The Hebrew Bible consists of the Torah,
the Prophets, and 34 other books.
• Some of these
books describe
Jewish history.
(pages 94–95)
The Growth of Judaism
Exile and Return (cont.)
• The book of Genesis tells how God
punished people for their bad behavior.
• The story of Noah is in the book of
Genesis.
• Genesis also explains why the world has
different languages.
• The book of Daniel reminds Jews that
God will rescue them.
• Jews, Christians, and Muslims share the
idea that good will triumph over evil.
(pages 94–95)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Greeks
• Judah came under the control of
Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.
• He introduced the Greek language and
ways to the Jews who stayed in Judah.
• The Diaspora refers to Jews who lived
outside of Judah.
• The word diaspora means “scattered.”
(pages 95–96)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Greeks (cont.)
• The Greek ruler Antiochus wanted the
Jews to worship Greek gods and
goddesses.
• A priest named Judas Maccabeus and
his followers formed an army known as
the Maccabees to fight the Greeks.
• The Maccabees drove the Greeks out of
Judah.
• They removed evidence of the gods and
goddesses from their temple. (pages 95–96)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Greeks (cont.)
• Each year Jews recall the cleansing of
the temple when they celebrate
Hanukkah.
(pages 95–96)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jewish Way of Life
• Jewish laws influenced Jews’ education,
food, and clothes.
• Sons were valuable in Jewish society.
• Sons carried on the family name and
became the head of the family after the
death of their fathers.
• Sons learned how to earn a living and
how to worship God from their fathers.
(pages 97–98)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jewish Way of Life (cont.)
• They later learned how to read the Torah
from religious leaders.
• Girls learned how to be good wives,
mothers, and housekeepers.
• They also learned about Jewish laws
and strong women of ancient Israel.
• Jewish laws stated that Jews could eat
only certain animals, such as beef,
lamb, and certain scaly fish.
(pages 97–98)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jewish Way of Life (cont.)
• Today, food that is prepared according to
Jewish law is called kosher.
• Jewish laws also applied to clothing.
• Men wore tunics, caps or turbans, and
sandals.
• Women wore dresses and covered their
heads with shawls.
• Wealthy women wore shoes, makeup,
and jewelry.
(pages 97–98)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Romans
• In 63 B.C., the Romans conquered
Judah and renamed it Judaea.
• King Herod, the most famous ruler of
Judaea, was known for the additions he
made to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.
• After Herod’s death, the Romans
replaced Jewish kings with Roman
officials.
• The Jews were divided over how to deal
with the Romans.
(pages 100–102)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Romans (cont.)
• One group was the Pharisees, who
stressed oral traditions and were
supported by the common people.
• Another group was the Sadducees, who
emphasized the written law and did not
agree with many of the Pharisees’
teachings.
• A third group was the Essenes. They
lived in the desert and waited for God to
deliver the Jews from the Romans.
(pages 100–102)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Romans (cont.)
• The Dead Sea Scrolls were found near
the Dead Sea in A.D. 1947. They describe
Judaism during Roman times.
• The Jews hated Roman rule.
• Some Jews, known as the Zealots,
wanted to fight the Romans.
• They revolted in A.D. 66 and drove the
Romans out of Jerusalem.
(pages 100–102)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Romans (cont.)
• The Romans regained control four years
later.
• They killed thousands of Jews and
forced many others to leave.
• The Romans also destroyed the temple
in Jerusalem.
(pages 100–102)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Romans (cont.)
• What remains today is the Western Wall.
(pages 100–102)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Romans (cont.)
• The Jews revolted again, but the
Romans stopped the revolt.
• This time, they forbade Jews to visit
Jerusalem and gave Judah the name of
Palestine, referring to the Philistines.
• Rabbis, teachers of the Torah, became
important leaders.
• Rabbis wanted to pass on the teachings
of the Torah.
(pages 100–102)
The Growth of Judaism
The Jews and the Romans (cont.)
• They combined the teachings into books
called commentaries. The Talmud is an
important commentary dealing with
many laws about daily life.
• For 2,000 years most Jews lived outside
Palestine and faced persecution.
• In A.D. 1947 Palestine was divided, and
a new Jewish nation called Israel was
created in 1948.
(pages 100–102)