JUDAISM
DEFINITION, HISTORY, BELIEFS, SACRED
TEXTS, SECTS-DENOMINATIONS, RITES
AND OBSERVANCES, GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION, VOCABULARY
DEFINITION

The word Judaism has two meanings. It can mean
the civilization of the Jews, the culture of those
who claim to be Jews or whom others call
Jewish. And it can also mean the religion of the
Jews.
HISTORY
IMPORTANCE, HISTORICAL CONTEXT,
BIBLICAL JUDAISM, THE PATRIARCHS,
MOSES AND SINAI, CANAAN AND THE
JUDGES, UNITED MONARCHY, DIVIDED
MONARCHY, THE HASMONEAN KINGDOM,
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE,
RABBINICAL JUDAISM, FALL OF ROME,
EARLY MIDDLE AGES, THE CRUSADES,
EXPULSION, ENLIGHTENMENT,
HOLOCAUST
IMPORTANCE
 History
is of great importance in
Judaism. It is significant that whereas
the sacred texts of most ancient
religions focus on myths and
philosophical concepts, the Jewish
sacred text is centered around
historical narrative.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Judaism traces its history back to the
creation of mankind, but the explicitly
Jewish historical origins begin with
Abraham and the Hebrews.
 According to the Torah, Abraham's home
was the northern Mesopotamian town of
Haran.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT…
From there, he migrated to the region of
Canaan, which is roughly equivalent to
modern Israel and Lebanon.
 For a time the Hebrews lived in servitude
in Egypt, then returned to Canaan.

BIBLICAL JUDAISM
The period of Jewish history designated by
some historians as "Biblical Judaism" (as
distinguished from “Rabbinical Judaism”).
 Biblical Judaism represents the centuries
covered by the narratives of the Tanakh
(sacred scriptures), from the creation and
primitive history of mankind to the last of
the prophets in the 4th century BCE.

BIBLICAL JUDAISM…


The Tanakh follows the Hebrew nation as it
experiences cycles of favor and discipline by
God.
God establishes successive covenants with
humanity (Adam, Noah and Abraham) and
issues an extensive set of laws (through Moses)
by which the Hebrews are to be set apart as
God's people.
BIBLICAL JUDAISM…
When they stray, God sends prophets and
invading armies to bring them back to
himself.
 "It is this particular claim-to have
experienced God's presence in human
events-and its subsequent development
that is the differentiating factor in Jewish
thought."

THE PATRIARCHS
The biblical book of Genesis (from the
Greek, meaning “beginning”) begins with a
single, all-powerful God creating the world
out of chaos in six days, with human
beings created on the sixth day.
 Genesis goes on to chronicle an ancient
history in which mankind repeatedly turns
away from God and to immorality until
God destroys the earth with a flood.

THE PATRIARCHS…
 God
then makes a covenant with
Noah, the one man saved from the
flood (8 with wife, 3 sons, and their
wives, that he will never destroy the
earth again.
PATRIARCHS…
The specifically Hebrew element of
biblical history begins with Abraham (c.
2100 BCE), who is considered the
founder of the Jewish religion.
 However, he does not discover God but is
rather called by the God who is already
known into a covenant, in which God
promises to many descendents and the
land of Canaan.

PATRIARCHS…




The religion of the patriarchs was simple, and
centered on the agreement (unilateral covenant)
between Abraham and God.
Religious practice consisted of sacrifice and
prayer.
Circumcision was the defining mark of the
religious community.
Its eschatology (future things) was the promise
of land and many descendents.
MOSES AND SINAI


According to biblical tradition, a famine caused
the Hebrew tribes to migrate to Egypt, where
they were enslaved.
God rescued them from bondage by afflicting
the Egyptians with successive plagues then
drowning the Egyptian army in the Red Sea to
allow the Hebrews to escape.
MOSES AND SINAI…



At Mount Sinai, God established the nation of
Israel (named for Abraham's grandson JacobIsrael) as his own, and gave them the terms of
his covenant with them.
He then sustains the Israelites through 40 years
of journeying in the wilderness before leading
them into Canaan, the land promised to
Abraham.
Central to all these events is Moses who fulfills
many leadership roles, including religious,
political, legislative and military.
MOSES AND SINAI…




