JUDAISM – BRIEF
HISTORY
Who is Abraham?
• Starts the practice of monotheism
• Patriarch or father of 3 religions
1.
2.
3.
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
• Covenant – An Agreement
• God’s Covenant with Abraham
• Abraham’s descendants would become God’s “chosen people”,
form a great nation, and sire (produce) kings of their own land. In
return, God asked for complete obedience and to be worshiped as
the one “true” God.
God’s Covenant with Abraham
“I will make you a great nation
And I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
And you will be a blessing
I will bless those who bless you,
And whoever curses you I will curse;
And all the peoples of the earth
Will be blessed through you”
Genesis 12:1-3
Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews
• Hebrews: Abraham and his descendants from Sarah (first wife)
• Israelites: the children of Jacob, Abraham’s Grandson.
Jacob is renamed “Israel” by God
• Jews: historically the people of Judah (the southern kingdom in the
ancient land of Israel), who are the surviving people after the
diaspora (the scattering of the Hebrews from conquest).
• What’s the difference? Most people use Hebrews/Jews/Israelites to
refer to all the people of Abraham’s sons Isaac and Jacob
Ishmael
• The son of Abraham and Hagar (Abraham’s other wife –
hand-maiden to Sarah)
• Ishmael is a prophet and considered the start of lineage
of the Arab people in the religion of Islam
Canaan / Jewish
biblical homeland
•
Canaan is the promised land
•
Abraham migrates here with his family
•
The Hebrews/12 tribes of Israel establish
communities and eventually kingdoms
•
corresponds roughly to present-day
Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel and
was also known as Phoenicia
Moses
• The story of Moses
Moses is…
• A prophet – one who is spoken through or speaks for the
divine
• The 10 commandments are given to Moses by God (Jews
and Christians both agree on this)
The Torah – five books of Moses (first five books of Old
Testament) – The Law of God, rules to live by for Jewish
people
United Kingdom
• Hebrews form a kingdom in Canaan and expand
territory and control – Unites 12 tribes
• 3 Hebrew Kings
Saul – chosen by prophet Samuel to be king
2. David - becomes kind through glory (david and goliath)
3. Solomon – son of David and Bathsheba
1.
Assyrian conquest (700’s BC)
• From Mesopotamia 721 B.C. E.
• Conquered 10 northern tribes
• Dispersed Hebrews
• Southern Kingdom still together
Babylonian conquest (586 B.C.E.)
• Conquered Judah
(2 southern tribes)
• Exiled Hebrew leaders
• Greeks—Alexander the Great (331 B.C.E.)
• Romans (63 B.C.E.)
Talmud
• Hebrew word meaning “study”
• A written work that contains all the Hebrew laws and debates from
rabbis (jewish religious teachers) about how to interpret them
• Written between the 1st and 8th centuries after Christ.
• A very important work that influences Jewish daily life
Mishna
• The actual laws within the Talmud
Synagogue
• a place of worship for Jews (building or temple)
Judaism
What is it?
With a partner, write an explanation of what Judaism is.
Judaism
What is it?
• Oldest, monotheistic religion
• Observers (people who follow this religion) are you
united by:
• History – trace ancestors back almost 4 thousand years
• Shared struggle – their history is one of great
accomplishment and difficulty
• Both of which create a unique identity