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Religion.mp4Major World Religions.mp4The five major world religions - John Bellaimey.mp4Today, people who practice Judaism, or actively follow its teachings and traditions, are called Jews. But there are also many Jews who don't take part in religious practices. These people may still think of themselves as Jews because of their ancestry or family history.
Group names in Jewish history
Early in Jewish history, ancestors of the first Jews were known as Hebrews and then Israelites.
Judaism originated, or began, in the Middle East.
According to Jewish holy texts, the ancestors of the first Jews lived in Canaan (KAY-nuhn), an area along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Parts of Canaan later became known as the Kingdom of Israel (IZ-ree-uhl).
Who were Israel's neighbors?
Israel's neighbors included Mesopotamia to the east and Egypt to the southwest. Both of these regions were home to powerful civilizations.
The Torah (TOR-uh) is an important Jewish holy text. It contains stories about the ancestors of the Jewish people. The diagram shows how the Torah relates to another text called the Tanakh, or the Hebrew Bible. The writings that make up the Hebrew Bible are also included in Christian bibles.
What language was the Tanakh written in?
The Tanakh (tah-NAHK) was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic.
Where did the Torah come from?
Some Jews and Christians believe that the Torah, or the first five books of the Tanakh, was written by a man named Moses. They believe that Moses was acting as God's messenger.
But historical evidence suggests that the Torah came from several sources written by different people. Historians think that ancient writers studied these sources, edited them, and put them together in one book.
Monotheism (mah-no-THEE-ism) is an important idea in Judaism and in other religions such as Christianity and Islam.
Monotheism in the Torah
Stories in the Torah focus on one god and a group of people called the Hebrews. Groups who lived near the Hebrews worshipped many gods. So, the Hebrews saw their relationship with just one god as special.
Today, many Jews consider themselves to be descendents of, or directly related to, the Hebrew people in the Torah.
In the Torah, a Hebrew man named Abraham is one of the most important figures. Read the following passage from the Torah in which God speaks to Abraham. Then answer the question below.
God spoke to him further, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the father of a multitude of nations. . . . I will . . . make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. I will maintain . . . an everlasting covenant throughout the ages, to be God to you and to your offspring to come."
covenant: an agreement or contract
multitude: a large number
From Genesis 17:3-7, Hebrew-English Tanakh, Jewish Publication Society
God says that the covenant will last for ages and include Abraham's offspring to come. In other words, Abraham and his family will have a long-lasting relationship with God.
God tells Abraham, "Kings shall come forth from you." In other words, Abraham will have kings among his descendants.
Abraham is one of the most important people in the Torah. His name means "father of multitudes," or large groups of people. Abraham is seen as the father of the Jewish people.
Abraham in three religions
Abraham is also an important person in Christianity and Islam. Holy texts from all three religions feature stories about Abraham and his family. Though the stories are told in different ways, they all describe Abraham as a man who was faithful and trusted in God.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are sometimes called the Abrahamic religions. Many followers of these religions believe that they worship the same god as Abraham.
Abraham had a grandson named Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons of his own.
On the chart, father-son relationships are shown with vertical lines connecting one person to another.
Vertical lines lead from Abraham to Isaac and from Isaac to Jacob. These lines show that Isaac is Abraham's son, and Jacob is Isaac's son. So, Jacob is Abraham's grandson.
Vertical lines lead directly from Jacob to his 12 sons: Levi, Reuben, Judah, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Asher, Gad, Naphtali, Dan, Benjamin, and Joseph.
According to the Torah, God gave Abraham's grandson Jacob a new name: Israel. Jacob's descendants became known as Israelites.
The Torah says that the Israelites were forced to move from Canaan to Egypt because of a drought. The images below show how one artist imagined the Israelites' life in Egypt based on Torah stories.
According to the Torah, the Israelites' time in Egypt was full of hardship. Today, Jews celebrate the Israelites' escape from Egypt with the holiday of Passover.
Read a version of the story that is retold on Passover.
After the Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for many years, God picked an Israelite named Moses to speak to the pharaoh. Moses asked the pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt. But the pharaoh said no.
God punished the pharaoh by sending plagues to Egypt. Eventually, the pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites leave. But while the Israelites were traveling out of Egypt, the pharaoh chased after them with his army. The Israelites arrived at the Red Sea, but they didn't have a boat to cross it. It looked like they were trapped!
But God helped Moses move the water out of the way so that the Israelites could cross the sea. The pharaoh's army tried to follow the Israelites, but God made the water flow back into place. The Egyptian soldiers all drowned, and the Israelites made it safely to the other side.
pharaoh: the Egyptian king
plagues: harmful things, especially diseases
Why is the holiday called Passover?
