Who founded Judaism?

Answer 1

Unlike Islam and Christiantiy, where you can point to one key figure, Judaism evolved. Jewish and Islamic traditions point to Abraham as the founder of monotheism, but the religion of Abraham would be unlikely to be recognized as specifically Jewish. The patriarchs Isaac and Jacob played a role, and Jacob, also known as Israel, was the father of the 12 tribes, known as the Children of Israel. Jews to this day identify as the Children of Israel, but until the Exodus and the events involving Moses at Mount Sinai, the Children of Israel were not bound by the covenant that is, today, taken as the defining feature of Judaism. So, who among all these do you identify as the founder? Each played a role in the founding.

Answer 2

There are four general answers about who founded Judaism and the answers to these questions are grouped by founder: God, Abraham, Moses, Historical Authorities, Combinations.

• God

Answer 1
The founder of Judaism is God. God was the founder of the idea of calling unto Himself a people known as Israel. This was done by taking someone who until then had been a Gentile and cutting a covenant with him (this of course was Abram). God changed his name to Abraham and he was to bring forth a separate nation unto God.
Answer 2
Judaism is based on national revelation (all of the Israelites accepting the Torah at Mount Sinai), not a single founder.

• Abraham

Answer 1
Nearly 4,000 years ago, their forefather Abram emigrated from the thriving metropolis of Ur of the Chaldeans in Sumeria to the land of Canaan, of which God had stated: I will assign this land to your offspring. (Genesis 11:31-12:7) He is spoken of as Abram the Hebrew in Genesis 14:13, although his name was later changed to Abraham. (Genesis 17:4-6)

From him the Jews draw a line of descent that begins with his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. (Genesis 32:27-29). Israel had 12 sons, who became the founders of 12 tribes. One of those was JUDAH, from which name the word Jew was eventually derived.2 Kings 16:6. In time the term Jew was applied to all Israelites, not just to a descendant of Judah. (Esther 3:6; 9:20) Today Judaism is practiced by millions of Jews in Israel and the Diaspora.

As a side note - Abraham is also considered the father of followers of Islam, although he is not the one credited with starting Islam.

Abraham mentioned above is considered the first Jew. He is believed to have lived about 4000 years ago and was the son of an idol maker. (An idol maker was a good job then and most all houses had many idols to pray to as gods).

Answer 2
Actually, the Talmud says that Abraham did live as a practicing Jew. This is implicit in many passages in the prophets (e.g. Isaiah 41:8) and throughout the Talmud (e.g. Yoma 28b) and is clearly borne out by a reading of Genesis, even without commentaries. Additionally, God calls himself "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" no fewer than eighteen times in the Torah, and that is how we address Him in the Shemoneh Esrei prayer.

Abraham didn't blindly accept the ubiquitous idolatry of his time. He repudiated it and instead taught people about the One God.

The grave sites of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives (Genesis 49:29-32) are located in Hebron and have been known for many centuries.
Answer 3
Judaism began with the covenant God made with Abraham, which is talked about in the book of Genesis in the Bible, starting in chapter 17. The different branches of Judaism were founded later by different people, but the religion itself was started with the covenant between God and Abraham.
Answer 4
Judaism has no one person as its founder. However, biblical tradition says that Abraham was the first to worship One God. A midrash (non-binding Jewish tradition) says that Abraham realized that the idols of his time had no power and so sought the real God.
Answer 5
According to Jewish tradition, Abraham founded the Jewish religion around 2000 BCE in Israel.

The founders of Judaism are the Patriarchs, i.e. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob but mainly Abraham. He is known as the "Father of the Jews", the person whom God appointed to be the father or beginning of His nation, which is Israel. It was with Abraham that God made a covenant. The covenant was that God promised to protect his descendants if Abraham would remain faithful to Him.

• Moses

Judaism is largely defined by the first five books of the Bible, which Moses is credited with having written (Deuteronomy 31:24), with Divine guidance (Exodus 24:12).

