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History of Judaism
The History of Judaism is the history of the Jewish people, their religion and culture, tracing back to the Biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob of the 18th c. BCE. The earliest mention of Israel as a people was discovered in an inscription on the Merneptah Stele from the 1200s BCE.
1,396 Questions
What role did Pompey play in the civil war that took place among the leaders in Judea?
The civil war was between the two sons of Alexander Janaeus, the king and high priest of the Hasmonean dynasty who died in 76 BCE. His widow Salome became ruler and on her death the elder son Hyrcanus II, who, like her, supported the Pharisees succeeded her in 67 BCE. The younger son, Aristobulus II, who, like his father, supported the Sadducees, rebelled. Hyrcanus was defeated, but then sought the support of the Nabataeans, who besieged Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the Romans had taken over Syria. Since the Hasmonean household were Roman allies, both brothers appealed to Marcus Aemilius Scaurus, Pompey's deputy in Syria. Scaurus decided to side with Aristobulus and ordered the Nabataeans to withdraw their army. When Pompey arrived in Syria in 63 BCE, the brothers sent their delegates to him. Pompey favoured Hyrcanus, because he considered him weaker and a more reliable ally of the Romans. Aristobulus was captured in that year. The conflict continued after Pompey's departure. Aristobulus escaped in 57 BCE, sparking another revolt. He fled to a Hasmonean fortress. He surrendered to the Roman army, but his followers refused to surrender Jerusalem, which was besieged and taken by force. Hyrcanus was restored as High Priest, but deprived of political authority.
What were the politics of the ancient Hebrews?
Israelite society was based upon the covenant with God, as set forth in the Torah. The Torah establishes a separation of the various forms of power, so that all of them are not concentrated in one individual.
In the earliest era, the Hebrews consisted of family-groups (clans; tribes) led by patriarchs. Later, during the three centuries of the Judges, the Israelite nation had sages (led by Sanhedrin-courts) who were consulted in questions of Jewish law and conduct; while individual Judges occasionally unified the people in war against some common enemy.
During the four centuries of the monarchy, the Israelites were led by three distinct people or groups: the king, the Sanhedrin and the Kohen Gadol. (See also Deuteronomy ch.17-18.)
- The king conducted the nation and made decisions in most national matters but was not necessarily one of the leading sages. It is noteworthy that although the prophets had no temporal power, they were sent by God not only to exhort the people in general, but also to rebuke the king when needed.
- The Sanhedrin (court of Sages) was the final authority on Torah-matters. One of its functions was to ensure that the Torah-traditions were handed down intact from generation to generation.
- The Kohen Gadol conducted the observances in the Holy Temple, together with the assistance of the rest of the Kohanim and Levites (Leviticus ch.21, Numbers ch.8 and 18). Though the Kohen Gadol had no formal power outside the Temple, he did have great influence due to the prestige of his position. In times of need, he occasionally dealt directly with foreign monarchs (see Talmud, Yoma 47a and 69b).
Specifically, the monarchy and its hangers-on, and the public functionaries, included a minority that took advantage of those who had no such power.
Is God called Allah in Judaism?
No, Allah is an Arabic word. One of the words which refer to God in Hebrew is the similar-sounding "Elohim."
Who were the Essenes in the Jewish history?
The Essenes in the Jewish history refer to Second Temple Judaism. They lived in various cities but abstained from all pleasures. They also live in large numbers.
Jewish answer:
The Essenes were a small sect in Judea who eventually went extinct. They styled themselves "observant; pious ones." The normative, majority religious community viewed them as breakaways from the common stream of Jewish tradition, because of their beliefs and practices. Their beliefs included an excessive amount of dabbling with the names of angels, messianic fervor, gnosticism and eschatological speculation; and their practices were more like Christian monasticism than the generally accepted Jewish way of living. The practices of the Essenes included vegetarianism, dwelling in isolated groups, communal ownership, monastic asceticism and avoidance of money, commerce or private property, and (among some of them) celibacy. Also, they had some forms of non-traditional observances (such as round phylacteries [tefillin]). Some researchers identify the Essenes as a form of early Christianity, taking also into account the fact that early Christianity was far from uniform and was, for a time, thought of as a kind of modified Judaism.
Is there 360 days in average Jewish year?
No, the Jewish year has 365.25 days, just like the Gregorian, but the calendar is calculated differently. The Gregorian calendar is Solar, meaning it's based on the Sun; the Jewish calendar is Lunisolar, meaning its based on the Moon, but periodically corrected to match the Sun. By contrast, the Islamic calendar is Lunar and has only 354 days in a year.
How did the covenant shape Jewish history?
The covenant between God and the Israelites ensured that the Jews (a.k.a. Israelites) would always keep the Torah. This, in turn, led the Jews to study Torah, to maintain a scholarly class among Jews, to write books of commentary and Jewish thought (so the Torah wouldn't be inaccessible due to lack of understanding on our part), and to keep ties between the various Jewish communities (so Judaism wouldn't inadvertently split into different religions).The keeping of the Torah's commands created many ramifications, such as Jews having supported the poor, maintained synagogues and places of Torah-study, ascertained a supply of kosher food, etc.
See also:
What_is_the_covenant_of_the_Hebrew_people
http://judaism.answers.com/jewish-history/timeline-of-jewish-history
What happened to the Israelite people that God decided to call Gideon?
