Jews believed in only One God.
Dictionaries define "Judaism" as The monotheistic religion of the Jews, since the founding principle of Judaism was the unique belief in One ethical God. At the time of Abraham the Hebrew, the world was full of pagan cults; they were polytheistic, worshiping multiple deities and lacking moral character. Their gods were described as adulterers and killers, and their rites were accompanied by things such as human sacrifice, "sacred" prostitution, and animal worship. Abraham was the first to advance the idea of ethical monotheism: the worship of One God, and the appropriate ethical code of conduct.
Their neighbors were idolaters when the Israelites introduced the belief in One God.
AnswerKeel and Uehlinger (Gods, Goddesses and Images of God in Ancient Israel) describe hundreds of religious artefacts found in Israel and Judah throughout the periods of the Judges and the monarchy. Until the eighth century BCE, it is clear that the Hebrew people made images, or 'idols', of God, just as their neighbours did. From the seventh century BCE onwards, images of gods no longer appear in Judahite Archaeology, indicating that the religion had become largely aniconic. Images of a fertility goddess, believed to have been Asherah or Anat do continue until the time of the Babylonian Exile.What is known about Hebrew religion in the pre-Exilic period indicates that there were some differences in beliefs between the Israelites in the north and the Judahites in the south, but they both followed the same basic pattern as the religious beliefs of neighbouring countries.
Lester L Grabbe (Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?) says that The Bible pictures the Israelite religion as pure, monotheistic and different from the false worship of all other nations and peoples but a broader view (including the evidence of archaeology) of Hebrew worship is that it is very much at home among the other Semitic religions, especially those of the Northwest Semitic region. Yahweh (ancient Heb: YHWH) began as a subordinate God to El, the father of the gods in West Semitic belief, but was later syncretised to him. Yahweh also gradually took on many of the roles and characteristics of Baal.
Answer:Jews have always worshiped the One God. God wrecked the Egyptian idols (Exodus 12:12) and warned against idolatry (Exodus 22:19). Abraham worshiped "the Lord God of Heaven and Earth" (Genesis 14:22 and 24:3) and complained about the Philistines' lack of fear of God (Genesis 20:11). Jacob confiscated the idolatrous images taken from Shechem (Genesis 35:2) and got rid of them (Genesis 35:4); and refrained from invoking the gods of Nahor (Genesis 31:53). Rachel pilfered Laban's statue-images (Genesis 31:19) in order to prevent him from idolatry (Rashi commentary, ibid.). Joseph placed his hope in the God of the Forefathers (Genesis 50:24). Moses characterized the Golden Calf as "a great sin" (Exodus 32:21,30) and punished the worshipers (Exodus ch.32). During the rest of his lifetime and that of Joshua (Judges 2:7), no incidents of Jewish idolatry were reported.Shortly before he died, Moses warned the people that he suspected that they would eventually succumb to the lure of the idols (Deuteronomy 29:17). Joshua gave a similar warning (Joshua ch. 24).
These warnings came true. Many of the Israelites went astray after the foreign gods (Judges 2:11). However, the Jews never invented their own idol. It was always the baneful influence of other peoples. And there were times when the entire Jewish nation repented (Judges 2:1-4) and prayed to God (Judges 3:9, 3:15, 6:6, 10:10).
Idolatry was never universal among the Jews. The tradition of the One God was handed down in every generation, whether by the few or the many; and it is those who handed down the tradition whose beliefs we Jews continue today. Deborah ascribed victory to God (Judges 4:14), Gideon tore down the idolatrous altar (Judges 6:25-27);Samson prayed to God (Judges 16:28), as did Hannah (1 Samuel 1:11) and Samuel (ibid. 12:18); Eli blessed in the name of God (1 Samuel 2:20), Saul built an altar to God (1 Samuel 14:35); Jonathan ascribed victory to God (1 Samuel 14:12), as did David (1 Samuel 17:46); and Solomon built the Temple for God (1 Kings 8:20). A number of the kings "did what was right in God's eyes": Asa (1 Kings 15:11), Yehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:43), Yehoash (2 Kings 12:3), Amatziah (2 Kings 14:3), Azariah (2 Kings 15:3), Yotam (2 Kings 15:34), Hizkiah (2 Kings 18:3), and Josiah (2 Kings 22:2).
And, of course, the Prophets, who spoke in the name of God and warned against idolatry: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea and so on.
The sages of the Talmud, who ridiculed idolatry (Megillah 25b), were simply continuing in the tradition of the Prophets whose verses are quoted in that context (ibid.).
Dictionaries define "Judaism" as The monotheistic religion of the Jews, since the founding principle of Judaism was the unique belief in One ethical God. At the time of Abraham the Hebrew, the world was full of pagan cults; they were polytheistic, worshiping multiple deities and lacking moral character. Their gods were described as adulterers and killers, and their rites were accompanied by things such as human sacrifice, "sacred" prostitution, and animal worship. Abraham was the first to advance the idea of ethical monotheism: the worship of One God, and the appropriate ethical code of conduct.
Dictionaries define "Judaism" as The monotheistic religion of the Jews, since the founding principle of Judaism was the unique belief in One ethical God. This was the teaching which was spread by Abraham, and has continued since then.
From Judaism, belief in One God has spread through the Western world. It was 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.
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"Certainly, the world without the Jews would have been a radically different place. 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).
All of the above existed in Judaism thousands of years earlier than in other nations. Here's just one example: Infanticide was practiced in classical European nations until Judaism and its daughter-religions put a stop to it.
The Hebrews believed in only one God
describe how people's value and beliefs may differ
There are an infinite number of Jewish beliefs. But recurring themes are the ideas of one God and the importance of loving other people.
the entire Torah and Talmud.
The answer is: the ancient Israelites, who are the ancestors of the Jewish people.
To return to their ancient land.
Jewish genocide was attempted by many people, including:The Ancient EgyptiansThe Ancient PersiansThe Catholic ChurchThe KossacksThe Nazis
They returned to their ancient beliefs under Amenhotep's sucessor, Tutanchamon.
Israelites refer to the Ancient Jewish people, Jew refers to the modern Jewish people.
There is no Jewish belief concerning Jesus. Jews are not in the habit of forming beliefs around other people's religions.
they are important to know what the ancient people used to do and to know what are their beliefs
it is a person that is a Jew.Answer:The Jewish people are the descendants of the ancient Israelites, plus converts who have joined them. Jews are also defined as the people of the faith of Moses; the Torah.
Life is directed by Jewish beliefs, but not controlled by them. The ethical teachings of the Torah guide every day life for Jewish people, but people are free to make their own choices.