Mosaic religion centers on the covenant
(bilateral) between God and the people of Israel.
The covenant required exclusive loyalty to
Yahweh, who rescued them from bondage in
Egypt.
Worship of other gods, veneration of idols
(even of Yahweh), and magical practices are
prohibited.
Rituals and festivals are established to celebrate
God's historical and continuing provision.
CANAAN AND THE JUDGES


The conquest of Canaan is narrated in the
biblical book of Joshua, with miraculous events
(city walls fell at a shout, the sun stood still)
rivaling those of the Exodus.
After the conquest of Canaan, Israel was led by
leaders called "judges," during which time the
Israelites are described as repeatedly falling into
idolatry and apostasy.
CANAAN AND THE
JUDGES…


At the same time, numerous altars to the God
of Israel sprung up, and the Levites rose to the
priesthood to conduct sacrifices at many of
them.
The ark of the covenant was housed and
carefully protected at the Shiloh sanctuary,
which was staffed by priests of the family of Eli.
UNITED MONARCHY



To maintain occupation of the Promised Land,
it became necessary to have centralized authority
and organized armies that could hold off
external enemies.
Two diverging views of the prospect of a
monarchy arose: a rejection of God's kingship
(1 Sam. 8-12) or a God-given way to defend
Israel (1 Sam. 9:16).
The former view is represented by the prophetjudge Samuel, who reluctantly crowned the first
king.
UNITED MONARCHY…
Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, was made
king (in c. 1020 BCE) after defeating the
Ammonites. He ruled from his hometown
of Gibeah, a few miles north of Jerusalem.
 Saul's reign was marred by conflicts with
the prophet Samuel, who held ongoing
authority over the kingship.

UNITED MONARCHY…

King David, Saul's successor, solved these
problems by combining religious and political
authority in one person (David and his
descendents) and in one place (the city of
Jerusalem).
 NB…Nathan (another prophet) was the
instrument of divine justice when David
disobeyed God.
UNITED MONARCHY…



David was succeeded by his son Solomon.
During Solomon's long reign of 40 years the
Hebrew monarchy gained its highest splendor.
The first half of his reign was, however, by far
the brighter and more prosperous; the latter half
was clouded by the idolatries into which he fell,
mainly, according to the scribes, from his
intermarriages.
DIVIDED MONARCHY



After Solomon's reign the nation split into two
kingdoms, Israel (in the north) and Judah (in the
south).
Israel was conquered by the Assyrian ruler
Shalmaneser V in the 8th century BCE.
The kingdom of Judah was conquered by a
Babylonian army in the early 6th century BCE.
DIVIDED MONARCHY…


The elite of Judah were exiled to Babylon, but
later at least a part of them returned to their
homeland, led by prophets Ezra and Nehemiah,
after the subsequent conquest of Babylonia by
the Persians.
Already at this point the extreme fragmentation
among the Israelites was apparent, with the
formation of political-religious factions, the
most important of which would later be called
Sadducees and Pharisees.
THE HASMONEAN
KINGDOM


After the Persians were defeated by Alexander
the Great, his demise, and the division of
Alexander's empire among his generals, the
Seleucid Kingdom was formed.
A deterioration of relations between Hellenized
Jews and religious Jews led the Seleucid king
Antiochus IV Epiphanes to impose decrees
banning certain Jewish religious rites and
traditions.
HASMONEAN KINGDOM…


Consequently, the orthodox Jews revolted under
the leadership of the Hasmonean family, (also
known as the Maccabees).
This revolt eventually led to the formation of an
independent Jewish kingdom, known as the
Hasmonaean Dynasty, which lasted from 165
BC to 63 BC.
HASMONEAN KINGDOM…



The Hasmonean Dynasty eventually
disintegrated as a result of civil war between the
sons of Salome Alexandra, Hyrcanus II and
Aristobulus II.
The people, who did not want to be governed
by a king but by theocratic clergy, made appeals
in this spirit to the Roman authorities.
A Roman campaign of conquest and
annexation, led by Pompey, soon followed.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE
TEMPLE


Judea under Roman rule was at first an
independent Jewish kingdom, but gradually the
rule over Judea became less and less Jewish, until
it became under the direct rule of Roman
administration, which was often callous and
brutal in its treatment of its Judean subjects.
In AD 66, Judeans began to revolt against the
Roman rulers of Judea.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE
TEMPLE…


The revolt was defeated by the Roman emperors
Vesesapian and Titus Flavius.
The Romans destroyed much of the Temple in
Jerusalem and, according to some accounts,
stole artifacts from the temple, such as the
Menorah.
RABBINICAL JUDAISM
Rabbinical Judaism developed out of the
Pharisaic movement and in response to the
destruction of the Second Temple in 70
CE.
 The rabbis sought to reinterpret Jewish
concepts and practices in the absence of
the Temple and for a people in exile.

