Unit 2: Early River Civilizations I: Civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Rise of Judaism | SECTION 3

Where does the word religion come from?

The word religion comes from the word religare (to toe fast or be connected to).

What is the definition of religion?

Any specific system of belief about a deity or god, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, a philosophy of life, and a world view.

What is the gene that is said to be found in people who are highly religious?

VMAT2 Gene (God Gene).

What is monotheism?

Belief in one god.

Why did being monotheists around polytheistic empires cause problems for the Israelites?

It disproves the polytheistic beliefs.

What is The Torah?

Sacred text of the Hebrew Bible, including the first 5 books.

What were the books in the Torah (first 5 books) in order?

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

What does the Torah contain?

The Torah contains their laws and chronicles their history.

How many books did the Talmud have and what did it add?

The Talmud had 24 book (19 additional from the Torah) and had additional laws and customs.

Who is considered the father of the Israelites and where did he migrate?

The father of the Israelites is Abraham and he migrated from Ur to Canaan (later named Palestine).

What 2 covenants does God make to Abraham?

God’s Chosen People: God established a special relationship with the Israelites, promising to be their God and the God of their descendants.

The Promised Land: God promised to give Canaan to the Israelites and their descendants.

Who changes Canaan to Israel?

Jacob, Abraham’s grandson.

What happens in the book of Genesis?

A famine forces the Israelites to migrate to Egypt where they become enslaved.

What happens in the book of Exodus?

Moses tells the Israelites that in return for their faithful obedience to God, God will free them and return them to the promised land.

What happened to Moses during the journey?

Moses dies before the journey is completed. Joshua completes the journey to the Promised Land and divides the region into 12 tribes. There is religious unity, but political disunity.

Who was David?

He was the second king of Israel. He united the 12 tribes into a single nation, while also defeating many of the other people of Canaan.

Who was Solomon?

Solomon was David’s son who was wise and understanding. He built and beatified Jerusalem and wanted to make an impressive capital.

What problems did King Solomon cause?

Revolts over Solomon’s spending and high taxes split the country in half, diving it into Israel (North, 10 tribes) and Judah (South, 2 tribes). Jerusalem was located in Judah and the people of Judah were known as the Jews.

What did other empires to do the Israelites?

First, the Assyrians conquered Israel and forced them to leave. Next, the Babylonians forced them into exile. Finally, the Persians, under Cyrus the Great free the Israelites. They lived under Persian rule and had to pay a tribute tax.

Laws under Judaism were patriarchal. What does patriarchal mean?

It means that men held the most legal and moral authority, women had few rights.

Who received the Ten Commandments and from where were they received.

Moses received the Ten Commandments on the top of Mt. Sinai.

What did commandments 1-4 talk about?

Religious duties to God.

What did commandments 5-10 talk about?

Conduct towards others.

What was the purpose of the ten commandments?

Establish guidelines for social order, govern people’s behavior, keep people accountable for their actions (all the same as Hammurabi’s Code).

What were prophets?

Prophets were people that warned that not obeying Gold would lead to disaster.

What is the definition of Diaspora?

Spreading out of the Jewish people. Despite persecution, they maintained their identity and upheld their religious laws and traditions.

How does Judaism connect with Christianity and Islam?

Each honor Abraham and Moses, each teach an ethical world view, all 3 are monotheistic (all believe in the same god).