Historical Analysis
Answer 1
What we now know is that the first five books are composed from input from several sources, usually known as J, E, D and P. The sources known as J and E seem to date back to early in the first millennium BCE. D dates from before 600 BCE and P probably lived during the Babylonian exile. We use designations such as J, E, D and P because we do not know their real names. In fact, one or more of these sources may have been several people.
Answer 2
Many regard the founder of Judaism to be Abraham, whom they consider to have lived around 2000 BCE. Others may regard the true founder of Judaism to be Moses, who is traditionally considered to have lived around 1400 BCE.
However, many scholars regard the stories of Abraham and Moses as creations of the first millennium BCE. They point out that the Bible also tells us that the people of Israel (the northern kingdom) were, throughout its history, polytheistic in their religious beliefs. Even in the south, in Judah, the people worshiped many gods until at least the time of King Hezekiah (729-686 BCE), who made the first real attempt, in historic times, to impose a monotheistic religion. However, Hezekiah's son allowed Judah to revert to polytheism. On this evidence, Judaism, as we know it, did not yet exist in Judah.
We now know that much of what we know as the Hebrew Bible was written by the 'Deuteronomist' source during the reign of King Josiah ( about 640-609 BCE), although, of course, the books written by the Deuteronomist contain a great deal of material that had been written down by authors several centuries earlier.
From the time of Josiah, a monotheistic religion seems to have become dominant among the Jews. The role of Josiah in finally enforcing a monotheistic religion with its own canon of literature, should make him the true founder of Judaism, supported by the anonymous author or authors we now call the Deuteronomist.
Answer 3
Judaism is a religion - membership in it is conferred by religious beliefs and laws, not necessarily genetic heritage. Like all ancient religions, Judaism developed over time in a cultural or geographic context, so there was no single founder in the modern sense. Many modern religions can be traced directly to a single person or event.
Answer 4
The Nomadic Hebrew tribes founded Judaism based on ignorance of natural forces such as: rainstorms, floods, droughts, winds, naturally occurring fires, earthquakes, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, etc. The early Jews were Polytheists. Jehovah was originally the god of the atmosphere.
"From this elemental worship Indra, Agni, Zeus, Odin, Jehovah and other gods were evolved. Jehovah was originally a god of the atmosphere. He manifested himself in the tempest; he unchained the waves of the sea; the wind has his breath; the thunder was his voice, the lightning his messenger. He filled the air with frost; he precipitated the hail; he blanketed the earth with snow; he deluged the land with rain; he congealed the water of the stream, and parched the verdure of the field."
Answer 5:
The application of 19th Century Biblical skepticism, which produced the Documentary Hypothesis, which denies Mosaic authorship and proposes a fictional Deuteronomist, has largely been undermined by archaeological discoveries which Wellhausen and others largely ignored in developing their theory.
Archaeological discoveries, as well as further literary research have, to a large extent, overturned this theory, although many still cling to it for various reasons. Some of these are outside of the scope of this question, such as the denial of any supernatural causes in the origin of Israel's religion - this is obviously a matter of faith or non-faith in such. Literally hundreds of books have been written on this subject.

• Combinations

Answer 1: Abraham and Moses
While Abraham is undoubtedly the father of the Jews in terms of their genetic descent and genealogy, Moses is the founder of Judaism in terms of giving the Torah. From the scriptures these two roles are clearly distinct. While Abraham was undoubtedly of great faith he did not found the religion of Judaism in terms of its teachings or practices, only providing the 'seed' from which would come the nation of Israel and of course, Moses.
Answer 2: Abraham and God
Judaism has no one person as its founder. However, Biblical tradition says that Abraham was the first in his line to worship God. A midrash (non-binding Jewish tradition) says that Abraham realized that the idols of the gods of his father had no power and so sought the real God. However, Jewish teachings and tradition states that Judaism was based on national revelation, and was not founded by a single person.
Answer 3: God and Abraham
Judaism began with the covenant God made with Abraham, which is talked about in the book of Genesis, starting in chapter 17. The different branches of Judaism were founded later by different people, but the original religion itself was started by the covenant between God and Abraham.
Answer 4: Lineage of Founders Receiving Divine Revelation
Judaism doesn't claim to have any founders in the classical sense. As reported in Genesis, Abraham realized that a higher power ran the world; this at a time when idol-worship was rampant. God appeared to Abraham in a vision and confirmed that fact. God also informed Abraham about certain commandments that He expects from all of mankind: Not to steal, not to kill, not to worship idol and others. Abraham passed on this revelation to his son, Issac, who passed it on to his son, Jacob.

