Transcript File
Origins Fun Facts Judaism – smallest of the world religions 14 million believers First monotheistic religion – dates back over 4000 years! Judaism gives roots to Christianity and Islam – the Hebrew scriptures are revered by both these religions Distinctive feature of Jewish people is their sense of history - scriptures are a historical record of a people and their relationship with their G-d. This unique shared memory of events helped form and shape the identity of a people Abraham: The Patriarch The Fertile Crescent Abram & Sarai • Born in Ur (modern day Iraq) into a Hewbrew speaking branch of the Semitic group • At this time the Hebrews were polytheistic • G-d calls Abraham to listen to the one true G-d • At age 75 G-d instructs Abram to take his wife Sarai and household & travel to Canaan Abraham’s Journey Ishmael • • • • At age 86 Abram has his first son with Hagar (servant) as Sarai could not conceive G-d promises to make Abram the father of many nations for his faithfulness To establish this covenant (sacred promise) G-d instructs that every male must be circumcised God changes Abram & Sarai’s name to Abraham and Sarah Issac • Three angels appear to Abraham and tell him Sarah would have a son • At age 100 Abraham and Sarah have a son – Isaac • After this, Sarah became jealous of Hagar – ordered Abraham to send them away – distressed Abraham • God reassured Abraham that Ishmael would make a nation Abraham & Isaac God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Abraham followed Gd’s instruction As Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, the angel of the lord stopped him and offered him a ram instead For his faithfulness God promised to make Abraham’s descendants numerous and prosperous The Covenant “Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your favoured one, I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven…All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants because you have obeyed My command…” From Isaac to Egypt • Isaac has a son, Jacob, who struggles with G-d and changes his name to Israel • 1800 BCE famine devastates Canaan • Israelites travel to Goshen – near Egypt • 1750-1550 BCE Hyksos invaders conquer Egypt – very tolerant • 1550 BCE Egyptians master chariot fighting and defeat Hyksos invaders Moses • Moses → born a Hebrew but adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter • Moses favoured by Pharaoh • Moses killed Hebrew slave → fled to Midian to home of Jethro • God called on Moses to lead Hebrew out of bondage into the “promised land” • God brought ten plagues on Egypt to convince Pharaoh to release Hebrew’s • The 10th plague → angel of the lord would descend on Egypt and take the first born of all Egyptians Passover • Hebrews were instructed to smear lamb’s blood over their doors and death would “pass over” their house. • This is celebrated in the festival of Passover • Moses lead Hebrew’s out of Egypt → Exodus Exodus • Moses lead Hebrew’s out of Egypt → Exodus • On Mount Sinai God appeared and gave Moses the Ten Commandments → laws the people had to follow to keep the covenant • Marks the beginning of the Jewish identity as a people • Passover, Exodus and the Ten Commandments renews the covenant between God and his people • Source of inspiration → proof of God’s love Significance of Abraham & Moses Foundation of three key ideas that define Judaism: Chosen people Promised land Covenant Covenant – solemn and binding agreement between God & man (humanity): God = creator & governor of all things God would love humanity and humanity agreed to love one God Establishes Jewish identity as a people Rituals Established Circumcision – marks the sign of the covenant Passover – re-established G-d’s commitment to his people The Period of Judges (1200-1000 BCE) Joshua assumes leadership of the Jewish people Great conqueror – expanded territory Divided land among the 12 tribes When Joshua dies, there is no central authority (religious or military) The people are ruled by a series of leaders (not kings) called Judges Period is marked by constant warfare as enemies began winning back territory Samuel (1050 – 1000 BCE) Samuel was the last of the Judges and a great prophet He became leader at a difficult time – Phillistines had destroyed the Tabernacle and captured the Holy Ark Phillistines terrorized the Jewish people with their 9 foot giant warrior Goliath Samuel unites the 12 tribes People demand Samuel appoint a King – he warns them against this – “God is you King” The Era of Kings: Saul, David and Solomon Samuel appoints Saul as first King (1030-1010 BCE) Saul had rescued the Ark from the Philistines and built a strong army Saul is killed in battle against the Phillistines David is anointed King (1010-970 BCE) David is a great warrior and defeats Israel’s enemies and unifies the Kingdom Under David, the Jewish civilization reaches its highest point His son, Solomon (970-931 BCE) would build the great Temple Under David and Solomon Jerusalem was the center of civilization Samuel's Warning Against Kings 10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men[a] and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” The 12 Tribes of Israel Solomon • • • • The Temple as seen in the Holyland Model of Jerusalem, a 21,520 sq. ft., 1:50 scale-model of the city of Jerusalem in the late Second Temple Period. • • Solomon was the last to rule a united Hebrew state Desired to be a king like the Mesopotamian kings – rich and powerful! Built an enormous temple and a palace that would house 700 wives, 300 concubines and stables for 12,000 horses! Taxed people heavily to pay for this In addition, he gave away 20 towns to foreign powers and every 3 months 30,000 Hebrews had to perform slave labour for the King of Tyre After Solomon’s death the 10 northern tribes revolt Inside the Temple: The Holy of Holies Cherubim's Guarding the Ark of the Covenant The Two Kingdoms Between 926 & 922 BCE the Kingdom of Israel splits Kingdom of Israel’s capital city: Samaria Judah’s capital city: Jerusalem The Conquest of Israel 722 BCE Assyrians conquer Israel Upper class and ruling elites of ten tribes are relocated throughout the empire Disappear from history – the “lost tribes of Israel” The Samaritans Israel is settled by Assyrians Brought their gods and practices with them But Assyrians also fear the local God of the Israelites and begin to pay homage to Yahweh Within 100 years they are worshipping Yahweh exclusively They adopt all Hebrew practices but believe they could sacrifice to G-d outside the Temple in Jerusalem Jews did not accept Samaritans – only Hebrew could be among the chosen people – first and only significance schism (split) in Judaism Conquest of Judah 608 Judah becomes a tribute state of Egypt 605 Babylon conquers Egypt – Judah becomes a tribute state of Babylon 601 Judah stopped paying tribute to Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar's loss to the Egyptians Nebuchadnezzar punishes Judah in 597 10,000 Jews exiled to Babylon – Period of Exile 589 Nebuchadnezzar lays seige to Jerusalem – Jerusalem is sacked and the Temple is destroyed Exile Exile marks a time of confusion and despair for Jews – G-d had abandoned them Jews believed that they had betrayed Yahweh – corrupt practices and beliefs Community looked to the Torah to revive the religion – Torah takes its final shape during this time Rabbis (teachers of the law) arise to lead the Jews back to the path of G-d Focus on purity and “cleansing” the faith Cyrus the Great Cyrus – Persian King – conquers Babylon in 539 BCE Persians are Zoroastrians – monotheistic religion – great similarity to Jews Orders the Temple to be rebuilt and Jews may return to Jerusalem Cyrus establishes the largest empire the world had seen Persia would dominate the middle east for 200 years 332 BCE Persia is defeated by Alexander the Great The Romans 37 BCE Herod conquers Jerusalem Becomes client-King of the Romans Expands temple 66 CE Jewish population rebels against Roman Empire 70 CE Rome lays seige to Jerusalem and, when provoked by the inhabitants, invade and sack Jerusalem and destroy the Temple Only the Western retaining wall remained Jews were permitted to live in Jerusalem – pay a Jewish Tax The Arabs and Islam • 638 CE Arab conquest of Jerusalem brings Islam • 698 CE The Dome of the Rock is built on the Temple Mount where Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven