Transcript The Hebrews and Judaism

The Hebrews and Judaism
Judaism Over the Centuries
Revolt, Defeat and Migration
• The Zealots were the most
rebellious of the Jews. They
believed they were to only answer
to God and refused to follow
Roman rule. They urged other
Jews to rise up and in AD 66,
they revolted.
Revolt Against Rome
• Led by the Zealots, they fought bravely,
but in the end would not succeed. The
revolt lasted 4 years and caused much
damage. Jerusalem was in ruins and
the Romans had even burned the 2nd
Temple in the last days of conflict.
Revolt Against Rome
• After the temple was destroyed,
many lost the will to fight. Still,
1,000 Zealots locked themselves
away in a mountain fortress
called Masada. The Romans
would send 15,000 soldiers to
capture them.
Masada
• Masada was hard to reach, and the
Romans mad a huge earth ramp to get
to it. The Zealots refused to surrender
for 2 years. Finally, as the Romans
finally broke through, the Zealots took
their own lives rather than be Roman
slaves.
Results of the Revolt
• With the capture of Masada, the Jewish
revolt was over. As punishment, the
Romans killed most of the citizens of
Jerusalem and took many of the
surviving Jews to Rome as slaves. The
Romans had made their presence
absolute.
Results of the Revolt
• Many of those not taken as slaves left Jerusalem after the destruction of the temple.
They went to other Jewish settlements in the Roman Empire and another popular
destination was Alexandria, Egypt. These other communities grew after the
destruction of Jerusalem.
Roman Empire
A Second Revolt
• Some Jews who stayed grew weary of
Roman rule and again would revolt
some 60 years later. In AD 130, Rome
will once again defeat the Jews and
then ban them from Jerusalem. This
would spur the migration of many
more Jews throughout the
Mediterranean region.
Migration and Discrimination
• The nature of Judaism would change with the departure from Jerusalem and the
Temple. Synagogues would become much more important. Rabbi’s or teachers would
take a greater role in guiding the religious lives of the Jews, as they were responsible
for interpreting the Torah. These changes are directly linked to Yohanan ben Zaccai,
a rabbi that founded a school at Yavneh. Here, he taught people about Judaism and
trained rabbis. These teachings would shape the way Judaism was practiced and made
rabbis the leaders of many communities.
Moving Because …
• Over many centuries, Jews would move
to other parts of the world. Many
times this was not a voluntary move.
Other religious groups would
discriminate against them and even
promote violence forcing Jews to move.
Eventually, they would move to all
areas of Europe, Asia and the US.
Two Cultural Traditions
• After the Diaspora (remember that),
Jews still shared basic beliefs of one
God and the laws found in the sacred
texts and there observance. However,
regional traditions, customs and
languages emerged creating two main
cultural traditions.
The Jews in Eastern Europe
• One of the traditions is Ashkenazim –
descendants of Jews who moved to
France, Germany and Eastern Europe.
Most of these communities were
removed from non-Jews. These folks
would develop their own traditions and
language – Yiddish is an example.
The Jews in Spain and Portugal
• Another Jewish culture developed
in Western Europe, Spain and
Portugal. They are called the
Sephardim. They too have their
own language, Ladino, a mix of
Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic.
Sephardim
• Unlike the Ashkenazim, the Sephardim
mixed with their neighbors. As a result,
their culture has borrowed from others.
Known for their writings, they were
part of a Golden Age from 1000 to
1100 AD. This period saw great works
in poetry, writing, math, medicine,
astronomy and philoshophy.
Traditions and Holy Days
• Jewish culture is one of the oldest and Jews have a strong connection with the past.
They feel this connection to the past will help them follow the teachings of the faith.
These traditions and Holy Days help them understand and celebrate their history.
Hanukkah
• Hanukkah celebrated around
Christmastime for us, is the Festival of
Light and has to do with the
rededication of the Temple by the
Maccabees. They only had enough oil
for the lamp to stay lit one night, but
it lasted 8. Today Jews use a menorah
to mark the event and small gifts are
given each night.
Sukkoth
• a Jewish festival beginning on the 15th day of t
he
month of Tishri and celebrated for nine days b
y
Orthodox and Conservative Jews outside of Isr
ael
and for eight days by Reform Jews and by Je
ws in Israel that celebrates the harvest and
commemorates the period during which the J
ews
wandered in the wilderness after the Exodus,
marked by the building of sukkoth.
Passover
• Passover is celebrated in the Spring and
celebrates the Jews Exodus from Egypt,
remembering the night the Angel of
Death passed over the Jewish homes,
not taking their first born as those of
Egyptians. A seder is celebrated and
only unleavened bread is consumed.
High Holy Days
• High Holy Days are the two most sacred holidays and take place
in the fall. The first is Rosh Hashanah that celebrate the coming
of the new year. Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, is the
holiest of holidays. This is where Jews fast and pray all day and
ask God for forgiveness. Yom Kippur dates back to the time of
the 2nd Temple.
To Sum Up …
• Exit: What is your impression of High Holy Days celebrations?
• Stay Tuned Next Time for Review!