Chapter 2 : The Fertile Crescent

1. Chapter 2:The Fertile Crescent Section 5: Judaism

2. The Israelite Belief in One God The Israelites were monotheistic, believing in only one God. Furthermore, the Israelites believed that God was taking an active part in their history. They recorded events and laws in their most sacred text, called the Torah. The Israelites practiced a religion called Judaism. Here is the Torah. All Jewish synagogues have a copy of the Torah, which is handwritten on parchment scroll.

3. The Torah / Old Testament The Torah is made up of five books. They are called Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Later, Christians included the five books of the Torah in the Bible. They are called the Old Testament.

4. A Covenant With God The Israelites believed that God made a covenant, or an agreement, with them. God agreed to give the Israelites many descendants. God made the covenant with Abraham. Remember, Abraham was the Israelite that led his people from Mesopotamia to a new home in Canaan. God promised to give the Israelites descendants, and the Israelites promised to obey God faithfully. For this reason, the Israelites considered themselves to be God’s “chosen people.” When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, Moses renewed the covenant. He told the Israelites that God would lead them out of Egypt and back to Canaan, which they called the “promised land.”

5. The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments are a central part of Judaism. These are the laws that the Israelites believed God gave to Moses. These laws set rules for religious duties and moral behavior towards others.

6. Other Laws of the Torah The Torah also set forth other laws besides those found in the Ten Commandments. Many laws demanded an eye for an eye, which made them similar to Hammurabi’s Code. Some laws protected women. Women were considered to be of lower status than men, however. A father could sell his daughters into marriage, and only men could seek a divorce. Women were not allowed to take part in many religious ceremonies.

7. Justice and Morality The prophets preached a strong code of moral behavior. Moral behavior included understanding the difference between right and wrong and doing the right thing. The prophets called on the rich and powerful to protect the poor and weak. The prophets said that all people were equal before the eyes of God. In some ancient societies, the ruler of a city was seen as a god. The Israelites believed that rulers were human, and that they too had to obey God. The Israelites had many religious leaders throughout their history. These religious leaders were called prophets. They told the Israelites what God wanted them to do, and they warned that if the Israelites didn’t follow the wishes of God, then disasters would occur.

8. The Dead Sea Scrolls Many interesting things have been learned about the early Israelites because of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. These scrolls had information written on them, and they were stored in jars in a cave. The jars were discovered in 1947 and are estimated to be 2,200 years old.

9. The Impact of Judaism The Israelites, who were also called the Jews, were exiled by both the Chaldeans and the Assyrians. In 135 A.D, the Romans also forced the Jews to scatter. The Romans drove the Israelites out of their homeland and made them spread out to different parts of the world. The scattering of people is known as a diaspora. Wherever the Jews settled, they preserved their heritage and beliefs. They lived in close-knit communities, and were sometimes treated harshly by others. Judaism is one of the world’s major religions. It influenced two later religions: Christianity and Judaism. Both Christianity and Islam are monotheistic, like Judaism. They both began in the Middle East, like Judaism. Jews, Christians, and Muslims honor Abraham, Moses, and the propehts.

10. Lets Review! • What is a basic beliefs of the Israelites? • What did Moses do for the Israelites? • How was Judaism spread throughout the Mediterranean?