The Israelite Religion

The main religion of the Israelites is Judaism. They worshipped God in a Temple. While most Israelites were Jews, some worshipped false gods or idols. Some of Israel’s earliest leaders were connected to God in powerful ways. Moses is an example of such a leader. “God himself, it was declared, had revealed his new name of Yahweh to Moses (Fletcher).”

The monotheistic religion of Judaism is a very complex and in many cases, strictly traditional way of life for over 13 million people all around the world. Many of their core beliefs are very similar to Christianity; however, an abundance of their rituals and practices are unlike any other religion. Even after visiting a Jewish Synagogue it is still difficult to mentally grasp and have a true understanding of everything Judaism stands for. Because of the many traditions and beliefs Judaism possess, it is not easy to define. The seven dimensions of religion created by the world renowned religious scholar Ninian Smart helped establish a simple way to break down and describe the essence of faith for any

First a look at the Israelites’ origins shows that early on it was very likely that they had polytheistic ways, and put their faith in various gods of nature, most likely influenced by the surrounding polytheistic cultures and civilizations. However, “It was among the Babylonian exiles in the sixth century B.C.E. the Yahweh—the God of Israel—came to be seen as the only God” (Spielvogel 36). When the Israelite exiles were back in Judah, their view of monotheism “came to be the major tenet of Judaism” (Spielvogel 36). These new viewpoints were very different form the other polytheistic belief systems, particularly in the idea that an individual can have a personal relationship with the God that created all in the universe (Spielvogel 36). This is also illustrated by the psalmist who said, “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will

Culture played a big role when it came to civilization and religion. The Hebrew culture was an example of that, it had some similarities and differences when it came to religion. “The Hebrew religious tradition had special significances: the covenant, law, and prophet” (Duiker/Spielvogel, 23). Sumerians elected a leader which was considered the king and priest. Islam and Christianity is monotheism, whereas the Hebrew believed more in nature. Hebrews, Islam, and Christianity all have different ways to teach, but they all have one book. The Hebrews are taught by the rabbis and use the Hebrew Bible. Islam are taught by the Imam and uses the Quran. Christians are taught by the pastors or preachers and uses the Bible. “Cultural and religious stability was equally precarious” (Andrea/Overfield, 83). Religion is based on having faith and to worship. Christianity and Islam are two major religions that grew out of Judaism.

Throughout Jesus’s life and after his death, there were several different views and opinions generated that separated the people in society during this time. These differing opinions resulted in an entire new religion being formed called Christianity. The first Christians were called Jewish Christians. These were the first group of people that converted from Judaism to Christianity. There were many differences between the Jewish Christian’s beliefs.

In the Jewish religion, there have been many occurrences of pluralism and many movements throughout the timeline of its history, from the very beginning of Creation to this very moment. Pluralism has been an important dimension of Judaism. There have been past, present and there will be future movements of this religion because it is ever evolving and growing for and to most. In each period of Judaic history, there have been several moments of pluralism at its finest and examples of different movements. Each period, Biblical Period (Creation, Themes of the Torah, Prophets and Writings), Christianity and Judaism, medieval mysticism and philosophy to the modern movements (Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform and Holocaust and Redemption Jews) gives prime examples of pluralism.

In the sixth chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, it is written that the words “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” should be said and spoken of “when you lie down and when you rise”. The words “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” would suggest that the Old Testament is monotheistic, and thus, the ancient Israelites were largely monotheistic themselves. But even with this implication that the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Israelites were monotheistic, a range of primary sources, both biblical and archaeological, suggest that the ancient Israelites had acknowledged the existence of, and actively worshipped or prayed to, more than one deity before adopting a single god, Yahweh, as their primary deity. It is more accurate to characterize the religion of ancient Israel as polytheistic, the belief that more than one god exists. Moreover, it is important to recognize that the religion of ancient Israel had, through reform, begun to shift to monolatry, the primary worship of a single god without the denial of the existence of other gods. These primary sources range from archaeological finds, such as The Kuntillet Ajrud inscriptions, to scripture within the Hebrew Bible, in the books of Jeremiah, Psalam, Deuteronomy, Exodus, and Genesis.

According to Smith, The World's Religions Judaism chapter, Judaism is a monotheistic religion to Jewish people.

Like most religions Judaism has experienced a share of turmoil and renewal or adaptation over it’s existence. One of the most critical turning points throughout Jewish history was the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The destruction took place during the First Jewish–Roman War, in the historic and consequential Siege of Jerusalem during 70 C.E.. The Roman army stormed the Jewish sacred city, led by the future Emperor and young fearless leader, Titus. Over a short period of time, the Roman force overpowered and out manned the Jewish defenders. This force allowed the army the opportunity to set fire to the religious temple, causing havoc throughout the Judaism community and defeat amongst the defenders. The situation was portrayed by

Judaism is a monotheistic religion that believes in the one and almighty God of The Bible. Judaism is not a race, but a religion that believes in the laws of the Old Testament that is in some ways similar to Christianity.

In this excerpt from his chapter on Judaism, the writer introduces us to the Jewish religion by giving us an overview of Jewish history. He points out to the importance of the destruction of the second temple of Jerusalem by the Romans, as an event that led to a distinction between biblical Judaism and rabbinical Judaism. This allowed Jews to pray and practice their religion anywhere in the world, from their homes or synagogues.

Judaism is among one of the oldest religions in the world. The history of Judaism spans more than 4000 years. Today, there are 14 million Jews living across the world- accounting for only 0.2% of the world's population. 6 million Jews are living in Israel. Moreover, after Christianity, Judaism is the largest religious affiliation in the United States. Additionally, Judaism is a monotheistic religion- they believe in one God.

The religious beliefs of Judaism are at birth and when 12/13 depends on your gender. Judaism is genuine greatly a family faith and the ceremonies start initially when a Jewish boy baby is circumcised at eight days old, following the instructions that God gave to Abraham about 4,000 years ago. This is the most important and preferable option that all families do because it is the most believed. Circumcision is a sign of the Jewish covenant with G*d. The Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are rituals and beliefs that a girl is 12 and a boy is 13, this is when they are welcomed as full members of the Jewish community. Also, G*d is who they pray too and the commandments are set out in the Torah. The beliefs that the Jewish people follow is that they are showing respect towards G*d.

Judaism is a religion with a strict kosher diet, but they call it a different term, kashrut. They steer away from certain meats like chicken and eat heavily on fish a seafood. They also have certain rules for how they can prepare meals. For instance they cannot mix dairy products with meats and also cannot eat the back end of the cow. They do this because they believe that the food is not blessed by the rabbi if you eat it that certain way. Some of the meals that people with this religion will eat is things like grilled fish, a lot of vegetables, and they will also limit themselves on their intake with eggs. They only allow themselves two eggs per week. They drink wine in moderation, but allow themselves a glass a day because they believe that

The Jewish Question examines the criticism of Karl Marx against Bauer and his theory on the emancipation of the Jewish people. Bauer proposes the question of the “relationship of religion to the state, examining religious prejudice and political emancipation” (p. 48). In this context, Bauer addresses the need for emancipation for both the Jewish people and the state. Ultimately arriving at the idea that Jewish people must choose between a political life and a religious one. However, Marx criticizes Bauer’s argument due to its failure to address the varying degrees between political emancipation and human emancipation.