What was the major contribution of the Hebrews?

Answer 1

The Hebrew religion and ethical system paved the way (and is still influential) for Western law and religion. The Exodus is a universal story of liberation from bondage.

Answer 2

Believe it or not the Torah; Jewish law, has been a paradigm for the writting of legal systems all over the world. How can I explain this?

The Code of Hamurabi is more dictation than actual law, dictates held by the powerful, as a means to enforce their power, but not really a code of conduct that also governs the powerful. The idea of "rule of law" believe it or not, is in fact a Jewish one. The Greeks said no one was above the law, nevertheless, the law permited the makers of the law all sorts of priveleges. In Rome it was much the same thing; the powerful where not really governed by the law, but in fact priveleged by it.

The idea, that even the ruling class is ruled by the law, is a Jewish one; "rule of law" is a concept, originally, indeed, developed by the Hebrews, not the Greeks or Romans.

Here is how that works; when the powerful rule, the people suffer all manner of abuses. However when the law rules, the people are protected from the powerful because, if the powerful say "the law rules," and the people heard them say that, the people will hold them to those words and act as watchdogs. Don't believe that crap, that King David was a dictator; because the whole notion of "rule of law" was in fact a Hebrew invention, the reason, the main reason the people rebelled against David, was his adultery with Batsheba.

David promised, as a Jew, to follow the ten commandments, and to rule with justice. That moral transgression, worried and disgusted the very religious minded Hebrew population. People rebelled against David, indeed because of his adultery with Bathsheba. For centuries on end, the Arabian peninsula has always been ruled by strongmen, but never the law; where the ancient Hebrews were different, is the whole idea of "rule of law."

In Europe, a lot of people liked it so much, they expanded on it, eventually culminating into the legal system that forms the fundamental basis of the U.S. government. Again like all kings, David had to swear an oath to not just uphold, and protect the law, but to also follow it, when David had Uriah killed so he could sleep with his wife, the Hebrew people became frightened that David had become just another strongman, like the other semitic rulers of the near east.

If a ruler took up the throne, and promised to hold up the laws of a given religion, wouldn't YOU rebel, if he broke one of the most sacred ones?

The ancient Hebrews made, in fact, two major contributions to the modern world, namely monotheism, and the idea of the rule of law, since the world over we live in an increasingly secularized society the most important idea, has been the idea of the rule of law, again, in fact a Hebrew invention, not a Roman or Greek one. In fact, Absalom, David's rebellious son, was only able to gather supporters BECAUSE of David's adultery.

You will notice, from the Biblical narrative, that Absalom did not rebel until AFTER, David had commited adultery with Bathsheba. Its almost as if he was WAITING for that; highly likely he was waiting for it, one slip up, one mistake. Indeed, it is narrated in the Bible, that Absalom milked that "immoral king" line to death to gather supporters.

Part of the reason why in the modern world moral shortcommings are forgiven of people who are rulers, is because history has shown, time and again, what happens when governments collapse. You can either forgive your politician's affairs, or, you can have a government collapse, collapse of the law, collapse of social order, economic chaos, anarchy, and basically the downfall of your country, what do you think people in their right mind will choose?

"Immorality in society" has absolutely NOTHING to do with why people "forgave Bill Clinton" way back in the 1990's, as some angry conservatives accused; political scandals are expensive, U.S. history has taught this time and again. When Richard Nixon was threatened with impeachment for example, it sped up what would become an economic recession. When there is trouble with the top authority of a country, corrupt people get to work; with Nixon too busy worrying about his presidency, it gave corporations a chance to slip through all kinds of loopholes, that corruption and waste in turn translated into economic problems.

The government, especially the president, very much acts as a watchdog, if things go wrong, again, corrupt people use that as an opportunity, and the powerless end up the victims. Given a choice between forgiving a ruler's affairs, and government collapse, the world over, to avoid chaos and disorder, people will forgive moral shortcommings even if they themselves may live lives following high moral standards.

I tell you right now, that even if the United States were a country full of virgin women who waited for marriage, men who respected that, and people who did not drink, they STILL would have forgiven the Lewinsky scandal for the sake of order. Look at the Kennedy presidency; in Kennedy's time, the "prudishness" of the 50's was still very much in the minds of many Americans. Though only a slightly larger majority for example, the majority of new brides in the 1960's were virgins, at least when they met the man they married. I'm talking the early, not the late 60's, and, most young men respected that.

