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Judaism
Judaism
 One of the three Abrahamic faiths
 Christianity and Islam
 13 million Jewish people in 2007
 Most reside in United States and Israel
 Judaism is the interpretation of the history of the
Jewish people “the Jews of the past”
 Judaism is the sanctification of life- Jews of the
present
History of Judaism
 Originated in the Middle East over 3,500 years ago
 Abraham- Judaism is the Covenant between God and his
people
 Covenant-agreement established a long time ago between
God and the ancient Israelites
 First covenant through Abraham, then through Moses
 Jews are understood to be God’s Chosen People
 Exchange for the Covenant, Jewish people keep God’s
laws and try to bring holiness to every aspect of their lives
History
 Early history is told in the Hebrew Bible (Old
Testament)
 God chose Abraham, then Moses
 Became a powerful people with kings like Saul, David
and Solomon
Judaism’s Central Teachings
 God’s revelation of the divine will to the Jewish
people.
 Recorded in the Hebrew bible
 Revelation is called the Torah
Judaism’s Central Teachings
 Master of the Universe:
 Observant Jews may never pronounce or may avoid
pronouncing the divine name
 Name is written YHWH (Yaweh)
 Say “Lord” when reading from the Bible
 One God- only God
The Hebrew Bible
 Three parts:
 Torah
 The Prophets
 The Writings
 Bible itself is sometimes referred to as the Tanakh
 Contents are also found in Christian Old Testament
 But ordered and named differently
Torah
 Literally means
‘instruction’
 Refers to the will of God
as it is revealed to
humankind
 First five books are
thought to have been
revealed directly by God
to Moses- Jewish laws
The Prophets
 Comprises books that are historical accounts of
ancient Israel and proclamations of the will of god
spoke to those called to serve God as mouthpieces
 Prophet means “one who speaks for”
The Writings
 Diverse in both content and literary form
 Composed later
 Include:
 Psalms
 Proverbs
Mishnah & Talmud
 “oral Torah” is taught by rabbi
 Teacher of Torah or Jewish worship
 Mishnah
 Written down in 200 AD- sacred text
 Talmud
 Based directly on Mishnah
 Grand scheme of interpretation of God’s will
The History of the Chosen People
 Jews were the descendants of the Israelites
 Exile became known as the Jews
 Religion known as Judaism (people of Judah)
Classical Judaism
 Earlier Period
 587 B.C. Babylonian exile
 Diaspora
 66 A.D. -Jews in Palestine initiated the Jewish War
 135 A.D.- Roman rule
Medieval Judaism
 8th Century- 18th Century
 Most part lived under the rule of Muslims
 Generally free to practice their own religion
 Conditions under Christian rule varied
 Persecution
 Sought asylum in Poland
Medieval Judaism
 Moses Maimonides (11351204)
 Represents a great number
of Jewish philosophers
 Applied philosophy top
biblical tradition
 The Guide for the Perplexed
 Thirteen Principles
Medieval Judaism
 Kabbalah
 Jewish mysticism
 Teaches God can be best known through the heart,
through love
 Does not abandon basic forms of Judaism
Modern Judaism
 Hasidism
 Meaning ‘pious’
 Draws from Kabbalah
teachings
 Emphasizes personal
relationships with God
and the community,
rather than the study of
the Torah
Modern Judaism
 Zionism
 Originally a movement in late nineteenth century
 Zion- biblical name for Jerusalem
 Generally refers to the support for Israel
Holocaust & AntiSemitism
 Sometimes called Shoah
(Hebrew for mass
destruction)
 Persecution of Jews from
1933-1945
 Response Punishment for sins
 God has broken the
Covenant
State of Israel
 Zionist movement- large move of Jews to Palestine
 1948- Israel granted statehood
 Land religious significance for Jews and Muslims
Jewish Beliefs & Daily Practices
 Guided through regulations in the Torah (defines both
ethical conduct and worship)
 Teaches many ethical duties
Daily Practices
 Predominant form of daily worship is through prayer
 Mandatory only for males over age 13
 Women excused for household responsibilities
 Males required to wear certain accessories
 Pray at least 3 times daily
Home & Synagogue
 Home
 Family center
 Mezuzah
 Social center the table
 Synagogue
 Center of prayer and worship post Babylonian exile
 Led by rabbis
Sabbath
 Also known as Shabbat
 Sunset Friday to sunset Saturday
 Religious and social high point of the week
 Avoid labor
 Refrain from usual activities
 Day of rest, worship and celebration
Annual Calendar Holy Days
 Rosh Hashanah
 Yom Kippur
 Passover
Rites of Passage
 Birth and Naming
 Circumsion
 Coming of Age
 Bar mitzvah
 Bat mitzvah
 Marriage
 Death & Mourning