Judaism What are the beliefs history and influence

Judaism What are the beliefs, history, and influence of Judaism?

Origins of Judaism is the religion of the Hebrews and dates back to around 2000 BCE Judaism developed in the land of Canaan also known as the Levant (modern-day Israel and Palestine) The city of Jerusalem is considered the birth-place Judaism is often regarded as the first monotheistic religion They god believe in an all-powerful single

Origins of Judaism The religion traces its root back to Abraham and his covenant with YHWH (Yahweh—I am that I am) Yahweh The is Hebrew for God Covenant as told by God to Abraham states that Abraham will be the father of a great nation as long as he and his people obey God’s commands

Origins of Judaism Jews are an ethnoreligious group— meaning one can be born Jewish (ethnic group) or one can convert to Judaism (which is a difficult process)

Beliefs of Judaism The Jews are God’s chosen people The Ten Commandments as given to Moses are the law code of the Jews Males are circumcised at 8 days old One must observe and keep the Sabbath Eat Kosher foods—dietary laws, regulations and customs

Beliefs of Judaism Belief in the messiah—the belief that a great king (descended from David) will bring the Jews back to the land of Israel, construct the third temple, and bring back peace Jews believe in the after-life but it is not a primary focus nor is there much written about the subject

Sacred Texts The Torah is the foundational text of Judaism and is part of a larger text known as the Tanakh The Torah is also the first 5 books of the Old Testament (Christian Bible) Other texts include the Talmud and Mishnah

Holy Days Rosh Hashanah—marks the start of the Jewish New Year and beings a 10 day period of atonement leading up to Yom Kippur—is the day of atonement and the holiest day in Judaism Hanukah—Known as the “Festival of Lights” marks the re-dedication of the Temple

How did Judaism spread? The spread of Judaism was mostly involuntary The Jews have been forced into exile several times throughout their existence Upon exile began the diaspora or the scattering of the Jews Today roughly 40% of Jews live in Israel, another 40% live in North America, and the remaining Jews primarily live in Europe