ROOTS OF JUDAISM Many Theories All have

ROOTS OF JUDAISM

Many Theories All have their critics

Habiru (Hittite) Apiru (Egyptian) They live in tents, travel about as they will, not abiding by my kings laws. They rob and plunder villages, they are outlaws and mercenaries for your enemies. When will my Pharaoh do something about them? - appointed Egyptian governor of Mesopotamia Amarna Letters

Why Scholars Connect Israel with the Shasu

Why Scholars Connect Israel with the Shasu Three main reasons: – Yhw is similar to Yahweh ( , )יהוה the covenant name of God in Judaism – Both groups came from Canaan and migrated to Egypt – Association of Yahweh with Seir (Shasu S’rr)

Abraham Born in Ur – Southern Mesopotamia Moved to Northern Mesopotamia escaping Babylonian Empire rule?

Abraham Monotheist or Henotheist? Psalm 82: 1 "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty [the hall of Canaanite pantheon]; he judgeth among the gods. . . “ Is Psalm saying there is more gods than one? We do know that the Levant (Canaan) was a Polytheistic world…Abrams father was a Polytheist

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions The break from other Canaanite religions and a common practice of sacrificing the first born for the good of the tribe/ family.

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions Sarah - Isaac Hagar - Ishmael

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions Sarah - Isaac Hebrews Hagar - Ishmael

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions Sarah - Isaac Hebrews Moses – Mosaic Law Judaism Hagar - Ishmael

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions Sarah - Isaac Judaism Moses – Mosaic Law Yeshua - Jesus Young Jewish Rabbi Christianity (33 AD) Hagar - Ishmael

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions Sarah - Isaac Judaism Moses – Mosaic Law Yeshua - Jesus Young Jewish Rabbi Christianity (33 AD) Hagar - Ishmael

Abraham Father of 3 Major Religions Sarah - Isaac Judaism Hagar - Ishmael Moses – Mosaic Law Muhammad Yeshua - Jesus Young Jewish Rabbi Christianity (33 AD) Arab monotheist Islam (610 AD)

Moses - Exodus Led Hebrews out of Egyptian Slavery

Moses - Exodus • Turned the River to Blood • Took food, gold, goods from Egyptians as they left Egypt • Chased by military to Red Sea (or sea of reeds) • Torah at Mt. Sinai

Moses - Exodus Led Hebrews out of Egyptian Slavery G-d gave Moses the TORAH – First five books of the Bible – 10 Commandments

Early Israelite Government Tribal Judges were ineffective when they were confronted with enemies with more centralized Governments The Hebrew tribes began agitating for a king. Samuel (a well known Judge) formally anointed this new king… King Saul seems to have been largely a military leader. There are no accounts of him exercising monarchical power outside of military exploits. The Hebrews, after all, were still tribal people, so the transition to a monarchy was slow. http: //www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/jsource/History/monarchy. html

King David United the Hebrew Tribes into a single Nation

Solomon David’s Son • Built the first Temple • Treaties with Assyrians and Egyptians

Solomon Dies • North – Tribes of Israel – Conquered by Assyrians – Killed, Relocated, Assimilated?

Solomon Dies • North – Tribes of Israel – Conquered by Assyrians – Killed, Relocated, Assimilated? • South – Babylonian Exile – Tribes of Judah conquered by Nebuchadnezzar – Become known as “Jews” 589 BCE - Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Babylonian Chaldeans, only deported the most prominent citizens of Judah: professionals, priests, craftsmen, and the wealthy. The "people of the land" (am-hares ) were allowed to stay. So Jewish history, then, has two poles during the exile: the Jew in Babylon and the Jews who remain in Judah.

Babylonian Exile Hebrew Bible was organized onto scrolls An oral history was preserved and would come to shape the western world https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=MVzl_e. Qj. IAE http: //www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/jsource/History/Exile. html

Persians conquer Babylon Jews set free of the Babylonian Exile Persians seen as Liberators – Illusion of freedom – Just pay your taxes!

Survival of a People - Culture • • • Egyptian slavery 400 years 10 lost Tribes of Israel - Destruction by the Assyrians Babylonian Exile - Slavery Seleucid Empire - Hellenization was enforced by law (167 BCE) Destruction of the Temple and Diaspora from Jerusalem (70 CE) Middle Ages – “Christ killers” – Middle Ages - led to massacres and forced conversion Expulsion from Europe (to Poland) - 1300’s and 1400 Black Death persecutions Anti-Semitism by Muslim and Arab Nazis and the Holocaust Pogroms - Czarist Russia – Pale of Settlement God on Trial – “We’re still here”

Moses

Impact of Judaism and Jewish Culture Monotheism Bible: Tanakh - Old Testament Abraham: Three world religions Cultural Values and Civil law Educational Values: Jews make up only 0. 2% of the world population, yet comprise 23% of Nobel laureates