Ten Commandments I am the Lord your God

Ten Commandments I am the Lord your God You shall have no other gods before me You shall not make for yourself an idol Do not take the name of the Lord in vain Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy Honor your father and mother You shall not kill/murder† You shall not commit adultery You shall not steal†† You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor You shall not covet‡ your neighbor's wife You shall not covet‡ anything that belongs to your neighbor

Chosness, • Casiye, 16 (blessings, boons) • Bakara, 40 (essence of covinent, ahit) • Bakara, 83 -84 / maide 12 (what were the ahits)

• Please write the concept of «chosenness» and «promised land» according to Quran?

Rituals • Jewish calendar based on lunar month • Sabbath/Shabbat • Observed each week • Sundown on Friday sundown on Saturday • Rosh Hashanah • New year • Begins the Days of Awe • Concentrate on prayer, contemplation, self-searching • Yom Kippur • 10 th day (of awe) • Holiest day observed • Repentance: 24 hours of atonement and fasting

Rise and Spread of Christianity

Attention!! • Today, Christianity is the largest world religion, with about 2 billion adherents. It is the majority religion of Europe and the Americas, and there are churches in almost every nation in the world. • There are perhaps thousands of Christian denominations, all of whom believe in the basic doctrines established at the Council of Nicea but differ in other matters of doctrine and practice. In recent years, there has been a growing movement among these denominations to work together in unity for the good of the world. In 1948, the World Council of Churches was founded to that end.

MAIN IDEAS • Christianity built upon the Jewish belief in one God and the concept of a Messiah. • The disciples of Jesus came to believe that he was the Messiah. • According to the Gospels, Jesus was executed but rose from the dead. Christians believe that this makes freedom from sin and death possible for everyone. • Christianity emerged at a time of widespread unrest in the Roman province of Judaea (Palestine). • Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth • Christ comes from the Greek word “christos” which means “messiah” or “anointed one”

Looking for a Messiah • Christianity grew from Judaism and ideas of Jesus—a Jewish teacher • Romans conquered Jewish kingdom of Judah (Judea) in 63 B. C. • Jewish kings had to be approved by Rome • Many Jews sought freedom from foreign rulers • Sacred writings promised a Messiah who would free them • Some believed the ruler would be descended from King David

REVIEW QUESTION • What event made Jesus’ followers believe their leader was divine?

The Early Christians & The New Faith • Romans followed a number of religions and also allowed a great deal of freedom to other religions. • Jews and Christians began to disagree on religious grounds, and Christianity slowly became a separate religion. • Jews and early Christians shared the same basic beliefs, but differed on the idea of the messiah. • At first, Christians concentrated on trying to convert other Jews. • After serious debate, the early Christians decided to preach Christianity to the Gentiles.

How did the Roman Empire help spread Christianity? • During Pax Romana, missionaries traveled safely • Roman Roads helped to spread quickly • Constantine converted • Constantine built churches in Rome and Jerusalem • Religious freedom • Christianity becomes official religion of the Roman Empire

The Spread of Christianity • After Jesus’s death, his disciples began teaching that all people could achieve salvation—the forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life. • Apostles: Jesus’s 12 disciples worked to spread message • Earliest Christian missionaries • Apostles traveled widely, teaching mostly in Jewish communities • Paul, originally known as Saul, born in Tarsus, in Asia Minor • Had actively opposed those teaching that Jesus was the Messiah • Paul had conversion on way to Damascus, became Christian • If not for his work, Christianity might have remained a branch of Judaism

Then, • What helped spread Christianity through the Roman world?