History of Judaism

King David was impatient, complicit, and had a weakness for women. He had an affair with Bathsheda which resulted in a pregnancy. He effectively had her husband killed. He allowed his sons to rape and murder. He retook the throne of Jerusalem without the consent of Israel. All of these things displeased the Lord and led to his downfall.

Answer:

King David never had a "downfall." Except in the matter of Uriah, he was the perfect man (1 Kings 15:5). The above answer is based on a secular perusal of the Bible without tradition or commentary and presumes to judge without many pertinent details.

Its name

Answer:

Masada is famous for the last stand made there by several hundred Jews against the conquering Romans. They held out for a long time and refused to surrender.

The Bible tells us that the northern kingdom, Israel, was at all times polytheistic. The biblical references to the kings of Israel show every one of them as polytheistic in their beliefs. Biblical references that tell us about popular religion in Israel - what the people themselves believed - show that the nation was polytheistic from its inception until its destruction by the Assyrians. Judaism must therefore have begun in the southern Hebrew state of Judah. We also know from the Bible that Judah was polytheistic until the reign of Hezekia, who made a failed attempt to impose monotheism in the 7th century BCE. Arguably, if a recognisable forerunner of Judaism existed before this time, it was only a small sect, constantly at odds with the powerful kings of Judah. Hezekia's son, Manasseh, allowed polytheism to flourish once again, evidence that monotheism had not taken root among the ordinary people. Almost a century after Hezekia, King Josiah reinstituted the reforms of his ancestor. During this period, the "Book of Law", believed to be Deuteronomy, was 'found' in the Temple during renovations. Scholars say that the D source (the Deuteronomist) lived during the reign of Josiah and not only wrote much of the Pentateuch, but also the Deuteronomic history - the Books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. No doubt God, or Yahweh (YHWH), had been an important god in the Hebrew pantheon, but he was not alone until at least the time of Josiah.

Prior to the Babylonian Exile, Judaism had been a simpler faith. There was no heaven or hell - souls of the dead simply went to a place of rest, sheol, regardless of the life that had been led. There was no Satan nor angels. The two supernatural men who met Lot in Sodom were elohim - gods. That elohim is now usually translated as 'angels' reflects more modern theology, not the beliefs of the ancient Hebrews.

The following is summarised from The Bible Unearthed by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman, and concerns worship of the goddess Asherah: Among the many objects discovered at Kuntillet Ajrud were two large, splintered, pithoi or storage jars. Each pithos contained drawings in red and black ink accompanied by religious inscriptions written in Hebrew, which scholars have translated with reasonable consistency. Pithos A seems to be a dedicatory inscription and reads, in part: "I bless you by Yahweh, our guardian, and by his Asherah".A second pithos is nearly identical, including: "Amaryau says: Say to my lord X: I bless you by Yahweh (our guardian), and by his Asherah".

One of the inscriptions that Dever found on the base wall of a tomb at Makkedah, dated to 750-700 BCE, reads: "May Uriyahu be blessed by Yahweh my guardian and by his Asherah. Save him." Archaeologists have discovered thousands of terra cotta fertility figurines from the pre-Exilic period. They are almost all female and often found in contexts indicating that they were personal items. Their enlarged breasts, exaggerated pubic triangles and pregnant abdomens indicate they may have been cult objects of the "mother goddess", Asherah. Finkelstein and Silberman go on to say that Asherah "must, then, have been a legitimate part of the cult of Yahweh", since the Bible says that a statue of Asherah stood in the Solomonic temple in Jerusalem for about two-thirds of its existence. They say that, even after the time of Josiah, figurines of a standing woman holding her breasts and generally identified with Asherah continued in abundance in private dwellings.

The Question does not appear to ask for a comprehensive list of the gods and goddesses that the Hebrews believed in. However, to confirm that they were polytheistic, at least some different gods should be identified. There is no doubt, of course, that there was a Supreme God, known as Yahweh (YHWH) in Judah or as El (Elohim) in Israel.

Asherah There are over 70 references to Asherah in the Old Testament.

Baal There are numerous references to the Hebrew worship of Baalim. These include: Judges 8:33; I Kings 18:19, 2 Kings 4.

Moon god - identified with the golden calf 1 Kings chapter 12, we find that the Israelite king Jeroboam made two calves of gold, setting one up in Bethel and one in Dan. He made priests and ordained a national feast day to the god symbolised by these calves, and the people came to worship. In 2 Kings 23:5 we learn that incense was burnt throughout Judah, to Baal, the sun, moon and the planets, and all the hosts of heaven.

