Start here · 1 min read
Overview
Judaism is the religion and people-hood of the Jews, centred on belief in one God who made a covenant with Israel and gave the Torah, the teaching or law. Its sacred writings are the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the rabbinic literature of the Mishnah and Talmud. It combines worship and study with ethics, law and communal life. Prophets such as Isaiah and Amos called for justice, not mere ritual. Judaism is the parent tradition from which Christianity and Islam draw, and it has shaped Western and Middle Eastern law, ethics and history.
Context
The Bible presents Abraham, Moses and the exodus from Egypt as foundations, and historians debate how much can be confirmed. Israelite religion developed in the Levant over centuries. The destruction of the First Temple by Babylon in 586 BCE and of the Second Temple by Rome in 70 CE were major turning points. Rabbinic Judaism then replaced the Temple with study, prayer and law.
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Curator's notes
- Why it matters
- One God, covenant, law (Torah), prophetic justice
- Use in training and coaching
- Mother tradition of Christianity and Islam
- What to read
- Hebrew Bible; Talmud
- Tradition
- Judaism
- Origin (approx.)
- c. 1800 – 500 BCE, Levant
- Core ideas
- One God, covenant, law (Torah), prophetic justice
- Key texts
- Hebrew Bible; Talmud
- Influence and connections
- Mother tradition of Christianity and Islam
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