RABBINICAL JUDAISM…
Rabbinical Judaism was the dominant form
of the Jewish religion for nearly 18
centuries.
 It produced the Talmud, the Midrash, and
the great figures of medieval Jewish
philosophy.

THE FALL OF ROME


The Eastern Roman Empire, under assault from
barbarian invasion, passed a number of laws in
the early Middle Ages, including the legislation
of Justinian which culminated in the principle
of taking away civil rights from heretics and
unbelievers and of making their existence as
difficult as possible.
The public observance of their religion was
forbidden the Jews. The loss of their civil rights
was followed by disregard for their personal
freedom.
THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES
The general condition of the Jews in
Western lands depended on the changing
political conditions in their respective
countries.
 Those Jews who still wished to remain true
to the faith of their fathers were protected
by the Church herself from compulsory
conversion.

THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES…

Charlemagne, moreover, was glad to use
the Church for the purpose of welding
together the loosely connected elements of
his kingdom when he transformed the old
Roman empire into a Christian one, and
united under the imperial crown all the
German races at that time firmly settled.
EARLY MIDDLE AGES…

When, a few decades after his death, his
world empire fell apart (843), the rulers of
Italy, France, and Germany left the Church
free scope in her dealings with the Jews,
and under the influence of religious zeal
hatred toward the unbelievers ripened into
deeds of horror.
THE CRUSADES


The trials which the Jews endured from time to
time in the different kingdoms of the Christian
West were only indications of the catastrophe
which broke over them at the time of the
Crusades.
A wild, unrestrained throng, for which the
crusade was only an excuse to indulge its
rapacity, fell upon the peaceful Jews and
sacrificed them to its fanaticism.
EXPLUSIONS

Jews were held responsible for numerous crimes
imputed to them:
 a false charge was circulated that they wished
to dishonor the host which was supposed to
represent Jesus' body
 being the cause of every calamity
 the plundering raids of the Mongols
 the Black Death
EXPULSIONS…

The Jews, who were driven out of England in
1290, out of France in 1394, and out of
Numerous districts of Germany, Italy, and the
Balkan peninsula between 1350 and 1450, were
scattered in all directions, and fled preferably to
the new Slavic kingdoms, where for the time
being other confessions were still tolerated.
ENLIGHTENMENT



During the period of the European Renaissance
and Enlightenment, significant changes were
happening within the Jewish community.
Jews began in the 1700s to campaign for
emancipation from restrictive laws and
integration into the wider European society.
Reform and Conservative movements and
planted the seeds of Zionism while at the same
time encouraging cultural assimilation into the
countries in which Jews resided.
ENLIGHTENMENT…

Hasidic Judaism began in the 1700s by
Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, and quickly
gained a following with its more exuberant,
mystical approach to religion.
HOLOCAUST


Anti-Semitism was
common in Europe
in the 1920s and
1930s.
Adolf Hitler's
fanatical antiSemitism was laid out
in his 1925 book
Mein Kampf.
HOLOCAUST…

Mein Kampf (German for
"My Struggle") is a book
written by Adolf Hitler,
combining elements of
autobiography with an
exposition of Hitler's
political ideology of
National Socialism.
HOLOCAUST…

Mein Kampf makes clear Hitler's racist worldview,
dividing humans up based on ancestry. Hitler
stated that German "Aryans" with blond hair
and blue eyes were at the top of the hierarchy
(Hitler himself had brown hair and blue eyes),
and assigned the bottom of the order to Jews
and Gypsies. Hitler went on to say that
dominated peoples benefit by learning from the
superior Aryans.
HOLOCAUST…

Hitler further claimed that the Jews were
conspiring to keep this "master race" from
rightfully ruling the world, by diluting its racial
and cultural purity and by convincing the Aryan
to believe in equality rather than superiority and
inferiority. He described the struggle for world
domination as an ongoing racial, cultural, and
political battle between Aryans and Jews.
HOLOCAUST…
On April 1, 1933 the recently elected Nazis
organized a one-day boycott of all Jewishowned businesses in Germany.
 This policy helped to usher-in a series of
anti-Semitic acts that would eventually
culminate in the Holocaust.
 The last remaining Jewish enterprises in
Germany were closed on July 6, 1939.

