Introduction to Judaism
• Judaism was the first monotheistic religion
• Both Christianity and Islam have their roots in
Judaism
Introduction to Judaism
•
As of 2010, there were nearly 13.5 million Jews worldwide:
www.jewishdatabank.org
Israel: 5.7 million
U.S. : 5.2 million
Europe: just under 1 million
Russia and Ukraine: 272,000
• Jews are both an ethnic group and a religion. However:
according to the Jewish faith, anyone may be considered to
be a Jew if:
1. they were born to a Jewish mother
2. they are a convert to Judaism
Origins
• The founder of Judaism was Abraham
• Abraham was born in the Sumerian city of Ur around
1900 B.C.
• God called out to Abraham, offering to make him the
father of a great nation, if he would leave his home
and settle in the land which God promised to him.
• This promised land was called Canaan. It was located
in present day Israel and Jordan
Origins
Route Abraham took to Canaan
Origins
• Abraham entered into a covenant with God:
Abraham had to keep God’s laws. In return,
God granted Abraham and his wife Sarah a
son, who they named Isaac.
• What was the most important of God’s laws?
That Abraham and his people worship no
other gods but the one God
Origins
• All of the Jewish
people are
descended through
Abraham’s son Isaac
• Isaac’s grandson
Joseph led the
Hebrews out of
Canaan to the land of
Egypt.
The Exodus
• The Hebrews were eventually enslaved by the Egyptians
• Were led out of Egypt by Moses. This was known as the
Exodus (around 1200 B.C.)
• Moses led his people back to the land of Canaan. They were
given the Ten Commandments by God as their rule of law.
The Ten Commandments
• The Ten Commandments are
the most important and bestknown Jewish laws.
• They require people to
respect and honor God. They
also tell people how they
should treat each other: do
not lie, steal, commit
adultery, or murder
Kingdom of Israel
• Under their great king David, the
Hebrew people created a kingdom in
Canaan, which was located in modern
day Israel and Jordan (around 1000
B.C.)
• Established Jerusalem as the religious
and political capital
• This kingdom grew wealthy and
powerful under David’s son, King
Solomon
Kingdom of Israel
• Solomon built a magnificent temple to house
the Ark of the Covenant, which is said to have
contained the Ten Commandments
The Temple
• This Temple was eventually destroyed and
rebuilt many times. It was destroyed once and
for all by the Romans in 70 A.D.
• The only remaining part of the Temple is the
Western or Wailing Wall
• It is an important place of pilgrimage to the
Jewish people
The Temple
Wailing
Wall in
Jerusalem
The Diaspora
• The Romans forced the Jewish people out of
Palestine. The Jews scattered throughout the
known world. This scattering was known as the
Diaspora
The Torah
• The Torah is the first five books of the Hebrew
Bible, and is considered their most sacred text
• It provides the Jews with their early history, as
well as moral and religious laws
The Prophets
• A prophet is a person
who speaks or acts on
behalf of God
• Moses, who gave the
Jews the Ten
Commandments, is
considered their most
important prophet
Key Teachings of Judaism
1.
There is only one God and God provides standards of right and
wrong that people should follow. Judaism introduced this belief,
called ethical monotheism, to the world.
– Judaism teaches that there is such a thing as “right” and “wrong” and
that people have an obligation to do what is right.
2. Ethical World View. Since the Hebrew Bible states that all people
are created in the image of God, Jews believe that every individual
is important and deserves to be treated with respect.
3. Honor the Sabbath. Judaism teaches that Jews should spend one
day a week, the Sabbath, focusing on things other than work and
material concerns.
– This is the origin of the idea of a weekly day of rest that is part of many
religions and is widely followed in many parts of the world.
Key Teachings of Judaism
4. Live According to God’s Laws
5. Study. Judaism teaches that studying the Hebrew Bible,
especially the Torah, leads to wisdom and good deeds, so
Jewish culture emphasizes the importance of learning.
6. Dietary Laws
Sects of Judaism
Orthodox– most traditional branch; emphasizes
observance of moral and ritual obligations
Reform– not as strict on ritual laws
Conservative – middle ground; emphasizes the
study of traditional Jewish texts
Christianity
Christianity in the Middle East
• As of 2010, there were 2.18 billion Christians
in the world
• This religion has many denominations, or
sects:
1. Roman Catholic
2. Protestant
3. Eastern Orthodox
• Christianity has its roots in the beliefs and
traditions of Judaism
1.
