Teacher Notes G8c:

This element is not an evaluation of any religion, nor is it a course in the belief system of any religion. It is important that students understand the differences between each of these religions to help them understand the tensions that exist in the region. Students should understand the following aspects: all three are monotheistic, all three acknowledge Abraham as the patriarch of their faith, each has a holy book, each has a specific place of worship, each one has a different view about Jesus Christ, and some of these religions share common holy sites in the region but also have their own unique holy sites. This element is not about the issues that produce conflict between these religions, rather students should understand the major differences between these religions. Some brief information on these religions is available at http://www.religionfacts.com/big_religion_chart.htm

V The Three Western ReligionsHow do the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam compare? (SS7G8c & d)

The Three Western Religions: The region is home to three of the most important faiths in the

world, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each traces its roots back to Abraham, a man born

about 2,000 B.C.E. Abraham lived in the Sumerian city of Ur in the southern part of

Mesopotamia. He is credited with the idea of monotheism, or the belief in one god. Since all

three religions view him as one of their patriarchs, they are also known as the Abrahamic

Religions.

Although these three religions have much in common, the differences between created a long

history of conflict that continues to this day. Israel is the only predominantly Jewish nation in

These study guides are intended to cover the standards completely. I cannot guarantee that all the information on the test is included, but I have had very good students through the years tell me that everything on the test was covered in these booklets.

I have gleaned everything possible from the different resources that Georgia provides including the frameworks, content description and teacher notes. I have condensed everything I could find that might give insight into what Georgia expects us to cover and how that information might be presented on the CRCT. Most of this information is in the text boxes.

Some of the information goes beyond what the standards require but I have included it for the sake of background and possible enrichment for your students. As always, it is up to you, the teacher, to adjust the content you deliver based on your students prior knowledge, interests and ability.

Feel free to cut and paste sections of these notes to create handouts for your students. You may consider editing them in order to differentiate for the students in your class. Turning these notes into a slotted worksheet can also be effective.

Other resources such as an overview and my themes for this course can be found at ccgps7socialstudies@pbworks.com.

the world. The other countries in the region are predominantly Muslim, although some countries

like Lebanon have large Christian populations as well.

Judaism: Surrounded by cultures that had polytheistic faiths, the Hebrews stood out because

of their belief in one god (monotheism). According to the Torah, the most important Jewish

holy book, Yahweh, the Hebrew god, made a covenant (a promise or contract) with a man

named Abram. If Abram would dedicate himself to worshipping Yahweh as the only god, he

would make him the father of a great nation and promised him possession of a distant land,

Canaan (now a part of Israel).

Abram changed his name to Abraham and migrated along with his family through the

Fertile Crescent to the region now known as Palestine. In Canaan, Abraham prospered and

although an old man, he had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was the eldest, born of

Hagar, a family servant. Isaac was the youngest, born of Abraham’s wife Sarah. Jews trace

their lineage to Abraham through Isaac. Isaac, in turn, had twelve sons who are viewed as the

ancestors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

The Hebrews were surrounded by more powerful kingdoms and eventually they were forced

into slavery in Egypt. Moses led them from Egypt and the Hebrews escaped to the Sinai

Peninsula. On the eve of their escape, the Hebrews prepared a special meal of unleavened

bread. Unleavened means it had no yeast and so it did not rise and could be made more

quickly. Jews today celebrate this event with their most important holiday, Passover. The

journey into the desert is remembered as the Exodus.

According to the Torah, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments while the Hebrews

wandered in the desert for forty years. Then, the Hebrews returned to Canaan where they lived

in twelve self-governing tribes. Three successive kings, Saul, David and Solomon united the

twelve tribes into the Kingdom of Israel. David established the capital in Jerusalem where

his son Solomon later built a temple that eventually became the center of Hebrew worship.

Eventually, the ten northern tribes and the tribes to the south separated, becoming two separate

kingdoms, Israel to the north and Judah to the south. In time, the northern tribes were

conquered and are lost to history. Judah was conquered by Babylon and taken there as slaves.

Solomon’s Temple was destroyed. With the help of the Persian king, Cyrus the Great, the

Hebrews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple. The religion’s name, Judaism, and the

related words Jew and Jewish, come from Judah. Jews believed a messiah would rise up and

lead the Jews to their promised place at the head of the world’s nations.

Finally, the Roman Empire took control of the region, eventually driving the Jews from the

region and destroying the Second Temple. Only a portion of that temple, the Western Wall,

still stands and is still an important part of Judaism.

This was the beginning of the Diaspora or the scattering of the Jews. This has resulted in

Jewish communities throughout the world. Jews are unique in history, because other groups in

similar situations dissolved away into the surrounding cultures. Jews continued to believe in

their covenant with Yahweh, and were able to retain their religion and their cultural identity.

This caused them to isolate themselves from surrounding cultures instead of assimilating into

them. This has resulted in much resentment and discrimination by surrounding communities.

Racism directed against Jews is called anti-Semitism.

