What influenced the development of Judaism?

Answer 1

Because many believed in God.

• Answer 2

Religion influenced Jewish education, the foods they ate, even the clothes they wore. It also required Jews to provide for the poor, visit the sick, do good deeds, give to charity, and apply just laws to rich and poor alike.

• Answer 3

Hebrew society (the society in ancient Israel) was based upon the covenant with God, as set forth in the Torah (Exodus ch.19, Deuteronomy 26:16-19). There was always a learned class among the Israelites, and virtually all men and boys (and a good percentage of women) could read and write. A portion of each day was spent praying; and a larger part of the day was spent studying Torah (by a good part of the populace). Religious questions (and torts) were brought to one of the many Rabbis or Jewish courts.
Having a large family was an ideal, as was welcoming guests into the home, giving charity, and many other forms of kindness. A portion of crops was given to the poor. The calendar year was replete with the Sabbaths and festivals; and blessings were said before and after eating and on many other occasions.
In brief, there was no such thing as a secular part of life, since the Torah's laws cover every form of activity, including business.

Answer 2

Judaism has had minor influence from the languages and cultures of the people among whom Jewish communities have lived. Judaism's main influence, however, was and is the traditions of Abraham and the Torah which God gave us. See also:

http://judaism.answers.com/jewish-history/a-biography-of-abraham

Answer 3

1) The desire of its founders and its prophets to reach perfection in God's service. 2) God, through prophecy and Revelation.

3) God's Torah.

The Torah and the Prophets played a vast role in the development of Hebrew religion (Judaism), because they are Judaism. They define it. Judaism entails living according to them. The Hebrew Bible reiterated the teachings of Abraham (Talmud, Yoma 28b) and codified their exact details; and at Mount Sinai, the Hebrews (the Israelites) accepted as obligatory what had until then been national custom.

The Torah and Prophets have shaped our ways of thinking and provided a national legal code:
Practicing kindness and avoiding dishonesty became obligatory instead of merely proper.
Agriculture in the Holy Land included tithes to be given to the Levites and Kohens, thus providing for a scholarly class of people. One of the tithes was given to the poor, thus obviating the existence of starvation.
Immorality and incest were legislated against in detail. Instead of instinct or "crimes against nature," they were subsumed into religious law.

The roles of king, prophet, Kohen, Levite, officers and judges were all provided for in the Torah, thus defining the shape of the society and its institutions and providing certain balances.

The Israelite year was filled out with the Sabbaths and national festivals; and they were imbued with the function of worshiping God instead of being secular celebrations.

The judges were commanded to fear God (Exodus 18, Deuteronomy 1), instead of relying on their skills of jurisprudence alone.

The laws of the Tabernacle (and later the Holy Temple), and commands to love God and fulfill all of the commandments, were written in the Torah together with (and mixed among) the seemingly mundane laws of restitution, testimony and witnesses (etc.), in order to convey the message that for us it is all part of religion. Secular life was a foreign concept. For example, a shopkeeper would be constantly aware of the religious laws of maintaining honest scales, giving a tithe to the poor (maaser kesafim), not overcharging, returning lost objects left behind, etc.; and he would set aside times for the daily prayers.
The above are just a few examples.

Hebrew (Israelite) society wasn't perfect. We are human; and as seen in the Prophets, there were times of backsliding and various pitfalls. But to the extent that the people kept their national laws and tradition, the society was exemplary and created a model which has influenced the Western world down to today.

See also:

How do our Jewish beliefs affect us?

Jewish life in Israel

More about the Hebrew Bible

Jewish history timeline

Answer 4

Israelite society (the society in ancient Israel) was based upon the covenant with God, as set forth in the Torah (Exodus ch.19, Deuteronomy 26:16-19). There was always a learned class among the Israelites, and virtually all men and boys (and a good percentage of women) could read and write. A portion of each day was spent praying; and a larger part of the day was spent studying Torah (by a good part of the populace). Religious questions (and torts) were brought to one of the many Rabbis or Jewish courts.

• Link: Social classes among the Israelites
  

Having a large family was an ideal, as was welcoming guests into the home, giving charity, and many other forms of kindness. A portion of crops was given to the poor. The calendar year was replete with the Sabbaths and festivals; and blessings were said before and after eating and on many other occasions.
In brief, there was no such thing as a secular part of life, since the Torah's laws cover every form of activity, including business.

• Link: Some examples of the Torah's laws

• Practicing kindness and avoiding dishonesty became obligatory instead of merely proper.
  

Link: Israelite ethics

• Agriculture in the Holy Land included tithes to be given to the Levites and Kohens, thus providing for a scholarly class of people. One of the tithes was given to the poor, thus obviating the existence of starvation.
  
• Immorality and incest were legislated against in detail. Instead of instinct or "crimes against nature," they were subsumed into religious law.

• The roles of king, prophet, Kohen, Levite, officers and judges were all provided for in the Torah, thus defining the shape of the society and its institutions and providing certain balances.

Link: King, prophet, Kohen, officers

• The Israelite year was filled out with the Sabbaths and national festivals; and they were imbued with the function of worshiping God instead of being secular celebrations.

Link: Israelite festivals

• The judges were commanded to fear God (Exodus 18, Deuteronomy 1), instead of relying on their skills of jurisprudence alone.

• The laws of the Tabernacle (and later the Holy Temple), and commands to love God and fulfill all of the commandments, were written in the Torah together with (and mixed among) the seemingly mundane laws of restitution, testimony and witnesses (etc.), in order to convey the message that for us it is all part of religion. Secular life was a foreign concept. For example, a shopkeeper would be constantly aware of the religious laws of maintaining honest scales, giving a tithe to the poor (maaser kesafim), not overcharging, returning lost objects left behind, etc.; and he would set aside times for the daily prayers.
  

The above are just a few examples.

Hebrew (Israelite) society wasn't perfect. We are human; and as seen in the Prophets, there were times of backsliding and various pitfalls. But to the extent that the people kept their national laws and tradition, the society was exemplary and created a model which has influenced the Western world down to today.

See also the other Related Links.

Link: How did the Israelites influence modern society

Link: What about modern Israel