HOLOCAUST…


In many cities throughout Europe, Jews had
been living in concentrated areas.
During the first years of World War II, the
Nazis formalized the borders of these areas and
restricted movement, creating modern ghettos
to which Jews were confined.
HOLOCAUST…



The ghettos were, in effect, prisons in which
many Jews died from hunger and disease; others
were executed by the Nazis and their
collaborators.
Concentration camps for Jews existed in
Germany itself.
During the invasion of the Soviet Union, over
3,000 special killing units conducted mass
killings of Communist officials and of the
Jewish population that lived on Soviet territory.
HOLOCAUST…


Entire communities were wiped out by being
rounded up, robbed of their possessions and
clothing, and shot at the edges of ditches.
In December 1941, Hitler finally decided to
exterminate European Jews. In January 1942,
during the Wannsee conference, several Nazi
leaders discussed the details of the "Final
Solution of the Jewish question."
HOLOCAUST…

They began to systematically deport Jewish
populations from the ghettos and all occupied
territories to the seven camps designated as
Vernichtungslager, or extermination camps:
Auschwitz, Belzec, Chelmno, Majdanek, Maly
Trostenets, Sobibór and Treblinka II.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL

The sudden rapid growth of Zionism and the
post-Holocaust displacement resulted in the
emigration of a great many Jews to what
became the modern State of Israel on May 14,
1948.
BELIEFS
INTRODUCTION, THE FOUNDATIONS
OF JEWISH BELIEF, GOD, HUMAN
NATURE, THE WORLD TO COME, THE
MESSIAH
INTRODUCTION


Unlike Christianity and Islam, Judaism has no
official creed or universal doctrinal requirements
for membership.
In general, a person can be considered “Jewish”
whether he adheres to a complete system of
beliefs about God and the afterlife, holds only a
few simple beliefs that give meaning to ritual, or
even (at least in liberal Judaism) does not believe
in God at all.
INTRODUCTION…
This diversity in Jewish belief arises in part
because actions (good deeds and the
mitzvot), not beliefs, are the most
important aspect of Jewish religious life.
 This is in marked contrast to Christianity
and Islam, in which belief in at least in a
few basic doctrines is of primary
importance.

INTRODUCTION…


Nevertheless, the Torah and Talmud have a great
deal to say about God, humanity, and the
meaning of life, and Jewish history features
significant theological and mystical inquiry into
religious concepts.
And these beliefs are of great significance
because of their strong influence on Christianity
and Islam, the two largest world religions.
THE
FOUNDATIONS OF
JEWISH BELIEF
The Thirteen Foundations of the
Ramba'm
The Thirteen Foundations of the
Ramba'm

