The Significance of Each Epoch in Jewish History

2439 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Zoroastrianism and christianity

Judaism Reading Guide 1 Invitation to Religions

Terms are should know: Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Baal Shem Tov, Covenant, Diaspora, Election, Ethical monotheism, Exodus, Hasidism, Holocaust/Shoah, Kabbalah, Moses, Messiah, Maimonides, Pesach/Passover, Rosh Hashanah, synagogue, Tanakh, YHWH, Yom Kippur, Zionism.

Note the significance each epoch of Jewish history had on the formation of the Jewish people’s identity and religion.

Biblical Period: Exodus, Davidic Kingdom, Judah & Israel, Exile:

Exodus was really the foundation of Judaism; it was the reason the Israelites settled in Israel. Exodus gave the Jews hope that God would take care of them. It marked the time when the Israelites were delivered from bondage as slaves in Egypt. Exodus is commemorated by Jewish people every year at Passover.

Davidic Kingdom was founded by King David. God’s promises to David that someday, out of his lineage, the Messiah would come and would save us from eternal damnation, building up a kingdom that would last forever.

Judah & Israel are the two kingdoms of Israel: Judah-South and Israel-North. The tribe of Judah located themselves in Jerusalem and the Israelites in Samaria. Both kingdoms had a rich abundance of corrupt kings who would disobey God. The kingdoms are very complicated.

Exile made the Jews more opened-minded to secular and religious ideas. It is through the Exile that the Jews were exposed to a new, monotheistic faith, Zoroastrianism while religious leaders were trying to get rid of polytheism.

The Second Temple Period: Return, Division and Revolt

The Second Temple Period marks the span between the Old and New Testaments and when most all of the New Testament events began. It encompasses when the Persian Empire took over Jer...

... middle of paper ...

...n ‘it’ in the presence of God” (96-97). I thought it was a good statement to reflect upon. So many times we forget how dependent we are on God. By saying that each of us must humble ourselves before the Lord as an ‘it,’ it truly allows us to realize the vast difference of rank we have compared to Him. From the moment we were born, we were given names with a significant¬¬ amount of power to them as they make up who we are. To be viewed in a state of an ‘it,’ we are to be humbled so that we can understand deeper the amount of dependence we have on God; to know that we live because of Him and, in that sense, need Him in our lives.

Questions

What kinds of prayer does God respond to? The needs of what is on our heart-what we want-or what we need? In other words, does he only respond to prayers that bring us closer to Him or does he also answer materialistic prayers?

Show More
Related

  • History and Function of the Bar Mitzvah

    1423 Words  | 3 Pages

    Oxtoby, Willard Gurdon. "Jewish Traditions." World religions: western traditions. 1996. Reprint. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2011. 127-157. Print.

    Read More

  • Jewish-American Culture in the United States

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...e Menorah Journal And Shaping American Jewish Identity: Culture And Evolutionary Sociology. Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal Of Jewish Studies, 30(4), 61-79. doi:10.1353/sho.2012.0095

    Read More

  • Difference Between Sephardic And Ashkenazi Jews In Modern Times

    2260 Words  | 5 Pages

    Such debates are naturally meaningless in the rest of the world, where the Jews are to follow the laws of the land. The different historical background of the two movements of Judaism has created a noticable gap in their culture, their traditional laws and their adherence of those laws. It has shaped the manner of their developement and the final result of it. The history itself was shaped by the environment in which the exiled Jews found themselves, and the attitude of the people who surrounded them.

    Read More

  • Differences Between The Pact Of Umona Disputation

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Jewish people realized that as a minority they were never going to overcome these higher religious, so they took what they got and built off of it. In history the Jewish people have overcame so much whether it was the Pact of Umar, Barcelona Disputation or the Holocaust the Jewish people have done so much for the world in which we live

    Read More

  • Judaism

    1576 Words  | 4 Pages

    Judaism, the religion of the Jews, is one of the oldest religions in the world. Judaism in fact, is the oldest of the three major religions that believe in a single God. The other two, Christianity and Islam have been strongly influence by Judaism, which is a big part of western civilization today. In the beginning, Jews were a tribe, a band of nomads, more than likely shepherds that may have died out if they would have remained merely shepherds. Jews were one of many “nations” to be found in the ancient Near East.

