Transcript Judaismx
Circumstances of Origin: Abraham
• In the year 1900 B.C.E., a boy named Abram
was born. God chose Abram to be the father
of a great nation. Before the time of Abram,
people believed hat there were many gods.
God spoke with Abram and they made a
covenant, or sacred agreement, that Abram
would worship only one God. As a sign of that
covenant, Abram’s name was changed to
Abraham, “exalted father of a great nation.”
• Abram was born in Ur, grew up in Haran, and
eventually moved to Canaan (modern day
Israel) because God promised it would
become a great nation.
Abram grew up in
Ur (ancient
Sumer) and
moved with his
family to Haran.
The important
move came
when God
instructed him
to move to
Canaan (Israel).
The Old Testament
• The religious text in Judaism is the Old Testament of the Bible.
The Old Testament has three parts:
1. The Torah – also called the Five Books of Moses, includes
stories of God creating the world, Adam and Eve, Noah
and the Flood, Abraham, Moses (Exodus) and the Ten
Commandments. The Torah also gives rules for daily life
and worship.
2. The Prophets – explain about Jewish history and God’s
moral teachings
3. The Psalms/Writings – poems, hymns
The Torah
• The Torah explains about Abram’s life and his
conversion to Abraham. It also explains about
how he fathered both Isaac and Ishmael.
Judaism traces its beginnings to
Abraham
Abraham – God told
Abraham to bring
himself and his wife
to Canaan (Israel)
and that he would
become the father
of a great nation.
Sarah
1st wife.
Hagar – Sarah’s
servant
Ishmael
Isaac
Jacob
“Israel”
• Hagar was an Egyptian servant belonging to
Sarah. After many years of not having a child,
Sarah finally gave Hagar to her husband
Abraham "to be his wife", so that he might still
have children.
• Hagar and Abraham soon had a son and they
named him Ishmael.
• Sarah found it difficult to live with Ishmael,
and exiled Hagar and Ishmael into the
wilderness. (Arabs and Muslims consider
themselves descended from Ishmael).
• Soon after Sarah did this, she miraculously
gave birth to a son, whom she named Isaac.
Jews describe themselves as descended from
Isaac.
Clergy and Places of Worship
• Rabbi
• Synagogue – places for prayer, learning, and
social activities. Every synagogue has a cabinet
at the front called an ark. The ark contains the
Torah scrolls.
Holy Days
• Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year, beginning
of year, birthday of mankind
• Yom Kippur – Day of atonement remembering
mankind’s sin and God’s forgiveness of our
sins.
• Passover – remembers Moses’ Exodus (which
we will read about!) and the Jews’ freedom
from slavery in Egypt
Rituals
• Bar Mitzvah – a boy’s coming of age ceremony
where he publicly accepts Judaism as his
religion.
• Bat Mitzvah – a girl’s coming of age ceremony
where she publicly accepts Judaism as her
religion. (Not all Jewish people believe girls
should undergo this ceremony).
Symbols
• Mezuzah – attached to the right side of the doorpost as
you enter a room.
• Yarmulke – a skullcap worn only by men signifying that
human begins are beneath, or dependent on god.
• Shofar – a ram’s horn blown during the month prior to
Rosh Hashanah to wake people up and remind them of
their responsibility to ask forgiveness for their sins.
• Star of David – six-pointed star named after King David,
who had a shield with this star on it. This appears on
the flag of the State of Israel.
MEZUZAH
YARMULKE
SHOFAR
STAR OF DAVID