The thirteen foundations
of Jewish belief were
compiled by Rabbi
Moshe ben Maimon, also
known as Maimonides,
generally referred to by
the acronym RaMBa’M.
The Thirteen Foundations…
1.
THE FIRST FOUNDATION is to believe in the
existence of the Creator.
 This means that there exists a Being that is complete
in all ways and He is the cause of all else that exists.
He is what sustains their existence and the existence
of all that sustains them. He does not need the
existence of anything else. All that exists apart from
Him, the angels, the universe and all that is within it,
all these things are dependent on Him for their
existence.
The Thirteen Foundations…
2. THE SECOND FOUNDATION is the unity of
God, that this being, which is the cause of all, is
one.
 This does not mean one as in one object that is made
up of many elements, but a unity unlike any other
possible unity.
3. THE THIRD FOUNDATION is that He is not
physical.
 This means to believe that the One whom we have
mentioned is not a body and His powers are not
physical. In all places where the Holy Scriptures speak
of Him in physical terms, as walking, standing,
sitting, speaking and anything similar, it is always
metaphorical.
The Thirteen Foundations…
4. THE FOURTH FOUNDATION is that He is
first.
 This means to believe that the One was the absolute
first and everything else in existence is not first relative
to Him.
5. THE FIFTH FOUNDATION is that it is proper
to serve Him, blessed be He, to ascribe to Him
greatness, to make known His greatness, and to
fulfill His commandments.
 This fifth foundation is based in the prohibition
against idolatry about which much of the Torah deals.
The Thirteen Foundations…
6. THE SIXTH FOUNDATION is
prophecy.
 That is, that a person must know that there
exists amongst mankind individuals who have
very lofty qualities and great perfection; whose
souls are prepared until their minds receive
perfect intellect.
The Thirteen Foundations…
7. THE SEVENTH FOUNDATION is the
prophecy of Moshe (Moses) our Teacher.
 This means to believe that he is the father of all the
prophets and that all of them were below his level. He
was the chosen one from all of Mankind, for he
attained a greater knowledge of the Blessed One,
more than any other man ever attained or ever will
attain. For he rose up from the level of man to the
level of the angels and gained the exalted status of an
angel. There did not remain any screen that he did not
tear and penetrate; nothing physical held him back.
He was devoid of any flaw, big or small. His powers
of imagination, the senses, and the perceptions were
nullified; the power of desire was separated from him
leaving him with pure intellect.
The Thirteen Foundations…
8. THE EIGHTH FOUNDATION is that the
Torah is from Heaven.
 This means that we must believe that this entire
Torah, which was given to us from Moshe Our
Teacher, is entirely from the mouth of the Almighty.
In other words, that it all was conveyed to him from
God in the manner which is called, for lack of a better
term, "dibur" - "speech". It is not known how it was
conveyed to him, except to Moshe, to whom it was
given, and he was like a scribe writing from dictation,
and he wrote all the incidents, the stories, and the
commandments.
The Thirteen Foundations…
9. THE NINTH FOUNDATION is the
transcription, meaning that this Torah, and no
other, was transcribed from the Creator and we
may not add to it or remove from it, not in the
Written Torah or in the Oral Torah.
10. THE TENTH FOUNDATION is that God,
blessed be He, knows the actions of mankind
and does not turn His eyes from them.
The Thirteen Foundations…
11. The Eleventh Foundation is that God, blessed be
He, gives reward to one who obeys the
commandments of the Torah and punishes one
who violates its prohibitions.
12. The Twelfth Foundation is the time of the
Moshiach (literally, the anointed).
 This means to believe and be certain that he will
come, and not to think that he is late in coming.
The Thirteen Foundations…
13. THE THIRTEENTH FOUNDATION is
the resurrection of the dead. The
resurrection is only for the righteous.
GOD


In Judaism, ultimate reality is a single, allpowerful God. It is this belief that made the
Jews unique among other ancient Semitic
peoples and that became the legacy Judaism has
passed on to the entire Western world.
The sacred name of God, as revealed to Moses
in the book of Exodus, is YHWH.
GOD…



Since ancient Hebrew was written without
vowels, we do not know the original
pronunciation of this word.
The common pronunciation "Jehovah,"
however, is incorrect.
It is derived from combining the vowels for
Adonai ("Lord") with the four consonants of
YHWH.
HUMAN NATURE


A fundamental Jewish belief about human
beings is that they are created in the image of
God. This does not mean that we look like God,
for God is incorporeal.
The general rabbinical interpretation of this
concept is that humans have the ability to
reason.
HUMAN NATURE…



When Genesis 2:7 says "God formed man," it
uses the Hebrew word vayyitzer ("formed").
The Talmud finds special meaning in the unique
spelling of the word in this context, with two
yods instead of one.
The two yods, the rabbis explain, stand for the
two impulses found in humans: the yetzer tov
and the yetzer ra.
HUMAN NATURE…



According to this view, the yetzer tov is the
moral conscience that reminds a person of
God's law when one considers a specific action
or choice.
The yetzer ra is the impulse to satisfy one's own
needs and desires.
There is nothing intrinsically evil about the
yetzer ra, as it was created by God and is natural
to humankind.
HUMAN NATURE…




It is also what drives us to good things such as
eating, drinking, having a family, and making a
living.
However, it can easily lead to sin when not kept
in check by the yetzer tov.
The idea of human free will is Fundamental to
Judaism.
The concept of original sin is rejected, and every
person has the ability to choose good or evil.
THE WORLD TO COME

Jewish sacred texts and literature have little
to say about what happens after death.
This may seem surprising to non-Jews,
since the sacred texts of Christianity and
Islam (both of which have their
foundations in Judaism) elaborate rather
fully about the afterlife.
THE WORLD TO COME…

But we have already seen that Judaism is
much more focused on actions than
beliefs, so it is to be expected that its
prophets and sages have not spent as much
time on speculations about the world to
come as elaborations on the mitzvot to be
performed in this life.
THE WORLD TO COME…


