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Big Idea

Judaism emerges in the Fertile Crescent.

Essential Question

What are the beliefs of Judaism?

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Words To Know

Judaism – a religion first practiced by the Israelites of the

Fertile Crescent (Middle East).

Monotheism– the belief in one god.

Polytheism– the belief in many gods.

Torah - the most sacred text which includes the written

history of the ancient Israelites.

Ten Commandments – a set of ten rules or laws to follow

which help people live a moral or ethical life (behaving the

right way in society - honest).

Diaspora - the exile of the Jews from Israel to other parts

of the world.

Let’s Set The Stage…

The present-day nation of Israel lies at the far western end of the Fertile Crescent, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. About 4,000 years ago, the ancient Israelites developed the religion of Judaism, which became a defining feature of their culture. Today, Judaism is one of the world’s major faiths.

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The Israelites were a group of people who lived in Middle East. They established a kingdom starting around 1000 BCE that lasted until it was conquered by the Assyrian empire in 722 BCE. The Israelites were the first people to practice a religion that became known as Judaism.

The Israelites

Most civilizations in the Middle East at the time of the Ancient Israel were polytheistic religions. Judaism was the first monotheistic religion (belief in one god).

Religion

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The Israelites believed in an all-knowing, all-powerful god who was present everywhere. Each event in their history reflected God’s plan for the people of Israel. As a result, they recorded events and laws in the Torah, their most sacred text.

Abraham is considered the father of Judaism and the Israelite people. About 2000 B.C., he and his family migrated to a region called Canaan.

Migration to Canaan

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AbrahamThe Israelites believed that God had made a covenant (promise or agreement) with Abraham.The promise included a nation for him and the Israelites.

The Jews In EgyptIn the Book of Genesis, it tells that a famine forced the Israelites to migrate to Egypt. In Egypt, they became slaves to the pharaoh.

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The ExodusThe Israelites escaped from Egypt to Canaan in what is called the Exodus.

MosesThe Exodus was led by Moses, who is said to have parted the Red Sea to help the Israelites escape.The Israelites traveled for 40 years to reach Canaan.

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IsraelBy 1000 B.C., the Israelites had set up the kingdom of Israel.

JudaismFrom early times, the concept of law was important to the Israelites. The Torah includes many laws and is often referred to as the Books of the Law.

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Some of the laws deal with everyday matters such as cleanliness, food preparation and criminal acts.The Torah also establishes moral principles (behaving the correct way in society - honest).

Ten CommandmentsMost belief systems have ethical/moral codes of conduct that describe how one should live their life based on the beliefs of that religion. For Judaism, the Ten Commandments, that appear in the Torah, are the clearest code of conduct.

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At the heart of Judaism are the Ten Commandments, a set of laws that Jews believe God gave to them through Moses.

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DiasporaThroughout the history of the Israelites, the Kingdom of Israel was conquered.Each time Israel was conquered, the Israelites or Jews were exiled (forced to leave) Israel.

The exile of the Jews over a 500 year period from Israel is called the Diaspora (spreading of Jewish people).

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Influence of JudaismToday, Judaism is considered a major world religion.It has influenced both Christianity and Islam, two other monotheistic faiths that also arose in the Middle East. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all teach the importance of living a ethical and moral life (behaving the right way in society – honest) which was developed by the Israelites.

Essential Question Answered

What are the beliefs of Judaism?

The Israelites were a group of people who lived in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East. They established a kingdom starting around 1000 BCE.

The Israelites practiced Judaism. Judaism was the first monotheistic religion (belief in one god).

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The Israelites recorded their history and laws in the Torah, their most sacred text.

The Torah includes many laws and is often referred to as the Books of the Law.

The Torah establishes moral principles (behaving the correct way in society - honest).

Essential Question Answered

What are the beliefs of Judaism?

At the heart of Judaism are the Ten Commandments, a set of laws that Jews believe God gave to them through Moses.

Judaism is considered a major world religion.It has influenced both Christianity and Islam, two other monotheistic faiths that also arose in the Middle East.

Essential Question Answered

What are the beliefs of Judaism?