Judaism

Religion of Covenant

  • Implies that God will keep his end of the bargain, but Israelites need to keep theirs
  • God sees them as a holy nation, a treasured possession
  • Huge emphasis on group identity
  • Covenant: a sacred family bond
History of the Chosen People
  • After the time of the Babylonian Exile, they were called “Jews” due to the tribe of Judah being the one captured
  • Belief that if they are God’s Chosen People, God knows what is going on with them and can help them
  • God is loving, all powerful, all just, all merciful, providential, but the Jewish people must live up to their end of the covenant
  • Classical Judaism   * 66 CE: Jewish War to overcome the Romans   * 70 CE: temple in Jerusalem was destroyed   * 600 CE: Islam comes to power     * Diaspora: dispersion; Jewish people having to live away from their ancestral homeland
  • Medieval Judaism (700s-1700s CE)   * Jewish people thrived in Spain   * Famous teachers: Maimonides (philosopher), and Zohar (mystical)   * Lived under Muslim rule in Spain and Africa and Christian rule in Europe     * Under Muslim regime     * Under Christian regime

Central Teachings

  • Avoid pronouncing full name of God—too holy to say or write   * YHWY in Hebrew (“Yahweh”)
  • Shema: hear o Isreal the Lord is our God, the Lord alone   * Recited twice daily: morning and evening   * Huge change to polytheistic world   * Good, moral god, which most polytheistic gods were not   * Humans are good   * The world, matter, is good   * You have free will, not fate
  • Torah: the first five books of the Old Testament   * Instruction, law   * Hebrew bible has three parts: Torah (T), Prophets (N), Writings (K)     * Tanak: the whole Hebrew scriptures   * Pentateuch: the Greek term for the first five books of the bible     * Greek version; things are lost in translation   * All three of these words are, to some extent, synonymous   * Moses is the author according to tradition   * Contains 613 laws, 10 Commandments are most famous   * Every synagogue has an ark with the Torah in it   * Prophets (one who speaks for)   * Other writings     * Poetry, wisdom literature, short stories, and historical accounts
  • Mishnah and Talmud   * Rabbi: a teacher of the Torah, the leader of a Jewish congregation   * Mishnah: a collection of teachings of Rabbis for 400 years     * Written down in 200 CE   * Talmud: commentary on the Mishnah

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