Judaism

JudaismThe oldest of the world’s

monotheistic religions◦Define monotheistic

Began approximately 4,000 years ago and was developed by the Israelites

Abraham and his CovenantBegan with a man named

Abraham.Abraham was from the town of Ur,

located in Mesopotamia. Abraham migrated his family and

animals to a region called Canaan.

Abraham made a covenant with God.◦ Define covenant (Hint: Look at Frontloading

Vocab)The covenant declared:

◦ 1) Abrahams descendants would view themselves as “the chosen people” because of their special relationship with God

◦ 2) The land in which Abraham lived would be known as “the promised land”

Abraham is considered a prophet because he was chosen by God to speak to people and pass on a message or teaching

Abraham and his Covenant

12 Tribes of IsraelAbraham had a grandson names

Jacob. Jacob later became known as “Israel”

Jacob had 12 sons. Each son was given a region of Israel. The descendants of each son became known as the “12 Tribes of Israel”

Leaving IsraelDrought and famine made Jacob

and his sons leave Israel for Egypt.

When the Israelites arrived in Egypt, they were enslaved by the pharaoh, the ruler of EgyptThe Pharaoh orders the death of all male Hebrew children.

◦Why do you think the pharaoh would do this?

Escape from EgyptThe Israelites lived as slaves in

Egypt for many years

A descendant of the line of Levi (one of Jacob’s sons), was named Moses

Moses freed the enslaved Israelites from the Egyptians in what is known as the exodus◦Define exodus

After escaping from Egypt,Moses and the Israelites reached Mt. Sinai where God spoke to Moses and gave him laws to follow known as The Ten Commandments

◦ Can anyone name any of The Ten Commandments?

The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years before they returned to Canaan. Moses died before they reached Canaan

Each year, the Jews celebrate Passover to celebrate Moses leading the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. (See Jewish Festivals Section)

Escape from Egypt

Life After the Return to CanaanAfter the Israelites returned to

Canaan, there was a period of warfare between the tribes and the Philistines.

After victory over the Philistines, a man named David emerged as the king of Israel.

David established the capital of Israel in Jerusalem and united the 12 tribes of Israel.

Life After the Return to Canaan After the unification of the tribes under David, there were

centuries of war for the Jewish people including the conquering of Hebrews by the Babylonians and by the Greeks.

As the lands of the Hebrews were conquered by the Babylonians, the Jewish people left the conquered area to avoid Babylonian rule. This movement was known as the Diaspora.

The Greeks ruled over the Jewish people and turned all temples into places to worship Greek Gods. In 165 BC (or BCE), Judah Maccabee led a revolt against the Greeks to regain control of their land and Jerusalem.

Judah’s revolt was successful and the Jews rededicated the temple of Jersulam to God. Hanukkah is now celebrated to remember the return of the Jewish temple to God and Judaism.

Torah The Torah is the most sacred text of Judaism.

◦ What does sacred mean? The Torah contains the 5 books revealed to Moses on

Mt. Sinai The books are: ◦ Genesis◦ Exodus◦ Leviticus◦ Numbers◦ Deuteronomy

These books also make up the first 5 books of the Old Testament in the Holy Bible for Christianity (We’ll get to Christianity next!)

The Torah is so special that no one is allowed to touch it. They must use a yad, which is a special

pointer used to follow the words when reading it.

Jewish BeliefJews believe in an all-knowing

God. Each member of the Jewish faith believes they can have an individual and personal relationship with God.

Jewish people worship God in a synagogue where men an

woman sit separately. Men cover their heads with a yarmulke

Jewish spiritual leaders are known as rabbis

Can you name these Jewish symbols?

Can you name these Jewish symbols?

Star of David Torah Menorah

Dreidel Mezuzah

ReviewWho made a covenant with God and

began what we know as Judaism?Why did the Israelites leave Canaan? (2

Reasons)Who led the exodus of the Israelites from

Egypt?What are the laws from God that the

Jewish people needed to follow called?What is the most sacred text of Judaism?What is the celebration of the rededication

of the temple of Jerusalem called?