Sun god In 2 Kings 23:5 we learn that incense was burnt throughout Judah, to Baal, the sun, moon and the planets, and all the hosts of heaven. In 2 Kings 23:11, the king took away from the Temple the horses that had been given to the sun, and burnt the chariots of the sun. Ezekiel 8:16 - "And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east."

Tammuz Ezekiel 8:14 - "And he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which was towards the north: and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz." Popular religion

The popular religion of Israel is summarised by: (2 Kings 17:7-12) "For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharoah king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

The popular religion of Judah, at the time of the conquest of Israel, is summarised by: (2 Kings 17:19) "Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. "

Kings

The following is (will be) a summary of biblical records of the beliefs of the kings of Israel and Judah. When the Deuteronomist refers to a king as "doing evil in the sight of the Lord" (or similar), the meaning is that the king worshipped other gods. The beliefs of kings are commonly referred to by scholars as "official beliefs", since the kings had some power to enforce their beliefs. Israel: "The biblical references to the kings of Israel show every one of them as polytheistic in their beliefs." Jereboam (First king of the northern kingdom, Israel) (1 Kings 13:33-4) "After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth. "

Nadab(1 Kings 15:25-6) "And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin."

Baasha(1 Kings 15:33-4) "In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. "

Elah(1 kings 16:13) "For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities. "

Omri(1 Kings 16:25) "But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him. "

Ahab (1 Kings 16:30) "And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him."

Ahaziah(1 kings 22:51-3) "Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done. "

Jehoram/Joram(2 Kings 3:1-3) "Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria ... And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. "

Jehu (2 Kings 10:28-29) "Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan. "

Jehoahaz(2 Kings 13:4-6) "And Jehoahaz besought the LORD ... And the LORD gave Israel a saviour ... Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria."

Jehoash(2 Kings 13:10-11) "In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein. "

Jeroboam (2 Kings 14:23-24) "In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. "

Zachariah (2 Kings 15:8-9) "In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin."

Menahem(2 Kings 15:17-18) "In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. "

Pekahiah(2 Kings 15:23-24) "In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. "

Pekah(2 Kings 15:27-28) "In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. "

Hoshea(2 Kings 17:1-2) "In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him. "

; And the Lord God said, Behold, then man is become as one of us (plural), to know good and evil. Genesis 3,22

;

; Let us (plural) go down, and there confound their language.Genesis 11,7

I know for one that they worshiped the Golden calf. Of course the Modern Jews now are monotheistic.

2. Jacob's wives were daughters of an idolater. (Gen. 31

3.Rachel hid her father Laban's images (Gen. 31: 30-34).

4.Jacob's family were idolaters. (Gen. 35, 2-4).

5. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah practiced idolatry. Israel "set them up images" and "served idols" (2 Kings, 17: 10, 11), and "did offer sweet savor to their idols" (Ezek. 6:13). Judah was "full of idols" as. 2: 8).

References in the Old Testaments;

1."There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fireout of his mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it" (2 Sam. 22, 9).

2.He appeared to Abram as "a smoking furnace and a burning lamp" (Gen. 15, 17). He revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush "The bush burned with fire, but the bush was not consumed" (Ex. 3, 2).

3. When David called to him "he answered him from heaven by fire" (1 Ch. 21, 263.

4. To the fleeing Israelites he was a "pillar of fire"(Ex. 14, 24).

5."The Lord descended upon" Sinai "in fire" (4, 18).

6.When he appeared upon Horeb "the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven" (Deut. iv. 11),

7. "and the Lord spake out of the midst of the fire"(12).

8."The cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night"

9.On the Jewish altar for centuries the sacred fire was kept burning. When Aaron, Gideon, Solomon and Elijah made offerings to Jehovah "there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed" the offerings (Lev. 9, 24; Jud. 6, 21; 2 Ch. 7, l; 1 K 18, 38).

10. Elijah was translated in "a chariot of fire" (2 K. ii, 11). Elisha was surrounded by "horses and chariots of fire" (6, 17).

11. With fire he consumed his enemies. "The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone andfire" (gen. 19, 24),

12. When Nadab and Abihu "offered strange firebefore the Lord" (Lev. 10, 1),

13. "there went out fire from before the Lord and devoured them" .

14. When the Israelites displeased him at Taberah, "the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them" (Num.9i, 1).

15. When the hosts of Satan encompassed the Christian saints, "fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them" (Rev. xx, 9).

Another Answer:

The first person to be called a Hebrew, was Abram who was called Abraham:

13And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew;

He was called out of the pagan world and walked with God - fully obeying His commandments and was fully faithful to the point of sacrificing his only son.

Abraham was concerned with the prevalence of paganism of the Canaanite region's peoples. So much so that he had his oldest servant promise to not allow Isaac to marry into paganism - primarily the false gods Baal and Asherah.

