Judaism is the oldest religion of the Western world and has influenced both Christianity and Islam. The Hebrews were the ancestors of the Jewish people. The Hebrews were different from other ancient peoples because they were monotheistic—believing in one God. The Hebrews believed they had a special relationship with God and were God’s chosen people.
The Hebrews have a written tradition called scripture. Hebrew scripture traces their ancestry to Abraham, who lived in the Mesopotamian city of Ur around 2000 BCE. Scripture says that God told Abraham to move his family to a promised land where his descendants would be God’s chosen people.
The Hebrews in Egypt
According to scripture, Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, established a nation called Israel on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. About 1300 BCE, many Hebrews moved to Egypt to escape a famine. A famine is a great hunger. At first, the Hebrews were treated well in Egypt, but in time they were enslaved by the Egyptians. According to scripture, God sent ten deadly plagues to Egypt when the Egyptians would not release the enslaved people. When the Hebrews did escape, scripture states that Moses, the leader of the Hebrews, parted the Red Sea for just enough time to allow them to pass. Once the Hebrews reached the other side, the waters returned, and the Egyptian army drowned.
After their escape from Egypt around 1250 BCE, God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses. The Ten Commandments are the model for both Jewish and Christian moral thought.
The Diaspora
The Hebrews returned to Israel, where they were conquered by Babylon in 586 BCE and exiled, or forced from their home. The Hebrews later returned to Israel, but the Romans forced them from their homeland again after the Jewish Revolt of 66–70 CE. The Hebrews were then scattered and lived as minorities in many different lands during a period known as the Diaspora. The Diaspora continued, but many Jews returned to their ancient homeland with the creation of the modern nation of Israel in 1948.
Despite centuries of hardship, the Jewish people maintained their faith and traditions. Jews worship in synagogues led by a rabbi. Rabbi is a Hebrew word that means “master.” Their holiest period is the weekly Shabbat, which lasts from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. Other significant Jewish holidays include Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), Yom Kippur (a Day of Atonement or confession), Simchat Torah (celebrating the completion of the annual Torah reading), Chanukah (a celebration of a military victory), and Passover (a remembrance of the time the Hebrews lived in Egypt).
The Torah is the holiest book of Judaism. The Torah is also holy to Christians, who include it as part of the Old Testament of their Bible. The Talmud is another holy book in Judaism. The Talmud is a collection of the laws and customs of the Jewish people.
Judaism Today
Today, about sixteen million Jews live throughout the world. Two-thirds of the Jewish population is concentrated in the United States and Israel. Europe was once home to millions of Jewish people, but most survivors of the Holocaust emigrated to Israel, the United States, or other nations. Jewish people continue traditions that are thousands of years old in communities around the world.
Resources
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Mr. Donn has an excellent website that includes a section on World Religions.