Jacob had 12 sons. They all lived by these rules, when they were exiled to Egypt.

Some 200 years later, when their descendants were redeemed from Egypt, God revealed himself to the 600,000 strong crowd, gave them the 10 commandments and the Bible on Mount Sinai. He also appointed Moses as their leader and prophet. Essentially, it was at the revelation on Mount Sinai that the descendants of Jacob became "Jews" and the charter members of Judaism.

Answer B

(Islamic Perspective)

All religions are founded by God (or Allah and same God worshiped in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam).

All monotheistic God-religions are based primarily on worshiping God as the one and only God with no equivalence and no associate. All God religions are based on full submission to God. Hence the founder of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is God and same God. Judaism is founded by God through the God revelation of Torah to prophet Moses (peace be upon him); the same way Christianity is founded by God through God revelation of the Bible to Jesus (peace be upon him) and Islam is founded by same God through God revelation of Quran to prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Prophet Abraham was long before the revelations of the three religions. He called his people to abandon idol worship and to worship God as the one and only one God with no partner.
Judaism began with the covenant God made with Abraham, which is talked about in the book of Genesis in the Bible, starting in chapter 12. The different branches of Judaism were founded later by different people, but the original religion itself was started by the covenant between God and Abraham.
Answer:

Judaism is a religion - membership in it is conferred by religious beliefs and laws, not genetic heritage. Like all ancient religions, Judaism developed over time in a cultural or geographic context, so there was no single founder in the modern sense. Many modern religions can be traced directly to a single person or event.
Answer:

The tradition of the Jewish people, and their Sages and Talmud, has always been that Abraham founded what we call Judaism. This is implicit in many passages in the prophets (e.g. Isaiah 41:8) and throughout the Talmud (e.g. Yoma 28b) and is clearly borne out by a reading of Genesis, even without commentaries.
God calls himself "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" no fewer than eighteen times in the Torah, and that is how we address Him every day in the Shemoneh Esrei prayer.
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 God-fearing a couple of centuries earlier but had afterwards slipped into idolatry (Joshua 24:2). 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. Abraham taught disciples (Talmud, Yoma 28b), gave tithes (Genesis ch.14), strove to raise a family (Genesis ch.15, 17, and 24) which would serve God (Genesis 18:19), made 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.
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, according to our tradition, 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.
Moses was born 245 years after the death of Abraham. Pharaoh had decreed that Israelite boys be killed (Exodus ch.1), but the daughter of Pharaoh took pity on the infant Moses (Exodus ch.2) and raised him as her own son. He was forced to flee after killing a cruel Egyptian taskmaster, and went to Midian, where he wedded the daughter of Jethro. He eventually achieved the highest level of prophecy (Deuteronomy ch.34) and was called upon by God (Exodus ch.3). He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery (Exodus ch.12). He received the Torah from God (Exodus 24:12) and later recorded it in writing (Deuteronomy 31:24). He went up on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights (Deuteronomy ch.9-10) and brought down the Two Stone Tablets with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 31:18). He brought the Israelites into the covenant with God (Exodus ch.19 and ch.24), and he oversaw the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus ch.35-40). He was the humblest of men and the greatest of prophets (Numbers ch.12).
Answer
Judaism is a faith that is based on the history of the Jews. The Jews were descended from Abraham and his descendants. Moses established the religion and lead the people to settle in what is now Israel and established their scripture and their temple worship.
Islamic answer:
God is the founder of Judaism religion per Torah God revelation to prophet Moses (Peace be upon him). You must differentiate between Jews as a race (who were originated long before the era of prophet Moses) and the Jews as followers of Judaism religion per Torah revelation to prophet Moses.
Islamic Answer:

Judaism; as religion and not as a race; started by revelation of Torah to prophet Moses while he was in Sinai (Egypt). The claim that the Judaism religion started with prophet Abraham may not be generally accepted as prophet Abraham was selected by God to call his people to submit to God as the one and only one God and to abandon worshiping Idols and never called his people to Judaism as the Torah was not yet revealed by God.
My understanding is that prophet Abraham is called the father of prophets as he called his people to worship one and only one God and that he himself fully submitted to God to the extent that when he destroyed the idols and the unbelievers put him in fire God made the fire not affecting him and this was a miracle by God to his prophet Abraham (or Ibrahim as called by in Middle East). Prophet Abraham is loved by God as expressed in the three God religions and the three God holy books. Judaism as religion with specific ritual worships; from my understanding; started by God through prophet Moses by revelation of the Torah and not before.
We generally credit Moses for establishing a relationship with G-d and communicating about it with the people, however, the idea of Jewish monotheism goes back to Abraham, who held that there was one G-d above all others.

Answer 3

God himself founded Judaism. Read the story of Genesis in the Bible and you will discover He chose Abraham to have a genealogy of millions of offspring who would be "His Chosen Ones" - The Jews - the name is derived from the name of Judah one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Answer 4

There are four general answers about who founded Judaism and the answers to these questions are grouped by founder: God, Abraham, Moses, Historical Authorities, Combinations. (God)Judaism is based on national revelation (all of the Israelites accepting the Torah at Mount Sinai), not a single founder. (Abraham) Judaism began with the covenant God made with Abraham, which is talked about in the book of Genesis in The Bible, starting in chapter 17. The different branches of Judaism were founded later by different people, but the religion itself was started with the covenant between God and Abraham. (Moses) Judaism is largely defined by the first five books of the Bible, which Moses is credited with having written (Deuteronomy 31:24), with Divine guidance (Exodus 24:12). (Historical Analysis) Judaism is a religion - membership in it is conferred by religious beliefs and laws, not necessarily genetic heritage. Like all ancient religions, Judaism developed over time in a cultural or geographic context, so there was no single founder in the modern sense. Many modern religions can be traced directly to a single person or event.

Answer 5

Tradition states that Abraham (18th century BCE) founded Judaism, and Moses later received the Torah from God.

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

• Link: Abraham's Hebrew ancestry
  

Abraham came from ancestry that had been aware of God a couple of centuries earlier but had afterwards slipped into idolatry (Joshua 24:2).

By the time of Abraham, the area where he lived was full of pagan cults; they were polytheistic, worshiping multiple deities.

• Link: How polytheism began
  

Abraham became the first to advance the idea of ethical monotheism: the worship of One God, and the appropriate ethical code of conduct.

Nimrod, the idolatrous tyrant, had brought Abraham's father (Terah) from the Semitic ancestral seat near the confluence 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 he 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.

Abraham became the greatest thinker of all time. His originality, perseverance, strength of conviction, and influence, cannot be overestimated.

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 numerous descendants (ibid., ch.16, 21 and 25), in keeping with His promise (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).

The gravesite of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives (Genesis 49:29-32) is located in Hebron and has been known and attested to for many centuries.

All of the above practices of Abraham were based upon the ways of God, which Abraham understood through his contemplations. These, and similar personality traits, were the teachings of Abraham and his descendants (unlike idolatry, which had no moral character; with worship of the gods accompanied by things such as human sacrifice, "sacred" prostitution, and animal worship).

• Link: Pagan practices
  

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.)

See also the other Related Links.

Link: Timeline of Jewish history
Link: Archaeology

Link: Was Abraham real

Answer 6

Many regard the founder of Judaism to be Abraham, whom they consider to have lived around 2000 BCE. Others may regard the true founder of Judaism to be Moses, who is traditionally considered to have lived around 1400 BCE.

However, many scholars regard the stories of Abraham and Moses as creations of the first millennium BCE. They point out that the Bible also tells us that the people of Israel (the northern kingdom) were, throughout its history, polytheistic in their religious beliefs. Even in the south, in Judah, the people worshipped many gods until at least the time of King Hezekiah (729-686 BCE), who made the first real attempt, in historic times, to impose a monotheistic religion. However, Hezekiah's son allowed Judah to revert to polytheism. On this evidence, Judaism, as we know it, did not yet exist in Judah.