In the story, God punished the pharaoh and the Egyptians by sending plagues to Egypt. In the final plague, God sent an angel that killed all the firstborn sons in Egypt. But the angel passed over the Israelite children, sparing them.
Why do Jews eat special food at Passover?
When the Israelites left Egypt, they had to flee quickly. They didn't have time to make leavened bread, or bread that has risen and is fluffy. They had to take unleavened bread instead. So, during Passover, Jews traditionally eat an unleavened bread called matzah instead of regular bread.
After the Israelites left Egypt, they wandered in the desert for 40 years. In the desert, God gave Moses a set of commandments, or laws. The first of these laws are called the Ten Commandments.
Look at the summary of the Ten Commandments below.
Do not worship any other gods.
Do not make or worship any idols, or objects that stand for a god.
Do not use God's name in a disrespectful way.
Keep the seventh day of each week holy by not working.
Honor your father and your mother.
Do not murder.
Do not be unfaithful to your husband or wife.
Do not steal.
Do not tell lies against others.
Do not be jealous of things that belong to others.
Keeping the covenant
In the Torah, God and the Hebrews have a covenant, or a special agreement or contract. God promises to treat Abraham's descendants as his chosen people, but in exchange, they must be faithful to God and follow his commandments.
Are the Ten Commandments the only rules in the Hebrew Bible?
No. According to Jewish tradition, the Torah contains a total of 613 commandments. Many of these laws describe how people should live their lives and interact with others. Other laws are instructions for upholding religious traditions. Among these commandments are rules about what Jews should eat and whom they should marry.
In the Torah, Moses is described as a prophet.
The following actions are part of the reason that he was described that way:
Moses delivered the Ten Commandments and other laws from God to the Israelites.
Moses told the pharaoh that God wanted the Israelites to be free.
The Hebrew Bible names many prophets. Here are a few of them:
Moses
Moses delivers messages from God, but he also speaks up for his people in front of God. In one story from the Torah, the Israelites break the commandment against worshipping idols. God becomes angry and says that the Israelites will be punished. But Moses speaks up for the Israelites and stops God from reacting harshly.
Deborah
Deborah is one of several female prophets in Jewish tradition. In the Hebrew Bible, Deborah is a judge, which makes her a leader in her community. As a prophet, Deborah delivers a message from God that helps the Israelites win a battle.
Samuel
In the Hebrew Bible, Samuel is only a little boy when he first speaks for God. Later, he becomes a leader in Israel, and the Israelites ask him to appoint a king. Speaking for God, Samuel warns the people that they will not like the way that the king treats them.
The following passage from the Tanakh tells about a moment just before the Israelites arrived in Canaan after 40 years in the desert. Read the passage. Then answer the question below.
After the death of Moses . . . the Lord said to Joshua, . . . Moses's attendant: "My servant Moses is dead. Prepare to cross the Jordan [River], together with all this people, into the land that I am giving to the Israelites. Every spot on which your foot treads I give to you, as I promised Moses. . . . Be strong and resolute, for you shall apportion to this people the land that I swore to their fathers to assign to them."
resolute: determined
apportion: divide up and assign
From Joshua 1:1-6, Hebrew-English Tanakh, Jewish Publication Society
"The Promised Land"
Earlier in the Hebrew Bible, when the Israelites are enslaved in Egypt, God promises to help them leave Egypt. He promises to bring them to a land "flowing with milk and honey," or a place where there is plenty of everything. To the Israelites, reaching Canaan was a fulfillment of this promise. They believed that they belonged there. The idea that God promised the Israelites this land is still important to many Jews today.
Based on passages from the Tanakh, this map shows how the Israelites may have divided up Canaan after they took control of the area.
When the Israelites took control of Canaan, they divided the land among several groups. Together, the groups are known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
The Israelites took control of Canaan and divided it among twelve groups, or tribes. The tribes are named for ten of Jacob's sons and two of his grandsons. They are known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
A version of the following story appears in the Torah.
Israel was at war with a nearby group called the Philistines. The strongest soldier in the Philistine army was a man named Goliath. Goliath stood almost ten feet tall, wore heavy armor, and carried an enormous sword, shield, and spear. Goliath dared the Israelite soldiers to fight him, but they were all afraid.
The only person who volunteered to fight Goliath was a young shepherd named David. David was not a soldier. He wore no armor and did not carry a sword. Instead, he carried five stones and a sling, which he used to protect his sheep from wild animals. David believed that God would protect him.
On the battlefield, David killed Goliath with only one stone from his sling. The Philistine army fled, and the Israelites celebrated David's victory.
Today, the phrase "David and Goliath" describes a conflict where an underdog fights a more powerful enemy.
David's story
David became a beloved king in Israel. David was also known for his musical talent. The section of the Hebrew Bible called Psalms contains many hymns, or sacred songs, that are often credited to him.