Even in that atmosphere of Victorian era religious dogma and "prudishness," Americans forgave Kennedy's affairs, and his hedonistic lifestyle.

Why did they forgive it? For the sake of order; even a highly conservative society that follows strict moral guidelines, will forgive moral corruption in a ruler so long as order is maintained.

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but, in the adult world, social order is more important than moral standards; any danger that might result in social chaos, people will prevent, even if it means hipocrisy regarding whatever religion they follow. Take for example the Hariri family in Lebanon. The senior Al-Hariri, the one that was assassinated, may have in fact had a string of lovers, handsome young men; one of the things high class Arab women are notorious for is their stables of lovers. Yes, stables, as handsome men are often compared to horses.

A given Lebanese bodyguard, could be the most conservative christian, or the most pious, sincere Muslim, but, to maintain order, to avoid scandal guess what?

Not a word out of his mouth, that Al-Hariri's wife cheated on him, or, that Al-Hariri cheated on his wife, not a word.

That is the sad reality; for what its worth I'm sorry, but that's the adult world all over the world.This is not true.

the contrubation was the alphabet.

Answer 3

Monotheism, the Ten Commandments, the Torah and the Prophets.

Judaism is egalitarian and values all individuals, both men and women. The wealthy have no privileges; and the poor are valued, treated well and their opinions listened to. (Compare this to those societies in which only mature, land-owning males had any legal status.)
Judaism applied laws, and rules of moral behavior, to all its members equally. The laws of Moses form much of Western legal background.
Quote:
"I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation ... fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations" (John Adams, 2nd President of the United States).
"Certainly, the world without the Jews would have been a radically different place. Humanity might have eventually stumbled upon all the Jewish insights, but we cannot be sure. All the great conceptual discoveries of the human intellect seem obvious and inescapable once they had been revealed, but it requires a special genius to formulate them for the first time. The Jews had this gift. To them we owe the idea of equality before the law, both Divine and human; of the sanctity of life and the dignity of human person; of the individual conscience and of collective conscience, and social responsibility" (Paul Johnson, Christian historian, author of A History of the Jews and A History of Christianity).

Answer 4

You have asked a wide-ranging question with many hundreds of details in its answer. I'll provide a few examples.

1) The Jews' monotheistic religious tradition shaped the Western beliefs about God.

2) The 7-day week, including a day of rest for every one.

3) The concept of morality was also the work of the Hebrews, including the dignity and value of a person. Under Israelite law, everyone had recourse to the courts. A child, widow, wife, etc., could initiate legal action against any citizen to redress perpetrated harm. Compare this to those societies in which only mature, land-owning males had rights.

Also:

4) Parents are responsible for teaching children. Illiteracy among Israelites, in every generation, was rare.

5) Infants are to be protected and cared for, whether or not they turned out to be the gender you were hoping for.

6) Cruelty to animals is not acceptable.

7) Government is accountable to a higher authority. In other ancient societies, the monarch was all-powerful. Among the Israelites, however, the king was under the constant scrutiny of the Divinely-informed prophets, who didn't hesitate to castigate him publicly for any misstep in the sight of God. And, other than for the crime of rebellion, the king couldn't punish any citizen by his own decision. He was obligated by the Torah-procedures like everyone else.

8) A robber repays double to his victim, or works it off. Cutting off the hands of a robber is unacceptable. Debtors are are not imprisoned or harmed. They are made to sell property and/or work to repay what they owe. Compare this to the Roman practice by which anyone could accuse a man of owing them money and the debtor could be killed.

9) It is the responsibility of the community to support the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger passing through.

It is important to note that every one of the above was instituted among the Hebrews (a.k.a. the Israelites) thousands of years earlier than in other nations. Here's just one example: Aristotle, who was among the greatest of the Greeks, and Seneca, the famous Roman, both write that killing one's young babies is perfectly acceptable. Professor and former President of the American Historical Association, William L. Langer (in The History of Childhood): Children, being physically unable to resist aggression, were the victims of forces over which they had no control, and they were abused in almost unimaginable ways.

Answer 5

According to tradition, Abraham the Hebrew founded Judaism.(See also: Timeline of Jewish history)

Abraham, tenth-generation descendant of Noah, of Hebrew lineage, was the son of Terah, uncle of Lot, father of Isaac, grandfather of Jacob, and ancestor of the Israelites. His story is in Genesis ch.11 (end), through ch.25. Jewish tradition states that he was the first to teach belief in One God; and it is in his merit that Jews continue to exist (Genesis 18:19, and ch.17).

