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.
Polytheism
Jewish Civilization
I believe that the first ancient Jewish king was King Saul.
Johannes Urzidil has written: 'Amerika und die Antike' -- subject(s): Civilization, Classical influences 'The living contribution of Jewish Prague to modern German literature' 'There goes Kafka' 'Neujahrsrummel'
Jerusalem is the center of the modern Jewish and ancient homeland.
essene
The commercial revolution and increase in trade = More wealth in Europe and more contact with other civilizations = Discovery of ancient manuscripts that had been preserved by Muslim and Jewish scholars = A renewed interest in learning
Jewish genocide was attempted by many people, including:The Ancient EgyptiansThe Ancient PersiansThe Catholic ChurchThe KossacksThe Nazis
Science is a secular phenomenon, so there is no such thing as a "jewish contribution", or any other kind of religious contribution. This is not to say that religious people did not make contributions. Jews did contribute, in the same way that Muslims, Christians, Daoists, atheists and many others have contributed. But none of their contributions are religious or anti-religious.
The Jewish courts.See also:Life in ancient Israel
No, there was never any such thing as a Jewish cross.
kaddish
1. Hebrew (Jewish) 2. Greek 3. Roaman