Early Christianity and the Foundations of Judaism

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering early biblical history, the United Monarchy, foreign conquests of Israel and Judah, and Jewish sects under Roman rule.

Polytheism

The belief in many gods, which most civilizations have practiced at least at one point in time.

Monotheism

The belief in only one god.

Abraham (c. 1800 BCE)

A man living in Ur in Mesopotamia who is considered the founder of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; according to the Bible, God spoke to him, made a covenant with him, and commanded him to settle in Canaan (Israel).

Covenant (Abraham's Covenant)

A sacred, usually religious promise central to Judaism, in which God promised Abraham many descendants, protection, and kingship in exchange for Abraham worshipping God and following His commandments.

Moses

An important Jewish prophet born around 1400 BCE who freed the enslaved Israelites from Egypt and led them to wander the desert for 40 years before arriving in Israel.

The Exodus

The biblical event where Moses freed the enslaved Israelites from Egypt, leading them through a 40-year journey across the desert toward Israel.

10 Commandments

Ten laws received by Moses from God on Mt. Sinian that all Jewish people must follow, serving as the foundation of Jewish belief and the baseline for laws governing Jewish life.

Mt. Sinian

The mountain where Moses received the 10 Commandments directly from God.

Kosher

Jewish dietary restrictions established as part of traditional religious practice.

The Torah

The holy scriptures of Judaism consisting of the first five books of the Bible; traditionally attributed to Moses, while modern historians identify multiple authors writing over time until completion around 450 BCE.

United Monarchy (1050 BCE)

The era when 12 Israeli tribes united together, depicted in the Bible as a powerful kingdom that constructed a giant temple in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant.

Ark of the Covenant

The sacred vessel housed within the giant temple in Jerusalem during the United Monarchy, which was later looted by the Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE.

King David (1040–970 BCE)

Regarded as the greatest king of Israel; originally a shepherd who slew a man named Goliath, he went on to rule over a golden age of economic and military prosperity.

Goliath

The man slain by David when David was still a shepherd.

Fall of the Kingdom of Israel (926 BCE)

The split of the United Monarchy in 926 BCE into two separate realms—Judah and Israel—which divided and weakened their military power.

Babylonian Conquest (586 BCE)

The conquest of Judah and Israel by the Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE, which resulted in the raiding of Jerusalem, the seizure of the Ark of the Covenant, and Jews being enslaved in Babylon for 40 years.

Conquest Sequence of Israel and Judah

The historical succession of conquering powers over the region: first the Babylonian Empire, followed by the Persian Empire, and subsequently Alexander the Great.

Roman Judea (63 BCE)

The status of Judea after its conquest by Pompey for the Roman Republic in 63 BCE; inhabitants were permitted to worship their God as long as they paid taxes and did not rebel.

Pompey

The Roman general who conquered Judea on behalf of the Roman Republic in 63 BCE.

Pharisees

A Jewish sect in the Sanhedrin connected with the common people who believed the Torah dictated daily living, affirmed beliefs in angels, demons, an afterlife, and resurrection, and opposed Roman rule in Judea.

Sadducees

An aristocratic Jewish sect in the Sanhedrin who believed the Torah dictated daily living, rejected beliefs in angels, demons, an afterlife, or resurrection, and supported the Roman government in Judea.

King Herod (72–4 BCE)

A Roman client king of Judea supported by Augustus who allied with Caesar and took power after Rome conquered Israel; his rule was considered cruel and unpopular, leading subjects to contemplate revolt.

Jewish Messiah

A religious concept developing between 800 and 100 BCE (meaning 'anointed one' in Greek) describing an expected human descendant of David who would defeat foreign oppressors like the Romans and establish an era of peace.