Judaism and Ancient Israel Vocabulary

A comprehensive vocabulary review set covering the foundational terms, key figures, historical events, branches, holidays, and practices of Ancient Israel and Judaism from the lecture notes.

Monotheistic

Believing that there is only one god.

Torah

The most sacred text in Judaism, which includes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Hebrew Bible

The complete collection of sacred texts in Judaism, consisting of a total of 24 books.

Patriarchal

A system in which men hold the greatest legal and moral authority in society.

Hebrew

The term used to refer to the first three generations of patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Israelites

The name given to the descendants of Jacob after his name was changed to Israel.

Jew

A term derived from the Kingdom of Judah, which was later called Judea.

Abraham

A patriarch who lived in UR (Mesopotamia) and migrated with his family to Cannan (Palestine).

Covenant

A binding agreement between God and Abraham in which God promised a special relationship with his descendants and pledged that Cannan would belong to the Israelites.

Jacob

The grandson of Abraham who took the name Israel and organized the Israelites into 12 tribes.

Moses

The prophet who received revelations from God, led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt during King Rames II's reign, and received the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai.

Exodus

The journey led by Moses at the end of the 13th century BCE in which the 12 tribes of Israel escaped bondage in Egypt to return to Israel.

Saul

The first king of the Israelites, who ruled after the 12 feuding tribes set up the Kingdom of Israel around 1000 BCE.

King David

The king of Israel under whose rule the Israelites captured the holy city of Jerusalem.

King Solomon

The king who turned Jerusalem into an impressive capital and built the Temple of Jerusalem, but whose heavy taxes and forced labor led to revolts and the division of Israel after his death.

Western Wall

The only remaining portion of Solomon's Temple following its destructions by the Babylonians and the Romans.

The lost tribes of israel

The scattered population of the northern kingdom of Israel after it was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE.

Cyrus The Great

The Persian ruler who released the inhabitants of Judah from Babylonian exile in 538 BCE, allowing them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.

Diaspora

A Greek word meaning 'dispersal,' which refers to the Jewish population living outside of Israel.

Maccabees

A group of Jews who revolted against Greek rule in 164 BCE, took control of Jerusalem, and rededicated the Temple of God.

Orthodox Judaism

The most conservative branch of Judaism, which strictly adheres to traditional practices.

Conservative Judaism

A branch of Judaism positioned between Orthodox and Reform that relaxed old customs while retaining traditional practices such as keeping kosher, observing the sabbath, and daily prayer.

Reform Judaism

A branch of Judaism that adapts traditions to modern life by discouraging clothing restrictions, mostly dropping dietary restrictions, and ordaining women as rabbis.

Shabbat

The seventh and concluding day of the week, running from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday night, during which work is avoided.

Rosh Hashanah

The beginning of the Jewish New Year, which marks the start of a ten-day period of spiritual renewal.

Yom Kippur

The most significant and holiest day in the Jewish calendar, known as the Day of Atonement, which is devoted entirely to fasting, prayer, repentance, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

Passover

A festival celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, marked by eating Matzah (unleavened bread) for 7 days.

Hanukkah

An 8-day festival meaning 'dedication' that commemorates the victory of the Maccabees against the Greeks and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Kashrut (kosher)

The body of Jewish law governing permitted and forbidden foods and their preparation, which includes the rule that milk and meat cannot be consumed together.

6 Day War

A conflict in 1967 through which Israel acquired additional occupied territories: the West Bank (Jordan), Gaza Strip (Egypt), and Golan Heights (Syria).