J U D A I S M

BEGINNNGS

AND

INFLUENCES

The rabbis of the 2nd century C.E. created Jewish culture by reunifying a fractured Judean community following the period of Israelite religion and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

Jewish identity was originally constructed out of an ongoing interaction with the cultures of the ancient near east—including Canaanite, Hittite, Babylonian, Hellenistic, and ultimately Christian.

FOUNDERS

AND

HISTORICAL

PERSPECTIVES

While Judaism is historically associated with the rabbis of the 2nd century C.E., one may trace its foundations to the sage Hillel, a Pharisee, and his fundamental school of thought.

There is a contemporary shift away from the modern, essentialist study of Judaism toward a Jewish cultural history uncovering the historical construction of multiple Jewish identities through intercultural negotiation.

SACRED

TEXT

Jewish scriptures are grounded in Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, but the revelation of Torah extends indefinitely through the history of Jewish literature as commentary.

H I S T O R Y

Early Developments

In the early stages of Judaism, the rabbis consolidated authority by establishing an apostolic succession and formulating a theology of "realistic messianism," channeling messianic expectations into a this-worldly political framework.

Schisms and Sects

As the rabbis consolidated their power, they fought against internal opponents who either supplemented the Oral Torah with gnostic teachings or replaced it with the biblical literalism of the Karaites.

Missions and Expansion

Following the period of Christian hegemony in 5th-century Palestine, Jews flourished in Babylonia, spread westward to medieval Spain, north and east to Europe, while continually adjusting their cultural bearings.

Exploration and Conquest

Medieval Jews depended upon protection from outside rulers to secure a semi-autonomous political empire, consequently walking a tightrope between persecution and coexistence with their non-Jewish neighbors in exile.

Modern Age

In modernity, Judaism has successfully met the challenges accompanying emancipation, assimilation, and antisemitism by redefining itself as a multiplicity of cultures based on the triad: God, Torah, and Israel.

Judaism Beliefs

Sacred Narratives

Jewish sacred narratives are reflected in the biblical framework of creation, revelation, and redemption in which God's relationship with Israel is played out in a cosmic drama.

Ultimate Reality and Divine Beings

While Jewish thinkers have traditionally associated ultimate reality with a theistic image of God, there has been an ongoing, vigorous debate about the nature of God and the Divine-human relationship.

Human Nature and the Purpose of Existence

For Jews, human nature is rooted in the divine image and therefore has infinite value. Consequently, the purpose of existence is to relate to the divine and human "other."

Suffering and the Problem of Evil

In wrestling with suffering and evil throughout history, Jewish thinkers have expressed a tension between "theodicy," justifying God's relationship to evil, and "antitheodicy," protesting God's involvement with human suffering.

Afterlife and Salvation

Jewish attitudes toward afterlife and salvation reflect a variety of perspectives on what happens to body and soul after death based on various biblical, rabbinic, medieval folklore, and theological sources.

Judaism Ethics

Judaism Practices

Sacred Time

Judaism distinguishes between two essentially different forms of time: kodesh (holy) and chol (mundane). Jews consecrate the seventh day of the week, or Shabbat, as the epitome of sacred time. The Jewish calendar is replete with a rich array of festivals, most of which commemorate events in ancient Israelite history.

Sacred Space

Observant Jews worship three times a day, throughout the year. While these daily services may be performed privately, the most important Shabbat and festival prayers are ideally, and most commonly, observed in public services, conducted by clergy in synagogues or temples.

Rites and Ceremonies

Judaism places a central emphasis in serving God on faithful adherence to a vast and complex system of biblical commandments, known as mitvot. This system of Jewish law, collectively known as halakha, is based on the rabbis' extensive legal exegesis of the Torah's 613 laws.

Worship and Devotion in Daily Life

Jews seek constantly to remind themselves of God's presence in their lives through an elaborate system of daily prayers, benedictions for all occasions, no matter how ostensibly mundane, and a host of religious rituals.

Symbolism

Judaism vigilantly avoids the use of any symbolic representation in worship, especially of human-like figures. At the same time, there are a small number of prominent symbols that are prominently displayed in many synagogues and other Jewish institutions.