    Read More

  • The First Jewish Diaspora

    1502 Words  | 4 Pages

    This first Jewish Diaspora happened when the kingdom of Judea was conquered by the Babylonians who destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and exiled the Jewish population to Babylonia ("Jews Around"). Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon at that time, and was the one who had the Jewish temple destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar then had the Jews deported to Babylon and kept captive. The Jews tried hard to keep their culture and religion alive while in Babylon which was when the Torah was created (R. Sands, 1). The Torah is the Jewish Bible. They made it because Jews have a sense of community and connection to each other and to God. Now that they were dispersed, they needed a mean of connecting to God and the Torah could...

    Read More

  • Religion in the Old Testament

    1368 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Exodus of the Israelites is the equivalent to our present day Fourth of July or Bastille Day to the French. Israelite writers discuss the Exodus the most out of any other event in history. The story of the Exodus is one of the most famous stories of the Old Testament. Three of the most significant aspects of the story of Exodus are the call of Moses, the use of plagues as miracles, and the Passover.

    Read More

  • The History of Jewish Persecution

    2340 Words  | 5 Pages

    After seventy years of exile the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem. Most of them gave up this option and elected to stay in Babylon. Those who stay in Babylon became ...

    Read More

  • King Solomon

    1673 Words  | 4 Pages

    12) The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia. Volume 9, 636-7. New York: KTAV Publishing House inc., 1969.

    Read More

  • The Kingdom of God

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    LaSor, W., Hubbard, D., Bush, F., & Allen, L. (1996). Old Testament survey: The message, form, and background of the Old Testament (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans

    Read More

  • History of Judaism

    2136 Words  | 5 Pages

    Judaism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Abraham, his descendants, and Moses are believed to have been the founders. According to Jewish beliefs until Abraham man worshiped many Gods. The story begins with Abraham and his wife Sarah trying to conceive a child. When Abraham was 99 and Sarah 90 God came to Abraham and told him they would have a son. After the child was born God again came to Abraham and tested his beliefs by asking him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Isaac willingly went with Abraham to be sacrificed. Before Abraham could sacrifice Isaac God sent an angel down to stop him. As a reward for his faith God made a covenant with Abraham that he and his descendants would be protected as long as they continued to show faith in him and live a life that was wholesome. Also from this it is said God blessed Abraham with many children. His son Isaac had two sons Jacob and Esau, Jacob who changes his name to Israel had twelve sons. Israel’s had twelve sons they are the “12 tribes of Israel” and their descendants are later known as the Israelites also called Hebrews.

    Read More

  • Yom Kippur: A Very Brief History Of Judaism

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the Bronze age in the Middle East Jewish history starts. The beginning of Jewish people and the start of Judaism is presented in the first five books of the Bible. Jews believe that God chose Abraham to be the father of the people who would be special to God, and who would be an example of satisfactory behavior and holiness to the rest of the world. Jewish worship was focussed on the Temple, as it contained the Ark of the Covenant, and was the only place where certain rituals and ceremonies could be preformed. Around 600 BCE the temple was destroyed, and the Jewish leadership was killed. An abundant amount of Jews were commissioned into exile in Babylon. Although the Jews were not long after permitted to come back home, a great number of Jews stayed in exile, beginning the Jewish tradition of the Diaspora - living away from

    Read More

  • Anti-Semitism

    1480 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...es. The Jews struggled with keeping their faith alive because of the oppressive rulers. They have dealt with various labels and hatred for something their ancestors did a long time ago.

    Read More

  • Moses and the Burning Bush

    2281 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...suffering from harsh treatment and facing eradication, they had hope and faith for a better life. A life which Moses helped to bring them following his command from God.

    Read More

  • The Effect of the Babylonian Exile

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    Not all Jewish communities continued on their faith with YHWH. Before the exile, many communities began to scatter all over the Middle East, Egypt and Babylon; however, the exile...

    Read More

More about The Significance of Each Epoch in Jewish History

Open Document