Origins of Judaism
When and Where did Judaism begin?
Judaism began in the 2nd millenium, 2000 BCE, approximately 4,000 years ago. Judaism started in the middle east, present day Israel and broderline Palestine. Later spreading all over the world being the oldest monothesitic religion there is today. There is now a huge citiy called Jerusalem spilt between Israel and Palestine because both religions consider it a holy site and have been fighting to make Jerusalem their capital for about one hundred years, which is now known as the hundred years' war. How did the religion begin? "Origin story" Most ancient religions believe in mulitple Gods but Abraham promoted the idea of Jewish faith and that there is one God and one God only. He realized the God controls everything and can do whatever he pleases. God told Abraham to leave his home with his family and go to Canaan. God promised Abraham and his progeny the land of Canaan and those who worshiped him would receive the promised land which is called the covenant between Abraham and God. God said "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace, from your father's house, to the land I will show you, I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you, and I will make your name great by you, and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves" - Torah Abraham agreed and the convenant showed up through male circumcision and left his home with everything behind in hopes for a new faith and future. As God said Abraham is now a considered a great, and Judaism has become a successful, well known religion. Who are the most important people in Judaism? Abraham Abraham was fundamentially the father of Monotheism. He is a role model to people today, being the most important person to influence Judaism. Abraham grew up in the time when polytheism was very popular and the worship of idols was what was accecpted. Therefore being the founder of Monotheism is something revolutionary which is why he has such an impact in other religions. Abraham is not only a significant character in Judaism but in Christianity and Islam as well. Moses Moses dominants the Torah and his name is constantly being mentioned because of the hard labor he has done. He was a leader, released the ten plagues of Egypt, carried down laws, and his well known mission was to prepare to go to the land of Canaan. During the time of Moses' birth all male babies were drowned at birth. Moses' mother seriously wanted to perserve his life, in an act of desperation she put moses' in a basket down the Nile river hoping he would be saved. The Pharoah's daughters heard the crying child near by and decided to adopt him. Thus leading him to becoming the prince of Egypt. Isaac Isaac was the son of Abraham and Sarah. Having a father a hundred years of age and a mother at ninety. One day Abraham was put up to test, he had to sacrifice his son as an offering. This test was mostly important for Isaac to see if he would agree with the sacrifice known as Akeidah and, for God to test his faith and see if his morals were true to Judaism. Issac agreed to the sacrifice and as he was on top of the altar about to be sacrificed god sent an angel at the very last minute to stop it and realized the Isaac to true to his faith and the first born Jew was a success. |