Judaism: One of the Oldest Religions in the World
Judaism is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, monotheistic religion in the world. The founding father of the faith, Abraham, denounced the polytheistic idol worship that was prevalent throughout the Middle East around 4000 years ago. Abraham is still hailed as the father of Judaism and along with his son and grandson is one of the three patriarchs of the religion. It was Abraham who entered into the first covenant with God, and God promised Abraham that his progeny would inherit the Promised Land in exchange for his faith. The concept of covenant (b'rit) remains central to the Jewish tradition, signifying the personal and binding relationship between God and the Jews. Abraham and his wife Sarah could not bear children, but social customs permitted Abraham to bear a child by Sarah's handmaiden Hagar. Abraham's first son by Hagar, Ishmael, is commonly recognized as the father of the Arabs. When Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah 90, God granted them another son who would be named Isaac. Abraham, Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob are known as the three patriarchs of Judaism. Jacob became known as Is
The bris may be the single-most important ceremony in a Jewish male's life. Finally, Reconstructionist Judaism is a small but intellectually interesting approach to the religion that honors Jewish traditions from within a rational framework. The Bar and bat mitzvah are performed when the boy is 13 and the girl 12 and mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. God revealed the written and oral rules and laws of the Jewish faith to Moses, who recorded God's word in the Torah. Jacob's twelve sons would then become the forefathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Torah comprise the first five books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch and consisting of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. More liberal interpretations of Judaism include Reform Judaism, which can be interpreted as a more humanistic and less religious vision of the faith. Circumcision is viewed as an integral part of the covenant between Jews and God, and the bris ritual is performed on the eighth day of a baby's life. Thus, Judaism confers three main names for God: the Hebrew letters YHVH, which literally translates to "I am that I am" and is the ultimate name of God revealed to Moses alone on Mt. Judaism is rich with ritual and tradition, including rites of passage like the bris and the bar mitzvah/bat mitzvah. Included among the 613 mitzvot are the Kosher dietary laws and rules regarding the celebration of Jewish holidays, prayers, ethics, and worship. Moses entered into a new covenant with God. rael and his name has become inextricably linked with the name of the Jewish Promised Land. Technically, Judaism denies that God's name can be uttered by human beings; to speak the name of God would be like personally encountering the omnipotent Being.
Common topics in this essay:
Jews God,
Tanakh Tanakh,
Orthodox Jews,
God Judaism,
Land Jacob's,
God God,
Tanakh Talmud,
Technically Judaism,
Mt Sinai,
Promised Land,
jewish faith,
orthodox jews,
covenant god god,
613 mitzvot,
jewish traditions,
nevi'im ketuvim,
entered covenant,
covenant god,
god revealed,
promised land,
god god,
entered covenant god,
|
Acceptance Essays