Abraham (18th century BCE) came from ancestry that had been aware of God a couple of centuries earlier but had afterwards slipped into idolatry (Joshua 24:2). (See: How did polytheism start?)

Nimrod, the idolatrous tyrant, had brought Abraham's father (Terah) from the Semitic ancestral seat near the conjunction of the Balikh and the Euphrates, and instated him in a position of power in his army in the royal Babylonian city of Ur, where Abraham was born. Nimrod persecuted any who would question his idolatrous cult.

The Kuzari (Rabbi Judah HaLevi, 1075-1141) states that Abraham was gifted with high intelligence; and, as Maimonides (1135-1204) describes, Abraham didn't blindly accept the ubiquitous idolatry. The whole populace had been duped, but the young Abraham contemplated the matter relentlessly, finally arriving at the conclusion that there is One God and that this should be taught to others as well. This is what is meant by his "calling out in the name of the Lord" (Genesis ch.12).

As a young man, he remonstrated with passersby in public, demonstrating to them the falsehood of their idols; and our tradition tells how he was threatened and endangered by Nimrod.
Subsequently, Terah relocated to Harran; and it is here that Abraham began to develop a circle of disciples (Rashi commentary, on Genesis 12:5).

Later, God told Abraham in prophecy to move to the Holy Land, which is where Abraham raised his family.
He continued his contemplations, eventually arriving at the attitudes and forms of behavior which God later incorporated into the Torah given to Moses. (See: Thirteen basic Jewish beliefs)

Abraham, with God's help, trounced the supremacy of the evil Nimrod.

He received God's promise of inheriting the Holy Land (Genesis ch.13).

He strove to raise a family (Genesis ch.15, 17, and 24) which would serve God (Genesis 18:19); and God eventually blessed his efforts, granting him many children (ibid., ch.16, 21 and 25), as He had promised (Genesis ch.17).

Abraham founded the Jewish people and lived to see his work live on in the persons of Isaac and Jacob; and he taught many other disciples as well (Talmud, Yoma 28b).

He saved the population of the south of Canaan from invading foreign kings (Genesis 14); and he was feared by neighboring kings (ibid., ch.12 and 20).

Abraham gave tithes (Genesis ch.14), entered into a covenant with God (Genesis ch.15 and 17), welcomed guests into his home (Genesis ch.18) unlike the inhospitable Sodomites (Genesis ch.19), prayed for people (Genesis ch.18), rebuked others when necessary (Genesis ch.20), eulogized and buried the deceased (Genesis ch.23), and fulfilled God's will unquestioningly (Genesis ch.22).

He became renowned as a prince of God (Genesis 23:6).

All of these forms of behavior were based upon the ways of God, which Abraham comprehended through his contemplations. These, and similar personality traits, were the teachings of Abraham and his descendants (unlike idolatry, which had tended to go hand in hand with cruel, licentious and excessive behavior, since the caprices which were narrated concerning the idols were adopted as an excuse to imitate those types of behavior). (See: Cruelties of the polytheists)

It is therefore clear why God expresses His love for Abraham (Isaiah 41:8) and calls Himself the God of Abraham (Genesis 26:24), and says that Abraham obeyed Him fully (Genesis 26:5). And this is why Abraham is credited with having begun the religion which became known as Judaism. (However, Abraham and his descendants observed their traditions voluntarily, until the Giving of the Torah to Moses 3325 years ago, when God made it obligatory.)

Answer 6

You have asked a wide-ranging question with many hundreds of details in its answer. I'll provide a few examples.

1) The Jews' monotheistic religious tradition shaped the Western beliefs about God.

2) The 7-day week, including a day of rest for everyone.

3) The concept of morality was also the work of the Hebrews, including the dignity and value of a person. Under Israelite law, everyone had recourse to the courts. A child, widow, wife, etc., could initiate legal action against any citizen to redress perpetrated harm. Compare this to those societies in which only mature, land-owning males had rights.

Also:

4) Parents are responsible for teaching children. Illiteracy among Israelites, in every generation, was rare.

5) Infants are to be protected and cared for, whether or not they turned out to be the gender you were hoping for.

6) Cruelty to animals is not acceptable.

7) Government is accountable to a higher authority. In other ancient societies, the monarch was all-powerful. Among the Israelites, however, the king was under the constant scrutiny of the Divinely-informed prophets, who didn't hesitate to castigate him publicly for any misstep in the sight of God. And, other than for the crime of rebellion, the king couldn't punish any citizen by his own decision. He was obligated by the Torah-procedures like everyone else.

