bebe

tonement | The act of making amends for sin; in the OT, this required blood sacrifices on the altar (Lev. 17:11).

Akhenaton | Egyptian Pharaoh (1377-1360 BC) who instituted monotheism; may have been reacting to the 10 Plagues.

Conservative Judaism | A modern sect that is "middle ground"; they believe the Bible is inspired and follow most dietary laws but are less legalistic than Orthodox.

Cyrus Cylinder | A Persian document (538 BC) confirming that Cyrus the Great allowed captives (including Jews) to return to their homeland.

70 AD | The year the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem and exiled the Jews.

1948 | The year the modern State of Israel was reborn after nearly 1,900 years of dispersion.

Dead Sea Scrolls | Ancient manuscripts found in 1947 (Qumran) providing evidence that the OT was preserved accurately and containing Messianic prophecies.

Essenes | A sect of Jewish monks/priests who lived in the desert, wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, and awaited a divine Messiah.

Holocaust | The genocide of 6 million Jews by the Nazi regime during WWII (1941-1945).

Melchizedek Scroll | A Dead Sea Scroll showing that pre-Christian Jews believed the Messiah would be a "divine being" who atones for sin.

Merneptah Stela | An Egyptian monument (1210 BC) that provides the earliest extra-biblical reference to "Israel" as a nation.

Messiah | Meaning "Anointed One"; Jews await a leader to fulfill OT prophecies, while Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah.

Nazis | Short for the National Socialist Party; led by Hitler, they used evolutionary theory and racism to justify the Holocaust.

Orthodox Judaism | The most traditional modern sect; they believe the Torah is inspired, follow strict legalistic interpretations, and keep kosher.

Ottoman Empire | The Islamic empire that ruled Palestine from the 1400s until its defeat in World War I.

Pharisees | A legalistic sect that believed in the whole OT, the afterlife, and the Messiah; modern Judaism descends from this group.

Reform Judaism | A liberal modern sect; they do not believe the Bible is literally inspired and do not follow strict dietary or Sabbath laws.

Sadducees | The priestly class who only accepted the Torah; they did not believe in the afterlife, angels, or the Messiah.

Six-Day War | 1967 conflict where Israel defeated Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, gaining the West Bank, Gaza, and Golan Heights.

Synagogues | Houses of worship that developed during the Babylonian Exile (586 BC) when Jews no longer had access to the Temple.

Talmud | A massive collection of rabbinical commentaries on the Mishnah (which is a commentary on the Torah).

Tanak | The Jewish name for the Old Testament; an acronym for Torah (Law), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Kethubim (Writings).

Tel Dan Stela | An 840 BC monument that mentions the "House of David," proving King David was a historical figure.

Torah | The first five books of the Bible (Genesis–Deuteronomy) containing 613 laws.

United Nations | The international body that voted in 1947 to partition Palestine and create a Jewish homeland.

Zionism | The movement (late 1800s) advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Israel.

Zealots | Militant Jews who sought to overthrow Roman rule by force; they led the revolt that ended in 70 AD.