JUDAISM TERMS

JUDAISM TERMS

Biblical Judaism

• The early form of Judaism centered on the Temple in Jerusalem, animal sacrifice, priests, and the covenantal law.
  
  

• Ends with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
  
  

Rabbinical Judaism

• Judaism that developed after 70 CE, centered on study of the Torah, the synagogue, and teachings of rabbis instead of Temple sacrifice.
  
  

Zealots

• A militant Jewish movement in the 1st century CE that resisted Roman rule and led revolts, including the rebellion that caused the Temple’s destruction in 70 CE.
  
  

Essenes

• A separatist Jewish group around the time of Jesus; lived in monastic(living far awy form people.)-like communities, highly disciplined, likely contributors to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
  
  

Pharisees

• A Jewish group that emphasized law, purity, and oral tradition; believed in resurrection and became the foundation of Rabbinic Judaism.
  
  

Abraham

• The patriarch( a father figure or founder of a group of people) called by God into covenant; regarded as the father of Israel and of monotheism in Judaism.
  
  

Torah

• “Law” or “Instruction.”
  
  

• The first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible; core of Jewish teaching.
  
  

Midrash

• Rabbinic commentary on Scripture; interpretations used to explain or expand biblical texts.
  
  

Kosher

• Jewish dietary laws governing what foods may be eaten and how they must be prepared.
  
  

Shoah

• Hebrew term for the Holocaust, the genocide of 6 million Jews during WWII.
  
  

Passover

• Spring festival recalling the Exodus(sorty about when the Israelites escaped form slavery in Egypt)  from Egypt; marked by a ritual meal (Seder) remembering liberation.
  
  

Orthodox Judaism

• Traditionalist branch; strict observance of kosher, Sabbath, gender separation in prayer, and adherence to halakhic law.
  
  

Reform Judaism

• Modern branch emphasizing adaptability to contemporary life; gender equality, vernacular worship, and less rigid ritual observance.
  
  

Conservative Judaism

• Middle position between Orthodox and Reform; preserves tradition but allows for limited modern adaptations.
  
  

Reconstructionist Judaism

• Modern movement teaching Judaism as an evolving religious civilization; emphasizes community and symbolic interpretation of beliefs.
  
  

Talmud

• Central text of Rabbinical Judaism; commentary on the Mishnah + Gemara explaining law, ethics, and tradition.
  
  

Apocalypticism

• Belief in an imminent end of the present age and divine intervention; seen in some Jewish groups before and during the Roman occupation.