But this did not isolate the new Hebrew line. Isaac and his son Jacob who became Israel too had to 'walk the walk' with God and avoid the polytheistic practices of the surrounding peoples. These all succeeded as did Israel's 12 sons - the founders of the nation Israel - until seriously disobeying God.

The above does not mean that the 12 tribes did not falter and sin by stopping to obey and worship the one true God and take on the pagan practices of the surrounding peoples. The Scripture shows they certainly did and God certainly punished them (BC 722 and 586 in particular).

So the answer would be that from the beginning the Hebrew line was the chosen line of the one true God - the Congregation of Israel. On multiple occasions, they strayed away and worshipped the false surrounding gods of the peoples. They were severely punished for this and eventually only Judah returned to the land (some of Benjamin, Levi, and Simeon) and continued worshipping the one true God. They completed the Sceptre Promise given to Abraham and passed along via Judah for the Messiah.

Zionism (as a political movement) was founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897. It built upon a prior organization of several national organizations going under the collective name of Hovevei Tziyon, most of which were founded in the 1880s.

The term "Zionism" appears to have been coined by the publisher Nathan Birnbaum in 1891 to describe these Jewish-nationalism organizations, though it has been retroactively applied to any movement that promoted a Jewish homeland.

Zionism was one of many nationalistic movements that the latter half of the 19th century spawned. European intellectualism and political thought starting about 1850 began to coalesce several major threats of philosophical ideals from the Age of Revolution (which covered the time from the American Revolution through the French Revolution and Counter-Revolutionary periods, i.e. about 1770 to 1840). Combined with the spread of the Industrial Revolution throughout Europe, this later portion of the 19th Century was a great flowering of socio-political thought covering the proper relationships of the rights of man, the concept of nationhood, and the proper workings of government. Nationalism was one of the more potent ideas that solidified around this time, and it became widely popular.

In political science parlance, a "nation" is a group of people with a common culture which creates a bond of unity. A "state" is a political boundary describing an area under a single government's control. A central tenet of the nationalism theories of the 19th century was that the proper size of a "state" was the entire natural area where a specific "nation" resided. That is, all countries should be "nation-states", where the political boundaries separated different cultural groups.

Naturally, at the time (and even today), there are a large number of ethnic and cultural groups which are NOT the only one in a given political state. The nationalism movements were political movements started by many such ethnic/cultural groups, to agitate for a change in the political state boundaries (often, including creating several states from one or more existing ones).

Zionism as a political movement was born in this period of Nationalistic ferver, along with many other "dispossessed" ethnic nationalism movements. However, given the extremely long period of Jewish ethnic identity (over 4,000 years), and the relatively unique dispersed nature of the Jewish "nation" (peoples), it would be a mistake to claim that Zionism was created solely as a reaction to the nationalistic ideologies of that time; rather, there have been organizations advocating a Jewish state for hundreds of years. However, they never enjoyed large-scale support in the Jewish community; thus, it is proper to consider the start of the Zionist movement to be Herzl's organization in 1897.

The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices in Judea, such as Sabbath-observance and circumcision, rededicated the Temple to a Greek idol, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices.

Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. The Hasmoneans (also called Maccabees) were miraculously victorious. When they reached the Temple grounds, they immediately reconsecrated it to God. As part of this action, they relit the Menorah (Exodus ch.25), which was fueled with olive oil. However, it soon became apparent that there was only sufficient oil to keep the candelabra burning for one single day - and it would take eight days to make and bring some more.
Miraculously, the menorah stayed lit for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.
The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence still dwelt in the Holy Temple. This is what Hanukkah represents: the closeness to God; and the avoidance of Hellenization (assimilation).
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). This is why we light our Hanukkah-menorahs.
(The Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted. A ninth candle nearby is called the shamash and is used to light the others.)
The eight-day rededication of the Temple is also mentioned in the book of Maccabees (I, 4:56-59; and II, 1:18); and Josephus mentions the eight-day festival in Antiquities ch.12.
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory and rededication of the Temple, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Though the military victory is prominently mentioned in the prayers, it wouldn't have been celebrated if not for the miracle of the oil, just as we have no special occasion to mark Abraham's victory (Genesis ch.14), or those of Moses (Numbers ch.21), Joshua, Deborah (Judges ch.4), Gideon (Judges ch.6-7), Jephthah (Judges ch.11), or King David. And though the Hasmonean battles continued for two decades after the retaking of the Temple, the Sages instituted Hanukkah immediately after the miracle of the oil.
It should also be noted that the main goal for which the Maccabees fought was not political independence. They fought to enable the people to observe the Torah's commandments; as we say in the Al Hanisim prayer: "the Greeks sought to cause us to forget Your Torah and leave Your statutes."