Judaism: An Abrahamic Religion

The history of Jews in host cities often depict a story of success or of failure when it comes to relations between the Jews and the Christians in Europe. Historian Jonathan Elukin, author of Living Together, Living Apart, presents the integration as a success process with rare, and special cases, of failure. On the other side of the spectrum is historian Raymond P. Scheindlin. Scheindlin’s novel, A Short History of the Jewish People, presents many cases of integration between the Christians and Jews that led to massacres and brutal endings for the Jewish community. There are many monumental events that take place during the long span of time that oversees European Jewish history, and both historians study and evaluate the events, however, they do so through different lenses.

The dynamic nature of Judaism offers a successful living religion as a result of its strongly withheld characteristics. Through essential characteristics such as central beliefs, sacred texts, writings, ethical teachings and rituals and ceremonies, Judaism offers a dynamic nature and liveable religion that connects an individual and society with its roots. The way this living religion advances and grows is because of its dynamic characteristics as a whole. Importantly, these characteristics combined form the true nature of the religion rather than separately.

Judaism, which originated in the middle east, is one of the oldest religions in the world. Judaism is the religion from where Catholicism and Islam have their roots. The main difference between Judaism and the previously mentioned religions is that Judaism is based on the old testament entirely excluding the new testaments in its teachings. Jews believe that they are the people chosen by God and that because of the covenant they have the duty, more than any other group of people, to keep the law of God. The law of God in Judaism comes in the form of the Torah. The books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, which are said to have been written by Moses, form the Torah.

Judaism is one of the oldest Abrahamic religion on the earth. Israel is the only Jewish country in the world. There are many kind Jews, but the most recognized are orthodox, Ashkenazim, Sephardic and Mizrahi. Orthodox Jews are those, who understand the holy and the laws book of Judaism and believe in the implementation of the book to the state where they live. They are also considered the legally recognized religion of Israel. Orthodox are have political and legal control over the Jewish state. Ashkenazim Jews are those who came from Europe. Most of them escape Europe and settle down in Palestine because of the racial and religious discrimination they faced. Sephardic Jews are those who belongs from Iberian Peninsula, which Spain and Portugal

Followers of Judaism call their scriptures of holy books the Tanakh, the Talmud, and the Torah.

Have you ever noticed that when people talk of Jews, at least in a protestant church, that the Israelite legalism, rituals, dress and hair standards are the first things to mind? The topic of Judaism may come with stereotypical opinions and “Christian Judgement” that are without merit or understanding. Judaism, by a Christian worldview, had to change after Pentecost, since the animal sacrifice to atone for sin Christ completed on the Cross. However, Judaism does not accept this truth of Christ and His work on the cross, but Judaism remains in the world. So, what was this change in Judaism and when did it take place? There have been numerous fluctuations within Judaism, only the theme constructed in this essay has its foundations around the most important facet of Judaism- the Temple. With the Temple in the forefront of this essay, we will discuss the modifications that Judaism went through, at what time, different perspectives that the destruction of the Temple had, and how the Christian sect views these vagaries. The Temple destruction of A.D. 70 converted the Jewish faith in its singular fashion, while, at the same point, the Jewish faith never had a total change by always changing throughout time.

Judaism is different from Islam and Christianity in surprisingly different ways considering that this was the starting religion and all other religions branched off from here. Jews believe that the Torah is the most important part of the holy book, which is called Tenakh and is written in Hebrew. The holy book has three distinct parts called Neviim, Ketuvim, and torah. They believe that about 3,000 years ago, God gave the torah to Moses, Judaism’s most important prophet. Judaism’s rituals involve breaking of Shabbat bread, and sharing wine. They worship on Friday evening and Saturday morning. They come together at a Holy building called a synagogue to pray. Jews are orthodox, conservative and reformed.

The Jewish community has faced many issues throughout the existence of their religion. Most people were not welcoming of the Jewish culture which had compelled them to face many different forms of catastrophe. One of the most familiar types of catastrophe that the Jews have faced is the Holocaust. Ever since the Jewish religion was created gentiles did not accept the Jewish customs. Religious intolerance against the Jews and the Holocaust were very degrading, but instead of rolling over, they rose above the discrimination and hatred and became stronger because of it.

Judaism originated a very long time ago, it is a part of the Bronze Age Polytheistic Ancient Semitic religions. The Jewish calendar goes back more than 5000 years, most scholars date the beginning of the religion of the Israelites to the known founder, Abraham, whose life is generally dated around 2000 to 1800 B.C.E. Abraham came to believe that the universe was the works of a single creator, and taught this to other believers. Therefore, Judaism is the first recorded religion to advocate monotheism, meaning there is only one God. Both Christianity and Islam found some of their roots in Judaism, about 2,000 years after Abraham, Jesus was born into Judaism. Then after Jesus, Muhammad could trace his ancestry back to Abraham. Judaism has three essential parts the written Torah, the recognition of Israel, which are the descendants of Abraham, as uniquely holy people chosen by God, and also it is a requirement that Israel lives in accordance with God's laws as it’s said in the Torah.

Judaism is practiced by almost half of the country and is one of the oldest and biggest monistic religions. The laws they follow come from the Torah which comes straight from the Hebrew bible. This paper will consist of Jewish traditions regarding food preferences and avoidances, death/dying, communication, and grieving.

As if that were not enough, “Between 1648 and 1658, in organized massacres called pogroms, over 700 Jewish communities were destroyed. Jewish deaths numbered in the hundreds of thousands” (Esposito 107). Finally I learned of the Spanish Inquisition where Jews were once again treated as something separate from humanity. “Many were tortured and burned at the stake. The Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492” (Esposito 108). They endured this suffering for no crime they committed. They endured this suffering because of their faith. It is unfathomable to me. The Jews have a long history of violence against them and of others trying to eradicate them, a history that I was not fully aware of until this class.

Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Jewish people have suffered persecution through the holocaust, they were left with nothing. No leader or land to call their own as everything was taken from them.

While the Israeli people weren’t the first to propose a religion only worshipping one god, their religion, Judaism, was the first monotheistic religion to become widespread and is still one of the most followed religions today.

Judaism was developed among the ancient Hebrews found in the Middle East. It is considered one of the oldest monotheistic religion. Judaism is told in the first five books of the Hebrew bible (Old Testament). They believe they have a covenant with one God. Jews trace their history back to Abraham but Judaism was found by Moses. Followers of Judaism, focus on the relationship between the land of Israel, mankind and the relationships between the Creator. There is no formal set of beliefs. Followers of Judaism, believe God chose them to set an example of ethical behavior and holiness. Jews keeps God’s laws in exchange for the many good things God has done for them. They believe it is important to do everything as a community. Where Christians

Judaism, which is made up of a few separate groups, was very common at the originating of Christianity. The common ground (shared beliefs) for these sects was the belief in One God and that this One God had made a covenant with the people of Israel. The foundation of this covenant was called “The Torah.” The Pharisees and Sadducees were the two main groups the Bible focuses on around the time of Jesus, along with the Zealots, the Hellenists, the Lawyers, and the Essenes, who we only read about in sources outside of the New Testament.