Origins
• The religion of
Christianity is based upon
the life and teachings of a
Jewish man known as
Jesus of Nazareth
• Other religions, such as
Judaism and Islam,
believe Jesus to be a
Prophet
2
Christianity in the Middle East
• Unlike other religions, such as Judaism and
Islam, Christians believe that Jesus was the
Messiah, which means “Annointed One,”
and the Son of God
• Jesus came down to earth in human form
in order to bring God and humanity back
together
2
The Christian Bible
• The Christian Bible is divided into two parts:
the Old Testament, which contains the witness
of God originally to the Jews, and the New
Testament, which is an account of those who
knew or were closely associated with Jesus
3
The Holy Bible
• The four Gospels written by Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John, together with three other
books, form the New Testament of the Bible,
which is the basis of Christianity
The Apostle’s Creed
• The Roman Emperor Constantine promoted the
spread of Christianity throughout the Empire
• In A.D. 325, he convened a council of bishops at
Nicaea, in modern day Turkey, to come to an
agreement about Church doctrine
• They came up with a formal expression of
Christian faith, known as The Apostle’s Creed
• Christianity would become the official religion of
the Roman Empire
4
Resurrection and Ascension
• Jesus was executed by the
Romans because his
teachings were viewed as a
threat, both to the Empire as
well as the Jewish Elders
• According to Christian
beliefs, Jesus was
resurrected from the dead
and ascended to heaven
5.
Resurrection and Ascension
• Through his death and
resurrection, Jesus
forgives all sins and
offers people the
opportunity to gain
eternal life
5.
Christianity in the Middle East
• After Jesus’s death, his disciples resumed his
work, and spread his teachings throughout the
Roman world
• All Christians believe that Jesus was
resurrected and ascended into heaven
• Jesus reconciled humanity with God through
this death and resurrection
5.
Christianity in the Middle East
• These early Christian communities were met
with suspicion by the Roman authorities
• Roman authorities viewed the Christians as
dangerous to the state, since they would not
sacrifice to the pagan gods, nor recognize the
divinity of their emperor
• By the middle of the 1st century, Christians
came under intense persecution by Rome
6.
Christian Persecution in the
Roman Empire
Extent of Christianity by 5th century
A.D.
• Despite this persecution, Christian
communities began to grow
Appeal and Spread of Christianity
• Christianity appealed to many people,
both rich and poor, because it offered the
hope of salvation and eternal life
• Jesus also preached that ALL people were
EQUAL, regardless of social class or
wealth
Reasons for Spread of Christianity
1. Jesus’s message of the universality of
humankind: all people are the same, and
should be treated with respect
2. Promise of an afterlife appealed to those
whose daily existence was difficult
Appeal and Spread of Chrisianity
Christianity was able to spread for the
following reasons:
1. Appeal of Jesus’s message
2. Infrastructure of the Roman Empire
3. Early missionary activities of the
Apostles, especially Peter and Paul
4. The Second Jewish Diaspora
7.
Eastern Orthodox Church
• The Roman Empire eventually split into two
halves: East and West. The Christian Church
had two main centers: Rome and
Constantinople
• The Eastern Empire (Byzantine) eventually
refused to recognize the Pope as the head of
the Christian Church. This sectarian split
became formal in 1054 A.D.
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church
(centered in Constantinople)
Similarities of Judaism & Christianity
• All religions:
– A way to rejoice and give
thanks
– moral code
– Give to needy
– Golden rule: “do unto others”
– Supreme power
• C and J:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Monotheism
Old Testament
Prophets
Ten Commandments
Idea Heaven
Belief in the idea of a Messiah
Jerusalem Holy
Coming of Age ceremonies
Several
Denominations/movements
– Sacred text
– Sabbath (Sat/Sun)
Comparison of Statistics and Basics
Judaism
Christianity
adherents called
Jews
Christians
current adherents
14 million
2 billion
current size rank
12th largest
largest
Israel, Europe, USA
Europe, North and South
America, rapid growth in
Africa
Bible/Torah
Bible (Jewish Bible + New
Testament)
Talmud, Midrash,
Responsa
church fathers, church
councils, papal decrees
(Catholic only)
rabbis
priests, ministers, pastors,
bishops
synagogue
church, chapel, cathedral
Saturday
Sunday
major concentration
sacred text
other written authority
clergy
house of worship
main day of worship
Comparison of Origins and History
Judaism
Christianity
date founded
unknown
c. 33 CE
place founded
Palestine (def)
Palestine
Moses or Abraham
Jesus
Hebrew
Aramaic, Greek
little expansion; mostly
confined to Palestine
within 60 years, churches in
major cities in Palestine, Turkey,
Greece and Rome (map); entire
Roman Empire by end of 4th
cent.
Reform/Orthodox, 1800s
CE
Catholic/Orthodox, 1054 CE;
Catholic/Protestant, 1500s CE
founder
original language(s)
early expansion
major splits
Comparison of Religious Beliefs
Judaism
Christianity
type of theism
strict monotheism
Trinitarian monotheism
ultimate reality
one God
one God
names of God
Yahweh, Elohim
Yahweh, the Holy Trinity
angels and demons
angels and demons
not prophet
Son of God, God incarnate,
savior of the world
death by crucifixion
death by crucifixion
resurrection of Jesus
Not part of beliefs
affirmed
divine revelation
through Prophets,
recorded in Bible
through Prophets and Jesus (as
God Himself), recorded in Bible
means of salvation
belief in God, good
deeds
correct belief, faith, good deeds,
sacraments (some Protestants
emphasize faith alone)
views vary: some
heaven
eternal heaven
other spiritual beings
identity of Jesus
death of Jesus
afterlife