Judaism

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Judaism
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Jewish History B.C.ETraditional Dates

• 1800-1600 Abraham, Isaac Jacob
• 1400 Enslavement in Egypt
• 1300 Moses, the emancipator lawgiver leads
  exodus from Egypt
• 1312 Torah given on Mount Sinai
• 1200 Canaan conquered
• 900 1st Temple under Solomon
• 930 Kingdom divided
• 722 Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of
  Israel and deported its people (10 lost tribes)
• 586 Judea conquered and 1st Temple
  destroyedBabylonian exile
• 510 Return from exile
• 300 Alexander the Great conquers Judea
• 165 Revolt of the Maccabeans b/c Antiochus
  Epiphanes prohibited the observance of the
  Sabbath, circumcision and studying Torah

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Jewish History C.E

• 70 Romans destroy Jerusalem and the 2nd Temple
  (part of the Wall remains so-called the Wailing
  Wall),later after the 103 Bar Kokhba revolt,
  remaining Jews are deported from rest of
  PalestineBeginning of Jewish Diaspora
• 1171 Frances first blood libel
• 1290 Jews expelled from England
• 1350 Black Death massacres of German Jews
• 1390 Jews in France Expelled
• 1480-92 Spanish Inquisition
• 1648 Jews of Poland massacred by Bogdan
  Chmielnicki (Cossacks)
• 1880 Wave of Pogroms in Russia
• 1940 Holocaust (Yom Ha-ShoahHolcaust Memorial
  Day celebrated each year)
• 1948 Modern state of Israel proclaimed

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Scriptures Symbols

• Torah (law) First 5 books of the Bible
  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers Deuteronomy
• Talmud Commentaries on the 613 commandments
  (Mitzvot) in the Torah
• Prayer Book (used daily)
• Prayer shawl (tallit) and skull cap
  (kippah/yarmulke)
• Tefillin (phylacteries) are worn during morning
  prayers at home

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Authorities Structure

• No single central authority for all Judaism
• Rabbis (lit teachers) lead worship at synagogues
  with the help of ordinary members of congregation
• Minyan group of 10 people needed for communal
  religious functions (funeral prayers, services,
  etc.)
• Three main branches Orthodox, Conservative and
  Reformed

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Festivals

• Hebrew year 5771--Use a lunisolar calendar whose
  date indicates both the moon phase and the time
  of the solar year
• Purim (Esthers story) Feb/Mar
• Passover (Commemorating the Exodus) Mar/Apr
• High Holidays Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
  Sept/Oct ,10 days later Yom Kippur fast (Day of
  Atonement)
• Sukkot or Booths (Ex. 2316 Deut. 1613)
  Sept/Oct
• Chanukah (164 BCE Temple Lights) DecOne of the
  only major non-biblical festivals

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Prominent Beliefs

• Belief in resurrection rather than disembodied
  immortality
• Do not believe in original sin
• The Talmud states that the righteous of all
  nations are worthy of immortality
• Non-Jewish people are not bound by the 613
  commandments in the Torah but only by the Seven
  Noahide Laws
• Gentiles the nations

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7 Noahide Laws

• Idolatry - Must not deny God
• Murder - No murder
• Theft - No theft
• Sexual Promiscuity - No adultery
• Blasphemy - Must not blaspheme God
• Cruelty to Animals - Do not eat the flesh torn
  from a living animal
• Government - You shall set up an effective
  government to police the preceding six laws

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Rituals beliefs

• Preservation and respect of bodies very important
• Bodies should not be left alone and no autopsies
  unless necessary
• Quick burial (but not on Sabbath)
• Sabbath is Saturday (but starts at Friday sundown
  and end Saturday at sundown)
• For the very pious injunction to rest on the
  Sabbath pronounced in book of Genesis taken very
  seriously (definition of work varies widely
  between groups)
• Circumcision of boys 8 days after birth
• Prayers in morning, afternoon and evening

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Distinctive Rules

• Main Kashrut dietary laws
• Mammals with Cloven hoofs that chew cud may be
  eaten and certain birds
• All animals must be slaughtered to minimize
  suffering and drain blood
• Meat and milk products must not be eaten together
  (several hours wait), different utensil, etc.
• No shell fish
• Foods that are neither meat or dairy (Parve
  foods) may be eaten with meat or milk (eg. Fruit,
  veg, rice, eggs, and lentils)
• Degree of observance varies widely between
  individuals
• Preservation of life trumps all commandments/laws
• trayf non-kosher

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