Judaism is a distinct religion that is practiced throughout many countries, but the majority of the

Judaism is an ancient religion which originated in the Middle East and has spread throughout the world. Today the followers of Judaism have many tradition s and rituals in which are celebrated all year round in thanks and in praise to God. Shabbat is one of the most important rituals and is celebrated by nearly every variant of the Jewish Religion.

Judaism originated close to four thousand years ago in the region of Canaan. It’s heritage traces back to God giving his commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Judaism is based off of the Torah-the Jewish holy book. The Star of David, also known as Shield of David, represents Judaism. In Judaism, women are separate but equal; they believe that women are equal to men, as it states in the Torah, but women aren’t allowed to do the same jobs as men. As for the demographics of Judaism, 13.3 million people in the world are Jewish and the majority of them live in Diaspora. Yom Kippur is the most sacred day of Judaism; in this holiday, Jews fast, pray and repent for 25 hours. Along with Yom Kippur; Chanukkah and the start of Passover are also important in the Jewish holidays. Judaism is similar to Christianity and Islam as they only believe in one God, and Jesus’ crucifixion. Judaism and Islam are strictly monotheistic. Unlike Christianity and Islam, Judaism believes that God has divine revelation and forgiveness. They call their God Yahwen.

After their exile, around fifty-thousand Jews returned to Jerusalem which was now called Judaea. The leader of Judea, the Persian King Cyrus, allowed the Jews to return and to build another place of worship (Fisher 251). The second temple was built in 515 BCE and according to the text Living Religions, became “the central symbol to a scattered Jewish nation” (Fisher). The temple became a place where the Torah was formed and where the religion prospered. However, Jewish prosperity was not going to last. After four centuries of Roman rule, that was domineering and dreadful, a group of Jews decided to rebel against their oppressors. This led to Jews being slaughtered by the Romans and to the second Temple being destroyed. All that is left of the Temple are foundation stones which are referred to as the Western Wall. The temple has never been rebuilt and the Western Wall has become a place for prayer and remembrance for Jews all over the world. Jewish people look at the Western Wall as a representation of the hardships and oppression that their religion and people have endured. According to the article, Mystical Secret of the Western Wall:

Religion has been a major focal point in any society and in any culture. Starting from the first civilizations in Sumer and Ur to the vast metropolitans of today like New York and London, religion has been around and played a key part in lives of people. Possibly two of the oldest religions in the world, Judaism and Zoroastrinism share distinct qualities that are still alive today. Both religions are practiced but Zoroastrianism is not as popular as it once was. Meanwhile, Judaism is one of the world’s largest religions. These two religions are similar in the way that they are designed and practiced throughout history.

Although it is argued that rabbis began work on compiling the oral histories prior to the fall of the Second Temple, there was a definite resurgence in documentation of the important history and moral laws of Judaism after the fall. The most important of these written documents in the Jewish faith is the Hebrew Bible. This bible is comprised of the Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim, these three components combine to make up the Tanakh. The Torah is the core of the Hebrew Bible and contains the story of creation, as well as directions on daily conduct and religious rituals. The Nevi’im contains the stories of prophets. The prophets were people that spoke on behalf of God to the Jewish people. Lastly, the Ketuvim is comprised of mostly imaginative literature such as psalms, proverbs and poetry (Molloy, 294). Shifting the focus from priests and temple to a written work that is accessible to all regardless of location was the main adaptation of Judaism and certainly saved the faith. Although the historical accuracy of the Hebrew Bible is debatable, as some stories may have morphed from their origination to when they were assembled in writing, the bible still remains at the core of Judaism today.

As one of the largest religions in the world, Judaism has often been critiqued, assessed, analyzed and researched for hundreds of thousands of years. Judaism has helped establish a rich tradition and culture for the Jewish people. Throughout these hundreds of thousands of years the Jewish people have been able to rely on a stable sanctuary for prayer, community activities, and intellectual stimulation. This sanctuary is often named the Synagogue but takes on many other names such as the shul and the temple. Through the Synagogue the Jewish people have been able to continue to develop their culture, community affairs, and provide a safe intellectual home for all friends and followers of Judaism.

Ancient Israel, a land of prosperity and wealth, can attribute its success to one secret, their religion. That religion, Judaism, helped the Israelis create their great nation and survive for millions of years. Judaism and its people have been around for over four million years or ¾ of the history of civilized humanity. They have kept improving their society and religion until recently. In America, Jews have lost the old customs and religious practices that shaped Israel and continue to shape Israel. Jewish religious practice in America has declined due to an over exaggerated sense of religious duty, Reform Judaism, and Americanization.

Judaism is one of the world's oldest religious traditions. Pre-modern Judaism constituted (and traditional Judaism today constitutes) an integrated cultural system of Jewish law,

Judaism is an ethnic religion, this means that it appeals mainly to one group of people living in one place. Roughly two-fifths of the world’s 14 million Jews live in the United States and the other two-fifths live in Israel. The way Judaism is distributed is different than other ethnic religions because it is practiced in countries other then its place of origin. Around 70 A.D. the Romans forced the Jews to disperse all over the world, an action known as diaspora. Some other

Judaism is a religion that almost seems uncommon in today’s era. Currently, the United States is occupied with just two percent of individuals who believe in judaism; Globally, only .2 percent of the population is Jewish, which means this religion isn’t practiced heavily by many. The USHMM (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) indicates that World War II was responsible for the death of more than six million innocent jews; this still impacts the jewish community today. Jews

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.

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

It is estimated that around 3.8 billion people in the world follow a religion that has either branched off of or has been significantly influenced by Judaism. Judaism is an ancient religion from the Middle East based off of the Hebrew Torah that teaches devotion to an all-powerful monotheistic God and the reality of an afterlife. Although only accounting for a tiny percent of the world’s religious followers, Judaism has had a greater impact on the world than any other religion in the history of mankind. The foundations of Judaism teach truths held by the world’s most prominent religions.

Religion has been and will remain a major part of the human experience. The numerous religions, throughout the years they have exited, have adapted to modern day culture. For many people, religion defines who they are and helps construct their cultural background. Judaism has been around for numerous years and its myths and rituals, like Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, have developed over time. As a result, Judaism has prospered. Judaism is a myth of history and the recording of history in the Torah played a huge part in the evolution of the Judaism.

Over thousands of years, the religion of Judaism has evolved. With years of suffering, persecution, and dispersion the Jews’ religion stays constant. When researching the religion, the history is extremely strong, and the doctrine of the religion dates back thousands of years. With such a vast history, one might want to examine the change into modern society.