We now know that much of what we know as the Hebrew Bible was written by the 'Deuteronomist' source during the reign of King Josiah ( about 640-609 BCE), although of course the books written by the Deuteronomist contain a great deal of material that had been written down by authors several centuries earlier.

From the time of Josiah, a monotheistic religion seems to have become dominant among the Jews. The role of Josiah in finally enforcing a monotheistic religion with its own canon of literature, should make him the true founder of Judaism, supported by the anonymous author or authors we now call the Deuteronomist.

Answer 7

Tradition states that Abraham (18th century BCE) founded Judaism, and Moses later received the Torah from God.See also:

Timeline of Jewish history
Archaeology

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 actively spread belief in One God; and it is in his merit that Jews continue to exist (Genesis 18:19, and ch.17).

Abraham 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.)

By the time of Abraham, the area where he lived was full of pagan cults; they were polytheistic, worshiping multiple deities. Abraham became the first to advance the idea of ethical monotheism: the worship of One God, and the appropriate ethical code of conduct.

Nimrod, the idolatrous tyrant, had brought Abraham's father (Terah) from the Semitic ancestral seat near the confluence 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 became the greatest thinker of all time. His originality, perseverance, strength of conviction, and influence, cannot be overestimated.

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 numerous descendants (ibid., ch.16, 21 and 25), in keeping with His promise (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).

The gravesite of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives (Genesis 49:29-32) is located in Hebron and has been known and attested to for many centuries.

All of the above practices of Abraham 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.)

Moses was an Israelite, a great-great grandson of Jacob. He was born 245 years after the death of Abraham. The time when Moses was born was when the Pharaoh had ordered his people to kill all Israelite male infants because he (Pharaoh) was afraid that the Israelites would become too strong for him (Exodus ch.1-2).

Moses' mother didn't want him to die. So she made a basket for him and put him in it to float in the Nile reeds. He was found by Pharaoh's daughter, who took pity on him (Exodus ch.2) and raised him as her own son. (See: How did Moses know he was an Israelite?)

Moses was forced to flee after killing a cruel Egyptian taskmaster, and went to Midian, where he wedded the daughter of Jethro.

He eventually achieved the highest level of prophecy (Deuteronomy ch.34) and was called upon by God (Exodus ch.3). He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery (Exodus ch.12). He received the Torah from God (Exodus 24:12) and later recorded it in writing (Deuteronomy 31:24). He went up on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights (Deuteronomy ch.9-10) and brought down the Two Stone Tablets with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 31:18). He brought the Israelites into the covenant with God (Exodus ch.19 and ch.24), and he oversaw the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus ch.35-40). He was the humblest of men and the greatest of prophets (Numbers ch.12).

See also:

What problems did Moses face and overcome?

Answer 8

According to tradition, Abraham founded Judaism, and Moses later received the Torah from God.
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 God-fearing a couple of centuries earlier but had afterwards slipped into idolatry (Joshua 24:2). 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. Abraham taught disciples (Talmud, Yoma 28b), gave tithes (Genesis ch.14), strove to raise a family (Genesis ch.15, 17, and 24) which would serve God (Genesis 18:19), made 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.
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, according to our tradition, 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.
Moses was born 245 years after the death of Abraham. Pharaoh had decreed that Israelite boys be killed (Exodus ch.1), but the daughter of Pharaoh took pity on the infant Moses (Exodus ch.2) and raised him as her own son. He was forced to flee after killing a cruel Egyptian taskmaster, and went to Midian, where he wedded the daughter of Jethro. He eventually achieved the highest level of prophecy (Deuteronomy ch.34) and was called upon by God (Exodus ch.3). He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery (Exodus ch.12). He received the Torah from God (Exodus 24:12) and later recorded it in writing (Deuteronomy 31:24). He went up on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights (Deuteronomy ch.9-10) and brought down the Two Stone Tablets with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 31:18). He brought the Israelites into the covenant with God (Exodus ch.19 and ch.24), and he oversaw the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus ch.35-40). He was the humblest of men and the greatest of prophets (Numbers ch.12).

Answer 9

Our tradition is that what we call Judaism began with Abraham, around 1800 BCE.