Despite the subject's general exclusion from the
Jewish sacred texts, however, Judaism does
incorporate views on the afterlife.
Yet unlike the other monotheistic religions, no
one view has ever been officially agreed upon,
and there is much room for speculation.
THE WORLD TO COME…


The Hebrew word Olam Ha-Ba ("the world to
come") is used for both the messianic age (see
below) and the afterlife (see Gan Eden, below).
The world to come is important and something
to look forward to. A Mishnah passage says,
"This world is like a lobby before the Olam HaBa. Prepare yourself in the lobby so that you
may enter the banquet hall."
THE WORLD TO COME…



For the most part, the Torah describes the
afterlife in vague terms, many of which may
simply be figurative ways of speaking about
death as it is observed by the living.
An early common theme is that death means
rejoining one's ancestors.
Another recurring biblical image of the afterlife
is as a shadowy place called Sheol.
THE WORLD TO COME…



Taken together, these early biblical descriptions
of death seem to indicate that the soul continues
to exist in some way after death, but not
consciously.
Later in the Torah, the concept of conscious life
after death begins to develop.
Daniel 12:2 declares, "And many of them that
sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some
to everlasting life and some to reproaches and
everlasting abhorrence." Nehemiah 9:5
THE WORLD TO COME…



Today, most traditional Jewish movements
accept the concept of the resurrection of the
dead.
A notable exception is Reform Judaism, which
official rejects the doctrine.
Traditional Judaism includes belief in both
heaven and hell.
THE MESSIAH


Many of the world's Religions have hope in a
future heroic figure who will rescue the
righteous, judge the wicked, and restore peace to
the world (Krishna in Hinduism, Maitreya in
Buddhism and the Second Coming in
Christianity).
In Judaism, this figure is the messiah. Christians
believe the messiah has come in the form of
Jesus of Nazareth; Jews emphatically do not.
THE MESSIAH…



Jews do not believe that the messiah will be
divine.
A fundamental difference between Judaism and
Christianity is the Jewish conviction that God is
so essentially different from and beyond
humanity that he could never become a human.
A wide variety of opinions have been given by
Jewish scholars as to the circumstances that will
prompt the messiah's arrival.
THE MESSIAH…



Some say the messiah will come when the world
is especially good; others say when the world has
become especially evil.
When the messiah does come, he will inaugurate
the messianic age (sometimes called the Olam
Ha-Ba, World to Come).
The Tanakh employs the following descriptions
about this period:
THE MESSIAH…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Peace among all nations
Perfect harmony and abundance in nature
All Jews return from exile to Israel
Universal acceptance of the Jewish God and
Jewish religion
5. No sin or evil; all Israel will obey the
commandments
6. Reinstatement of the Temple
SACRED TEXTS
THE HEBREW BIBLE, ORAL
TORAH AND RABBINICAL
JUDAISM, TALMUD
THE HEBREW BIBLE

TORAH
(PENTATEUCH) = 5
books

PROPHETS —
FORMER AND
LATTER

WRITINGS
torah
prophets
writings
Torah
("Law"/Pentateuch/Books of Moses)
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
Deuteronomy
Nevi'im
("Prophets")
Former Prophets:
Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings
Latter Prophets, Major:
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel
Latter Prophets, Minor:
Amos, Hosea, Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum
Habakkuk, Obadiah, Haggai
Zechariah, Joel, Malachi
Jonah
Kethuvim
("Writings")
Psalms
Job
Proverbs
Ruth
Song of Solomon
Ecclesiastes
Lamentations
Esther
Daniel
Ezra
Nehemiah
1 & 2 Chronicles
TANAKH

Tanakh [‫( ]תנ״ך‬also
spelt Tanach or
Tenach) is an
acronym for the three
parts of the Hebrew
Bible, based upon the
initial Hebrew letters
of each part:
TANAKH
1. Torah [‫"( ]תורה‬The Law"; also: Teaching
or Instruction), Chumash [‫"( ]חומש‬The
five", also Pentateuch or The five books
of Moses)
2. Nevi'im [‫"( ]נביאים‬The Prophets")
3. Ketuvim [‫"( ]כתובים‬The Writings" or
"Hagiographa")
TORAH


