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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.
- The concept of morality was founded by the Hebrew religion, including the dignity and value of every person. It is the responsibility of the community to support the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger passing through. Compare this to other ancient societies in which only mature, land-owning male citizens had rights.
- 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.
- 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).
- Under the law of Judaism, everyone had recourse to the courts. A child, widow, wife, poor person, etc., could initiate legal action against any citizen to redress perpetrated harm.
- A robber repays double to his victim, or works it off. Unlike other ancient societies, in Judaism 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, 3:10).
"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).
What else can I help you with?
How did the Jewish culture differ from other smaller Middle Eastern regional cultures?
Belief in One God. The others were all idolaters.
Are there any Ancient Egyptian myths than have been stolen?
There are gods and myths which the ancient Egyptians borrowed from other cultures and cultures which took myth and gods and goddesses from Egyptians. Many cultures in that area lived and traded and communicated with each other for thousands upon thousands of years, so "stolen" myths and gods and goddesses on both sides are to be expected.
According to Hamilton how does greek mythology differ from folklore of other ancient cultures why does it differ?
Unlike many other ancient cultures the Greek gods were human shaped and human nature at heart, they loved, they pitied, they cried - they were not monsters that only hated and were vengeful - there is a certain beauty in the Greek myths whose gods and goddesses were portrayed later as being beyond the need of human sacrifice which marked so many other cultures. There are hints to the dark past of Greek myth, but in the myths they seem remote even in the time when Greek myth was old religion.
What is Apollo's name in other culturs than Roman and Greek?
Apollo's name in other cultures would be the same! That's because the greek and roman made the gods and goddesses.
Who do Jewish people celebrate a wedding?
For the same reasons all other cultures do - to congratulate the new bride and groom.
Where do the gods and goddesses reside in various mythologies and belief systems?
In various mythologies and belief systems, gods and goddesses are believed to reside in different places such as Mount Olympus in Greek mythology, Asgard in Norse mythology, and the heavens in many other cultures.
What relationship did Aphrodite have with the other gods and goddesses?
She has worked with other gods or goddesses but they are not told.
How did nationalism based on Jewish identify differ from nationalism in other countries?
Answer this question…The Jews did not have a country or homeland of their own.
How different or similar is afro Asian poetry from other countries?
the differences of afro-asian poetry to other nation is they differ from thier cultures tradition beliefs and others
Does fasting mean to starve yourself in Jewish tradition?
No, it means in either Christian or Protestant tradition, although it could be used on other cultures.
Do all gods and goddesses have a planet or constellation?
No. It is mainly figures from Roman mythology that have planets/constellations named after them, but as there are many other minor gods/goddesses in Roman mythology as well as deities from other religions, not all of them have a planet/constellation named after them.
How many gods does rome have?
Only one. Most Italians are Christian. If you mean ancient Rome, it is impossible to answer your question because the Romans not only had their own pantheon of gods, but they imported gods and goddesses from other cultures as well. Then each household had its family gods and individuals had personal gods.Only one. Most Italians are Christian. If you mean ancient Rome, it is impossible to answer your question because the Romans not only had their own pantheon of gods, but they imported gods and goddesses from other cultures as well. Then each household had its family gods and individuals had personal gods.Only one. Most Italians are Christian. If you mean ancient Rome, it is impossible to answer your question because the Romans not only had their own pantheon of gods, but they imported gods and goddesses from other cultures as well. Then each household had its family gods and individuals had personal gods.Only one. Most Italians are Christian. If you mean ancient Rome, it is impossible to answer your question because the Romans not only had their own pantheon of gods, but they imported gods and goddesses from other cultures as well. Then each household had its family gods and individuals had personal gods.Only one. Most Italians are Christian. If you mean ancient Rome, it is impossible to answer your question because the Romans not only had their own pantheon of gods, but they imported gods and goddesses from other cultures as well. Then each household had its family gods and individuals had personal gods.Only one. Most Italians are Christian. If you mean ancient Rome, it is impossible to answer your question because the Romans not only had their own pantheon of gods, but they imported gods and goddesses from other cultures as well. Then each household had its family gods and individuals had personal gods.Only one. Most Italians are Christian. If you mean ancient Rome, it is impossible to answer your question because the Romans not only had their own pantheon of gods, but they imported gods and goddesses from other cultures as well. Then each household had its family gods and individuals had personal gods.Only one. Most Italians are Christian. If you mean ancient Rome, it is impossible to answer your question because the Romans not only had their own pantheon of gods, but they imported gods and goddesses from other cultures as well. Then each household had its family gods and individuals had personal gods.Only one. Most Italians are Christian. If you mean ancient Rome, it is impossible to answer your question because the Romans not only had their own pantheon of gods, but they imported gods and goddesses from other cultures as well. Then each household had its family gods and individuals had personal gods.
