Download Origins of Judaism

Comunicación y Gerencia
Origins of
Judaism
Jewish People In History
• Homeland
– Area of Palestine called
Canaan
– In 1800 BC, Yahweh (God)
told Abraham to go to
Canaan, from Ur (in
Sumeria)
– B’rit: contract between
Yahweh, Abraham as father
of Jewish people
• Yahweh promised to protect
Jewish people
• Jewish people promised to
obey Yahweh
Jewish People in History
• Around 1650 BC, Jewish
people moved from
Canaan to Egypt
• Exodus
– Egypt first welcomed
them (Joseph story), then
later enslaved them
– Hebrews fled Egypt
between 1300 and 1200
BC, back to Canaan
(Moses story)
Exodus
• New Covenant
– Moses went to Mt. Sinai to
pray; there, he
encountered Yahweh
– Moses brings the Ten
Commandments
• Basis for civil, religious laws
of Judaism
– New agreement between
Yahweh, Jewish people
• God protects them if they
follow commandments
– Hebrews wander for 40
years before reaching
Canaan (central Palestine)
Kingdom of Israel
• Hebrews expanded
North, South to get more
natural resources
• Philistines challenged
Hebrews, but lost (David
story)
• Kingdom of Israel
– Jerusalem was its capitol
– Famous kings: David,
Solomon
• Kingdom of Judah
(southern portion
rebelled)
Foreign Domination
• By 738 BC, both kingdoms
paying tribute to Assyria
(bribes not to invade)
• Assyrians lost to
Babylonians, who
destroyed Jerusalem,
relocated Israelites
(“Babylonian Captivity”)
• 539 BC: Persians
defeated Babylonians,
allowed Hebrews back to
Jerusalem to rebuild city
Sources of Jewish Law, Belief
• Torah (“written law”)
– First five books of Bible
– Tell the story of how
Yahweh chose Jewish
people to be examples
of how to live, worship
– Most broadly, Torah
means the entire body
of Jewish law: written,
oral, Talmud,
contemporary interp.
Talmud
• Law for the Jewish
people
• Originally, oral law
passed down by
rabbis to students
• Talmud organized
topically
Ten Commandments
• Religious, ethical
principles of Jewish
people
• Moses brought them to
the Jewish people
Belief System
• Monotheistic: belief in
one God, Yahweh
• One God who is all
powerful, personal,
eternal
– All powerful:
omnipotent, created the
universe
– Personal: people have a
relationship with
Yahweh, and visa versa
– Eternal: non end, no
beginning
Belief System
• Prayers are intended
only for Yahweh
• Importance of Prophets
– Words of prophets are
true
– Literally means one who
proclaims word of God
(spokesman of Yahweh)
– Important prophets:
Abraham, Moses, Jesus
– Belief in final prophet,
the Messiah
Reward and Punishment
• Follow the Covenant and
be rewarded with
Yahweh’s protection
• Intentionally disobey
Covenant and face
Yahweh’s wrath
• Chosen people
– Jewish people were chosen
by Yahweh as examples to
rest of world (worship)
– Does not mean that they are
the only ones to be saved