JUDAISM
Circa 2000 BCE, the G-d of the ancient Israelites established a divine covenant with Abraham, making him the
patriarch of many nations. From his name, the term Abramic Religions is derived; these are the three religions
which trace their roots back to Abraham: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book of Genesis describes the
events surrounding the lives of the four patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Moses was the next
leader. He led his people out of captivity in Egypt, and received the Law from G-d. After decades of wandering
through wilderness, Joshua led the tribes into the promised land, driving out the Canaanites through a series of
military battles.
The original tribal organization was converted into a Kingdom by Samuel; its first king was Saul. The second
king, David, established Jerusalem as the religious and political center. The third king, Solomon built the first
temple there.
Division into the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah occurred shortly after the death
of Solomon in 922 BCE. Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BCE; Judah fell to the Babylonians in 587 BCE. The temple
was destroyed. Some Jews returned from captivity under the Babylonians and started to restore the temple in
536 BCE. Alexander the Great invaded the area in 332 BCE. From circa 300 to 63 BCE, Greek became the
language of commerce, and Greek culture had a major influence on Judaism. In 63 BCE, the Roman Empire
took control of Palestine.
Three religious sects had formed by the 1st century AD: the Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes. Many
anticipated the arrival of a Messiah who would drive the Roman invaders out and restore independence.
Christianity was established initially as a Jewish sect, centered in Jerusalem. Paul broke with this tradition and
spread the religion to the Gentiles (non-Jews). Many mini-revolts led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its
temple in 70 CE. The Jewish Christians were wiped out or scattered at this time. The movement started by Paul
flourished and quickly evolved into a separate religion. Jews were scattered throughout the known world. Their
religion was no longer centered in Jerusalem; Jews were prohibited from setting foot there. Judaism became
decentralized and stopped seeking converts. The local synagogue became the new center of Jewish life, and
authority shifted from the centralized priesthood to local scholars and teachers, giving rise to Rabbinic
Judaism.
The period from the destruction of the temple onward give rise to heavy persecution by Christians throughout
Europe and Russia. The latter held the Jews continuously responsible for the execution of Jesus. In the 1930s
and 1940s, Adolf Hitler and the German Nazi party drew on centuries of anti-Semitism (and upon their own
psychotic beliefs in racial purity) when they organized the Holocaust, the attempted extermination of all Jews in
Europe. About 6 million were killed in one of the world's greatest examples of religious and racial intolerance.
A Zionist movement was a response to persecution. Their initial goal was create a Jewish homeland in
Palestine. The state of Israel was formed on 1948-MAY-18.
Beliefs
- G-d is the creator and absolute ruler of the universe
- Jewish belief is unlike the Christian concept of original sin (the belief that all people have inherited Adam
and Eve's sin when they disobeyed G-d's instructions in the Garden of Eden). Judaism affirms the
inherent goodness of the world and its people as creations of G-d. Believers are able to sanctify their
lives and draw closer to G-d by fulfilling mitzvot (divine commandments). No savior is needed as an
intermediary.
- The Jews are G-d's chosen people
- The Ten commandments, as delineated in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuterotomy 5:6-21, form the core of
Jewish life
- The need to follow the many dietary and other laws of the Torah
- Boys reach the status of Bar Mitzvah (literally son of the commandment) on their 13th birthday; girls reach
Bat Mitzvah (daughter of the commandment) on their 12th birthday. This means that they are recognized
as adults and are personally responsible to follow the Jewish commandments and laws; they are allowed
to lead a religious service; they are counted in a "minyan" (a quota necessary to perform certain parts of
religious services); they can sign contracts; they can testify in religious courts; theoretically, they can
marry, although the Talmud recommends 18 to 24 as the proper age for marriage.