Christianity: During the time of Roman rule in Palestine, many Jews were hoping for the

messiah to come and deliver them from the Romans. Jesus, a Jewish carpenter from Nazareth

began to attract attention as a teacher and a preacher. He followed Jewish law and belief but

spoke of a more personal relationship with God. His teachings focused on the love of God and

the generous treatment of friends and neighbors. As his message grew in popularity some men

devoted themselves to helping Jesus spread his message. They were called disciples.

Some of the Roman and Jewish leaders became worried about Jesus’ popularity. Some of his

followers were beginning to claim that he was the Messiah or “savior of man.” Jewish leaders

believed that Jesus was violating Jewish law. The Roman ruler in the region, Pontius Pilate,

saw the controversy as a threat to the authority of Roman rule. He had Jesus crucified, a form

of execution where the victim was nailed or tied to a cross of wood and left hanging until he

died.

According to Jesus’ followers, three days after his death Jesus was resurrected (rose from the

dead). The disciples began to spread stories about Jesus. They claimed he was the Messiah or

“Christ.” They called him the “Son of God.” Word spread quickly and his teachings became

the basis for the new religion, Christianity.

All people, Jews and Gentiles, were allowed to join the faith. Christians refused to worship

the Roman gods and goddesses which angered the Roman authorities. After years of

persecution the Roman Emperor Constantine I, in 313 A.D. officially announced Roman

toleration of Christianity.

The Christian holy book is the Bible. It is composed of Jewish holy texts (the Old Testament)

and writings about the life of Jesus and his disciples (the New Testament). The first four

books of the New Testament are known as the Gospels (Greek for “good news”) and are

about the life and teachings of Jesus.

Much of the New Testament was written by Paul. He enters the Christian story as Saul of

Tarsus, a Jew who persecuted Christians. While traveling to Damascus he is said to have

“seen the light” which left him blinded for three days. This conversion experience left him a

Christian. He became a leader in the early church. His epistles (letters) to various churches

form a major part of the New Testament.

Islam: The founder of Islam was Muhammad. He was born in 570 C.E. in Mecca, a town on

the Arabian Peninsula near the Red Sea. He was a merchant and a respected member of the

community. Muslims believe, while sitting in a cave near Mecca, he heard the voice of the

angel Gabriel calling on him to tell people the word of God. He began to tell people that they

needed to worship the one true god, Allah. People who followed his teachings called

themselves Muslims, meaning “one who submits.” Many people in Mecca felt threatened by

Muhammad and his teachings, so they drove him from the city. He and his followers fled to a

neighboring city which they renamed Medina. This flight is known as the “Hijrah” and that

year marks the first year of the Muslim calendar. The people of Mecca accepted Muhammad

as their leader and many of them joined the new religion of Islam.

In 630 C.E., Muhammad returned to Mecca at the head of an army. After conquering Mecca,

Muhammad entered the Kaaba. People believed that this building had been built by Abraham

and his son, Ishmael, to honor God. As Jews and Christians trace their lineage to Abraham

through his son Isaac, Muslims trace their lineage through his other son Ishmael. By

Muhammad’s day, however, the Kaaba had been filled with hundreds of idols. Muhammad

removed all of the idols and dedicated the building to Allah.

Muslims believe they have five basic obligations, the “Five Pillars.”

Shahada – The belief that “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his

messenger.”

Salat – Praying five times a day in the direction of Mecca

Zakat – Alms or charity for the poor

Sawm – Fasting during daylight hours during Ramadan

Teacher Notes G8d:

This element requires students to understand the historical reasons for the separation of Islam into two major factions. Students should understand the importance of this division as it has produced significant tensions within the Islamic religion. This is not an element that requires an extensive lesson on the origins and development of Islam, but rather a short lesson on the end of the hereditary caliphate and the dispute over qualifications to lead Islam. The Southern Center for International Studies World in Transition: The Middle East in Transition has an excellent section titled “Who are the Shia within Islam?” (see pages 209-214) This section meets the requirements for this element.

The Hajj – A pilgrimage to Mecca once in one’s life

After his death, Muhammad’s followers collected his teachings into the Quran, the holy book

of Islam. They accepted many of the writings in the Old and New Testaments, but to Muslims,

the Quran is the final and complete word of God. Some Muslim countries use the Quran as a

basis for their legal code. This is called “Shariah Law.” Because much of the Old and New

Testaments are a part of the Quran, Muslims consider Jews and Christians as “People of the

Book” and accord them a special respect.

After Muhammad’s death, the religion spread rapidly, throughout the Middle East, into North

Africa, and westward to India. Muslim armies lead by “Caliphs” or rulers easily overcame the

older, weaker empires surrounding them. Many people welcomed Islam as their new religion.

G8d. What caused the division between Sunni and Shia Muslims?

After Muhammad died, Muslims disagreed over who should lead the Muslim community. One

group believed the leader should be whoever could hold the community together. This group

became known as Sunni Muslims. Another group believed the leader should be a descendant of

Muhammad. They supported the children of Muhammad’s son-in-al, Ali. They became known as

Shi-Ali or “supporters of Ali.” The name has become shortened to Shia or Shiite.

This division has continued through the ages and has often been the source of conflict. Sunni’s

make 85% of the Muslim population. The Shia make up a large part of the population in Lebanon

and Iraq. Iran is 90% Shia.