8) A robber repays double to his victim, or works it off. Cutting off the hands of a robber is unacceptable. Debtors are not imprisoned or harmed. They are made to sell property and/or work to repay what they owe. Compare this to the Roman practice by which anyone could accuse a man of owing them money and the debtor could be killed.

9) It is the responsibility of the community to support the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger passing through.

It is important to note that every one of the above was instituted among the Hebrews (a.k.a. the Israelites) thousands of years earlier than in other nations. Here's just one example: Aristotle, who was among the greatest of the Greeks, and Seneca, the famous Roman, both write that killing one's young babies is perfectly acceptable.

Answer 7

The Hebrew people of Judah, under King Josiah, developed their concept of monotheism and abandoned the former practice of child sacrifice (see, for example 2 Kings 16:3). In the second century BCE, this was spread throughout the Levant, from Galilee in the north to Idumea in the south, by the Maccabean rulers of Judah. Into this milieu, Christianity was born. Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and became the new Western religious tradition.

Answer 8

The long, rich history of Judaism gives the Western world much of its shape today. Many of the laws, traditions, culture and values are directly attributable to Judaism.Link: History of Judaism

• The Jews' monotheistic religious tradition (Deuteronomy 6:4) shaped the Western beliefs about God.

Link: Monotheistic religious tradition

• The 7-day week (Exodus ch.20), including a day of rest for everyone. This weekly rest was a concept unique to the Israelites.

• The concept of morality (Leviticus ch.18-19) was also the work of the Hebrews, including the dignity (Genesis 5:1) and value of a person (unlike idolatry, which had no moral character whatsoever; with worship of the gods accompanied by practices such as ritual cutting, "sacred" prostitution and animal worship).

Link: Morality

• Women's rights were carefully maintained in Judaism. Israelite women could own property, could initiate court cases, could have their own servants, and could own fields and businesses; and the Torah specifies marital rights for women (Exodus 21:10).

• Under Israelite law, everyone had recourse to the courts. A child, widow, wife, poor person, etc., could initiate legal action against any citizen to redress perpetrated harm. Compare this to those societies in which only mature, land-owning males had any legal status.

• The Western diet reflects some of the Judaic dietary law. With the exception of the pig, Western society does not eat species not contained in kosher law (Deuteronomy ch.14). Owls, mice, insects, rats, snakes, cats and dogs are not eaten by most Westerners and it is a direct result of Jewish culture.

• Parents are responsible for teaching children (Deuteronomy ch.11). Illiteracy among Israelites, in every generation, was rare. Universal education in the Western world is taken for granted today, yet this is a recent development. In Judaism, however, it goes back for more than 3300 years. Judaism has always maintained that education is the highest goal of man in his pursuit of godliness. This tradition has now been passed on to Western culture.

• Cruelty to animals is not acceptable.

• Government is accountable to a higher authority. In other ancient societies, the monarch was all-powerful. Among the Israelites, however, the king was under the constant scrutiny of the Divinely-informed prophets, who didn't hesitate to castigate him publicly for any misstep in the sight of God. And, other than for the crime of rebellion, the king couldn't punish any citizen by his own decision. He was obligated by the Torah-procedures like everyone else (Talmud, Sanhedrin 19a).

Link: Israelite prophets

• A robber repays double to his victim (Exodus 22:3), or works it off. Cutting off the hands of a robber is a punishable crime. Debtors are not imprisoned or harmed. They are made to sell property and/or work to repay what they owe. Compare this to the Roman practice by which anyone could accuse a man of owing them money and the debtor could be killed (Roman "Twelve Tables of Law" code, 3:10).

• Western jurisprudence in general is based in part upon Judaic Torah-observance. A quick look at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and the laws that follow (Exodus ch.21-23) gives a summary of most modern law.

• It is the responsibility of the community to support the poor (Deuteronomy ch.15), the widow, the orphan, and the stranger passing through (Exodus 22:20-21).

• It is important to note that all of the above were instituted among the Hebrews (a.k.a. the Israelites) thousands of years earlier than in other nations.

• See also other the other Related Links.
  

Link: More about Judaism's impact

Link: How did Jewish ideas spread?

Did Josiah change anything?

Answer 9

See the attached Related Link for a vivid answer.

Answer 10

Belief in One God.