God’s instruction-revelation
Can have 3 meanings:
1. (strictest) the first 5 books of the Bible:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy
2. (broader) the whole Hebrew bible
3. (broadest) – all teaching that comes from
God “the oral torah”
TORAH…

Torah
 foundational
stories:
primeval history;
 the ancestors (Abraham-Sarah; Isaac-Rebecca;
Jacob [Israel]-Leah & Rachel; the sons of Jacob)

 Exodus
= the formative event for Israel’s
identity
Slavery in Egypt & freedom – the hero, Moses
 Wandering & on the brink of possessing the land

 Covenant
and “Law”
PROPHETS

Prophets

Former: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings


the settlement of the land (Joshua), the rise (David),
split (after Solomon), and fall of the nation (ends
with Babylonian exile – 586 BCE)
Latter: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Book of
the Twelve
Israel’s “conscience” in living out Torah: covenant
faithfulness to God
 8th century through the 5th century BCE

WRITINGS

The Writings – a diverse collection of later
literature




Wisdom/worship: Psalms, Job, Proverbs
5 scrolls for 5 festivals: Song of Songs (Passover), Ruth
(Weeks), Lamentations (ninth of Av), Ecclesiastes
(Booths), Esther (Purim)
An apocalyptic book: Daniel (set in Babylon during
exile, but dealing with Seleucid regime of 2nd century)
“History Books”: Ezra-Nehemiah; 1-2 Chronicles
ORAL TORAH & RABBINICAL
JUDAISM

After 70 c.e. → a religion of “Scripture”

Mishnah (ca. 200 c.e.) – collation of biblical laws
in 6 parts



Gemara – additional comments on the Mishnah
Palestinian Talmud (ca. 400)
Babylonian Talmud (ca. 600)


Halakhah – legal material/instructions
Haggadah – stories and tales for teaching
TALMUD
The Talmud (‫ )תלמוד‬is considered an
authoritative record of rabbinic discussions
on Jewish law, Jewish ethics, customs,
legends and stories.
 It is a fundamental source of legislation,
customs, case histories and moral
exhortations.

TALMUD…

The Talmud comprises two components, the
Mishnah, and the Gemara, a discussion of the
Mishnah (though the terms Talmud and Gemara
are generally used interchangeably).
TALMUD…

It expands on the
earlier writings in the
Torah in general and
in the Mishnah in
particular, and is the
basis for all later
codes of Jewish law,
and much of
Rabbinic literature.
SECTSDENOMINATIONS
ANCIENT AND MODERN
ANCIENT SECTS
PHARISEES, SADDUCCEES,
ESSENCES, ZEALOTS
PHARISEES

The Pharisees were a prominent sect of Jews in
Christ's time. They opposed Jesus and His
teachings. They plotted His death (Matt 12:14).
They were denounced by Him (Matt 23). Their
characteristic teachings included: belief in oral as
well as written Law; resurrection of the human
body; belief in the existence of a spirit world;
immortality of the soul; predestination; future
rewards and punishments based upon works.
SADDUCEES


Sadducee beliefs included:
1. acceptance only of the Law and rejection of
oral tradition;
2. denial of bodily resurrection;
3. immortality of the soul; existence of a spirit
world
They supported the Maccabeans.
SADDUCEES…



The Sadducees were a relatively small group, but
they generally held the high priesthood.
They denounced John the Baptist (Matt 3:7-8)
and Jesus (Matt 16:6,11,12).
They actively opposed Christ (Matt 21:12ff;
Mark 11:15ff; Luke 19:47) and the apostolic
Church (Acts 5:17,33).
ESSENES




The Essenes were a Jewish religious sect not
actually mentioned in the Bible, but described by
Josephus, Philo, and mentioned in the Dead Sea
Scrolls.
Most members lived communal, celibate lives.
They observed Jewish Law very strictly.
They practiced ceremonial baptisms.
Essenes were apocalyptic, and they opposed
Temple priesthood.
QUMRAN COMMUNITY

Though there remains much disagreement
among scholars, many now believe that the
Dead Sea Scrolls were possibly written by the
Essenes - a priestly Jewish sect who lived a very
separate life, even keeping themselves apart
from the Jewish religious officials in Jerusalem.
They didn't want much to do with other people,
and according to most accounts, most people
didn't want much to do with them. What
eventually happened to them is not known.
QUMRAN COMMUNITY…
MODERN SECTS
ORTHODOX, REFORM,
CONSERVATIVE AND HASSIDIC
ORTHODOX JUDAISM