== == 1And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 3And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. 7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, 8That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; 10And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. 11And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.12And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. 13And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. 14And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 15And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. 16And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
How did non Jews risk their lives to help Jews during the Holocaust?
What were the Sadducees weaknesses?
It is nearly impossible to understand what it is that you are asking, because it could easily be multiple different questions: "What were the theological problems inherent in Sadducee belief?" "Why were the Sadducees unable to accept Jesus?" "Why did the Sadducee movement die out?" "What made the Sadducees unable to become the dominant Jewish movement in their own time?"
Please resubmit your question in a more clear way.
Answer:The Sadducees were materialistic in outlook. They did not believe in life after death or any reward or punishment beyond this life.Did the Jewish people exist before the Book of Genesis?
Biblical scholars say the Book of Genesis was written in stages by the Hebrew people themselves, over a period of centuries during the first millennium BCE. Two different source documents from the eighth to seventh centuries BCE were brought together by an anonymous source now known as 'JE', then amended and added to by another anonymous source now known as the Deuteronomist ('D' source) during the seventh-century BCE reign of King Josiah of Judah, then added to further by an author now known as the Priestly ('P') source, probably during the Babylonian Exile. The Book was edited and finalised into more or less the version we now have, by the anonymous source now known as the Redactor.
The Hebrew people have certainly existed as a separate ethnic group for all of the first millennium BCE and probably as early as 1250 BCE. Although a biblical tradition of great antiquity grew up, most scholars say that the Hebrew people were actually Canaanites who chose to leave the main population centres along the Mediterranean coast and migrate into the largely unpopulated interior.
At first, they were Hebrews, or Israelites if the lived in the larger northern kingdom of Israel, or Judahites if they were residents of Judah in the south. The term Jews did not really come into use until the Babylonian Exile, from the beginning of the sixth century onwards.
The Jewish people were linear descendants of the Hebrew people who first wrote Genesis. So, yes, they existed before the Book of Genesis.
Why did Jews emigrate out of Odessa?
In the period c. 1880-1914 many Jews wanted to get away from persecution by the Tsarist regime.
How many people were in the tribe of Levi?
In the time of Moses, there were 23,000 male Levites (Numbers ch.26), each of whom had a family.
What were the ten plauges in exodus?
The 10 plagues in the order that they appear: water becomes blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock diseased, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, death of the first born.
What separated the Jewish ghetto from the rest of the community?
High walls, barbed wire and patrols.
Would a Jew's family disown him if he quit being a Jew?
No
Answer:I once asked an important Orthodox Rabbi that question. He said that, although those who strayed very far may have been disowned in past eras, the accepted practice these days is to not disown such children, so that they not feel pushed away.Is there a language called Jewish?
No, some Jewish people speak Hebrew and/or Yiddish.
It is important to note that the Yiddish word for Jewish is Yiddish, so the language is actually called "Jewish", but there is no language identified with the English word "Jewish".
Who made five books of Jewish laws and history?
Moses wrote the Torah (Deuteronomy 31:24) as dictated to him by God (Exodus 24:12).
What great prophet told King Hezekiah that God would not allow foreign nations to destroy judah?
It was the prophet Isaiah.
Did king Solomon go to war with a brother?
David's first-born son was Amnon. Absalom born after Amnon of another David's wife known for his hair. Then came Adoniah and next Salomon. Absalom did revolt but it was Joab, one of the king's general who killed him.
Why is Abraham an important figure in Jewish history?
Because he founded Judaism.
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, with God's help, singlehandedly trounced the supremacy of the evil Nimrod. He received God's promise of inheriting the Holy Land (Genesis 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 many children (ibid., ch.16, 21 and 25), as He had promised (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).
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 (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).
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.
Where do most of tribe of Judah live today?
The tribe of Judah is now what you probably know as Jews. There are roughly 14 million Jews in the world, 6.5 million of which live in Israel, around 6 million across the US and the rest spread in communities mainly across Western Europe and North and South America.
What is the reason the Jews were taken as prisoners of war to Babylon?
1) The general spiritual reason was that God found the people of Judah to be below the spiritual level that was a requisite for remaining in their land. The prophets had warned them (Jeremiah 7:25) but were not sufficiently heeded (2 Chronicles 36:16). Once God's presence no longer felt welcome in the Holy Temple, its destruction and the exile were just a matter of time (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 31a, and midrash Eichah Rabbah 1:43).
A more specific spiritual reason was the egregious sins of Menasheh, king of Judah (2 Kings 21:11-13 and 24:3).
2) The temporal circumstance was the fact that King Yehoiakim, after having been obedient to Nevuchadnezzar (king of Babylonia), became insubordinate (2 Kings 24:1); and Nevuchadnezzar responded by conquering the land of Judah, destroying the First Temple and exiling the populace.
Some positive results: the false prophets, at long last, were silenced forever. They had predicted that Judah would remain independent of Babylonia (Jeremiah ch.27) and no Destruction would take place.
Also, the lure of idolatry finally weakened, since the Destruction and Exile happened exactly as predicted by the true Prophets, who were the same ones who had spoken ceaselessly against dabbling in idolatry.
What feast did Hannah and Elkanah go to year after year?
It wasn't a feast. It was a sacrifice.
1 Samuel 1
3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD.
According to Leviticus 3, you could make sacrifices at any time, to ask something in prayer.
When you offer sacrifices to ask my blessing, you may offer either a bull or a cow, but there must be nothing wrong with the animal.
