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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