Orthodox Judaism is the most traditional
expression of modern Judaism.
Orthodox Jews believe the entire Torah including "Written," the Pentateuch, and "Oral,"
the Talmud) was given to Moses by God at Sinai
and remains authoritative for modern life in its
entirety.
According to a 1990 nationwide survey, 7
percent of American Jews are Orthodox.
REFORM JUDAISM



Reform Judaism is organized under the Union
for Reform Judaism, whose mission is "to create
and sustain vibrant Jewish congregations
wherever Reform Jews live."
About 1.5 million Jews in 900 synagogues are
members of the Union for Reform Judaism.
According to 1990 survey, 42 percent of
American Jews regard themselves as Reform.
CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM


Conservative Judaism may be said to be a
moderate position between Orthodox and
Reform Judaism.
It seeks to conserve the traditional elements of
Judaism, while allowing for modernization to a
less radical extent than Reform Judaism.
HASIDIC JUDAISM



Hasidic (or Chasidic) Judaism arose in 12thcentury Germany as a mystical movement
emphasizing asceticism and experience born out
of love and humility before God.
The austere religious life of these early Hasids
("pious ones") is documented in the Sefer
Hasidim ("Book of the Pious").
The modern Hasidic movement was founded in
Poland in the 18th century by Israel ben Eliezer.
RITES AND
OBSERVANCES
MAJOR FESTIVALS AND
IMPORTANT PRACTICES
Major Festivals of Judaism

SABBATH – weekly

DAYS OF AWE (“the High Holy Days”)


(“stop doing in order to enjoy being”)
ROSH HASHANA — NEW YEAR— autumn – creation of the world
YOM KIPPUR—DAY OF ATONEMENT – 10 days later

SUKKOT— BOOTHS - Harvest festival — autumn

HANUKKAH—Feast of
Dedication (second temple) — winter
festival of lights. Special nine-branch menorah recalls the story of the
Maccabees taking back the temple after desecration in 165 b.c.e.
Major Festivals of Judaism


PURIM— Story of Esther, a festival of joy and hope in late
winter
PESACH—PASSOVER— Spring festival remembering
Exodus.





Ritual meal of symbolic foods
Blessings
Haggadah – telling “our” story
YOM HASHOAH – memorial of the Holocaust
SHAVUOT— Feast of Weeks or “Pentecost” (50 days after
Passover)
Important Practices





Circumcision / naming
ceremony
Bar / Bat mitvah
Prayer
Mezuzah,(literally,
“doorpost”) containing
the Shema and other
scriptures, on the doorpost
Kashrut / Keeping Kosher
(for some)
GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION
VOCABULARY
Abraham
Considered to be the father of the Jewish people.
Monotheism
The belief in one god, in opposition to polytheism or the
belief in more than one god.
Canaan
The original name of the land promised by God to the
followers of Moses when they left Egypt in search of a new
land.
Mount Sinai
The mountain on which Moses received the complete code of
ethics and laws, known as the Ten Commandments.
Torah
The first five books of the Hebrew Bible. The word “Torah”
comes from the Hebrew word for “instruction.”
Israelites
The children of Israel and the name God gave to Jacob, the
third patriarchal ancestor of the Jews.
Messiah
The Expected One who will free and elevate the Jewish
people to new levels of devotion in practicing God’s law.
Diaspora
The Jews who live outside of Israel, originating during the
time when Jews went from Palestine in exile into Bablonia.
Synagogue
The central place for congregational worship and fellowship for
Jewish communities and the place where customs, religious
practice and faith are maintained.
Talmud
One of the major texts of Judaism, it contains three million
words that instruct on codes of behavior for both religious and
secular life.
Rabbi
The respected teacher and leader of worship usually associated
with a particular congregation at a specific synagogue.
Minion
A necessary quorum of at least ten men so that the rabbi can
conduct full religious services.
Sabbath
The weekly holiday (sundown Friday to sundown Saturday)
reserved for worship and attention to family and community.
Kosher
Very specific dietary laws regarding food restrictions as well as
proper animal slaughter.
Bar Mitzvah
& Bat
Mitzvah
Respectively means “son” and “daughter” of the
Commandment and are the religious rites of passage for 13year-old boys and 12-year-old girls. After the ceremony they are
fully responsible in the eyes of God and are seen as adult
members of the congregation.