judaism. an ancient religion over 4000 years old founded by abraham, who once lived in mesopotamia...
TRANSCRIPT
An Ancient Religion
• Over 4000 years old• Founded by Abraham,
who once lived in Mesopotamia
• Jewish religion is closely tied to Christianity and Islam, and all 3 religions are based on the same stories
Important Terms
• Judaism – the religion of the Hebrews
• Monotheism – belief in one god
• Torah – Jewish religious text• Covenant – a solemn promise
between God and man• Exodus – Moses leading the
Jews out of Egypt• Patriarchs – the ancestral
fathers of Judaism (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)
• Diaspora – the scattering of Jews outside of Judah
Mythology • 2000 B.C.–God tells Abraham to abandon polytheism and leave Mesopotamia
• In return God made a covenant to Abraham to make his descendants a strong and mighty people
• Abraham’s family moved to a land called Canaan and lived there for many Generations
• His grandson had 12 sons, first Hebrews and founders of the12 tribes of Israel
Egypt and the Exodus
• The Hebrews had to leave Canaan because of a famine, so they entered Egypt
• The pharaoh of Egypt worried that the Hebrews might start an uprising, so he had them enslaved
• A leader named Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, an event called the Exodus
• The Hebrew wandered the desert for 40 years
The Ten Commandments
• Moses traveled to the top of Mount Sinai where he received the 10 Commandments from God
• They are a list of moral laws that stress life, self-control, and justice
Saul, David, and Solomon• Saul was Israel’s first king, he
was a strong military ruler, but he never won over the Hebrews because of internal struggles and jealousy
• David was an incredibly strong king who was very well-liked and united the people – he made Israel strong and centered the kingdom in Jerusalem
• Solomon, David’s son, ruled Israel at the height of its power – he was very wise and established trade with other civilizations
• He used the profits from trade to build a huge temple in Jerusalem
Division and Conquest
• When Solomon died, there was no clear heir to the throne and Israel was ripped into two lands by conflict
• Ten tribes formed Israel in the north and two tribes formed Judah in the south – they became the Jews
• When the Chaldeans destroyed Solomon’s temple and enslaved the Jews, the Diaspora - or scattering of the Jews started
• This period was also known as the Babylonian Captivity because the Jews were forced to move to Babylon as slaves
Basic Beliefs
• Judaism is monotheistic
• People must be treated kindly and fairly, Judaism has a strong code of ethics
• Jews must practice obedience to the law
Religious Texts
• Judaism does not have one religious leader; instead people use religious texts to guide their faith
• Torah – beliefs and history of the Jewish people, written in five books
• Talmud – written by Jewish scholars over several centuries; contains explanations and interpretations of the Torah and other religious writings