One well known symbol of Judaism and the Jewish people—the Star of David—gets its name from this important figure.
The map below is based on passages from the Tanakh. It shows what the Kingdom of Israel may have looked like around the time that David was king.
Another important Israelite king was David's son, Solomon. Solomon was famous for building a temple in Jerusalem.
When Solomon had completed the construction of the House, he paneled the walls of the House on the inside with planks of cedar. . . . The cedar of the interior of the House had carvings of gourds and [flowers]; it was all cedar, no stone was exposed.
In the innermost part of the House, he fixed a Shrine in which to place the Ark of the Lord's Covenant. . . . He overlaid [the Shrine] with gold, so that the entire House was overlaid with gold.
House: temple
shrine: a holy place
Ark of the Lord's Covenant: a large chest containing the Ten Commandments
From 1 Kings 6:14-21, Hebrew-English Tanakh, Jewish Publication Society
According to the passage, the Temple was meant to be a holy building, and it was richly decorated.
Solomon set aside one part of the Temple as a shrine. A shrine is a holy place.
The Temple was decorated with cedar wood carved in the shapes of gourds and flowers, and much of the Temple was overlaid, or covered, in gold.
How was the Temple used?
The Temple was a place for performing religious ceremonies such as making animal sacrifices to God or praying. According to the Hebrew Bible, the Temple was also the place where the tablets with the Ten Commandments were kept.
King Solomon's Temple
King Solomon finished building his Temple in 957 BCE. It was a place for religious ceremonies such as making animal sacrifices to God or praying. According to the Hebrew Bible, the Temple was also where the tablets with the Ten Commandments were kept.
Can you visit King Solomon's Temple today?
No. The Neo-Babylonian Empire destroyed the Temple in around 586 BCE. Years later, a Second Temple was built, but it was destroyed in 70 CE. These events are used to mark different periods in Jewish history. The period of time when Solomon's Temple stood (ca. 960–586 BCE) is called the First Temple Period. The period of time when the rebuilt Temple stood (ca. 538 BCE–70 CE) is called the Second Temple Period.
Why did the Kingdom of Israel split in two?
After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king. Rehoboam was not a beloved king, and ten of the twelve tribes of Israel decided to break away from his kingdom in around 928 BCE.
The ten tribes that broke away kept the name of Israel and picked a new king. Only two tribes remained loyal to King Rehoboam. His kingdom became known as the Kingdom of Judah. "Judah" is at the root of words like Jew and Judaism.
In the 6th century BCE, the Neo-Babylonians destroyed the Temple and forced thousands of Jews to relocate. About 50 years later, the Persians conquered Judah and allowed the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple.
The period of time that Jews were forced to move to Babylonia is known as the Babylonian Captivity or the Babylonian Exile.
In 63 BCE, the Romans conquered Judah. At that time, the area was known as Judea.
"Next year in Jerusalem"
By 135 CE, the Second Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed and the Romans had expelled the Jews from the city. The carving below shows a scene of Roman soldiers carrying off treasured objects from inside the Temple.
The destruction of the Temple and the experience of being expelled from Jerusalem had a major effect on Jewish communities. For some Jews, physically returning to Jerusalem was an important goal. It became tradition to end Passover celebrations with the words,
"Next year in Jerusalem."
Other Jews think about these words as a metaphor for their wish for freedom around the world.
After the Temple was destroyed, Jewish communities had to adapt the way they practiced Judaism.
The Temple had been the center of religious life, where priests performed sacrifices and large crowds gathered to celebrate festivals. After it was destroyed in 70 CE, local communities met at synagogues (SIHN-uh-gogz) to study holy texts with teachers called rabbis. The Temple was never rebuilt.
Synagogue or temple?
Today, different Jewish groups have different names for their places of worship. Some use the word synagogue while others use the words shul or temple.
Violent treatment from the Neo-Babylonian Empire in the sixth century BCE and the Roman Empire in the first century CE pushed many Jews out of Israel and Judah. As a result, Jews formed new communities in many different places. Jews living outside of Israel became a part of the Jewish diaspora (dye-AS-por-uh). The word diaspora comes from a Greek word meaning "scattered."
Where did the Jews go when they couldn't live in Jerusalem?
Between about 1 CE and 1000 CE, many Jews migrated and formed communities in two main areas:
central and eastern Europe
the southwestern Mediterranean, especially Spain and northern Africa
These two groups developed distinct traditions and identities. Today, Jews whose ancestors settled in eastern Europe are called Ashkenazim. Jews whose ancestors settled in Spain and northern Africa are called Sephardim.
Where do Jews live today?
Today, the majority of Jews live in Israel or the United States. There are also large Jewish populations in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia.
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