Judaism
Monotheistic
• Believed there was only
one god
– All knowing, all powerful
(fancy word?)
– History reflected God’s
plan for people
Torah
• Sacred text
• First 5 books of Hebrew
Bible
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Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
• Hebrew Bible has 24
books
Abraham
• Lived near Ur!
– Migrated to Canaan
(2000 BCE)
– ‘Father of Israelite
People’
Covenant
• Binding agreement
– Made with Abraham
– Basis of 2 key beliefs of
Judaism:
• Special relationship with
Abraham and
descendents
– Israelites were God’s
“chosen people”
• Canaan would one day
belong to Israelites
Kingdom of Israel
• Set up by 1000 BCE
– 12 separate tribes
feuded until then
• David united tribes into
single nation
– Son Solomon followed as
king
• Turned Jerusalem into
impressive capital
• Builds great temple
Division and Conquest
• High taxes and forced
labor
– Revolts erupted 922 BCE
• Split into Israel in north
and Judah in south
– Assyrians conquered Israel
– Babylonians conquered
Judah
• Persian Cyrus the Great
freed Israelites
– Most came from kingdom
of Judah= called Jews
Law and Morality
• What types of laws?
– Cleanliness, food
preparation, crimes
• Society was patriarchal
– Men held authority
• Women had few rights
Ten Commandments
• Given to Jews through
Moses
– Religious duties (first 4)
– Conduct toward others
Ethics
• Moral standards of
behavior
– Taught by prophets
• Personal morality
• Social justice
• All people equal before
God
– Leaders bound to obey
God’s law
Diaspora
• 500 years
– Began with Babylonian
captivity
– Spreading out
• Maintained identity as a
people
– close-knit communities
– Obeyed religious laws
and traditions